18One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers—Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew—throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living.19Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!”20And they left their nets at once and followed him.
21A little farther up the shore he saw two other brothers, James and John, sitting in a boat with their father, Zebedee, repairing their nets. And he called them to come, too.22They immediately followed him, leaving the boat and their father behind.
23Jesus traveled throughout the region of Galilee, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness.24News about him spread as far as Syria, and people soon began bringing to him all who were sick. And whatever their sickness or disease, or if they were demon possessed or epileptic or paralyzed—he healed them all.25Large crowds followed him wherever he went—people from Galilee, the Ten Towns, Jerusalem, from all over Judea, and from east of the Jordan River.
The call of Simon, Andrew, James and John seems so amazing. It appears they follow Jesus simply because he calls them. They don’t appear to have to consider the pros and cons or think about what is happening. They leave their jobs and families and all they know to follow someone – for no apparent reason. They follow Jesus just because Jesus called them.
The crowds are very different. They follow Jesus because he heals them, or feeds them, or frees them or restores them. They follow Jesus, at least at first, because of what it does for them. Certainly this makes so much more sense to us. We can all relate to the people in the crowds. I know at times I have followed Jesus because in our little town it is the socially correct thing to do. It made my life easier and it was popular.
But in the end, who were Jesus’ true followers? The disciples followed Jesus to their own deaths. They followed Jesus down the hard roads that were not popular and where there were no crowds. They started to follow for no apparent reason, and they kept following though it cost them everything.
Why do you think those first disciples followed Jesus?
What made them continue to follow Jesus when the price was so high?
Which type of follower are you, or more important, which type of follower will you be?
Beginner’s Online Bible Study *obbs*
