Impact



Matthew 4:18-25
18While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.
19And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
20Immediately they left their nets and followed him.
21And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them.
22Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
23And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people.
24So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, epileptics, and paralytics, and he healed them.
25And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.

The introduction of the Book of Matthew has concluded and the second part of the book is opened. Jesus has been established in the minds of the readers as the Son of God, the One who was promised throughout the Old Testament, the Messiah. Now it is time to see what He would do as the fulfillment of God’s plan.

As a Teacher, Jesus now gathers followers. He summons Peter, Andrew, James, and John. They are simply the first 4 of the original 12 who will become His disciples for the next three years. The come with the promise that they will learn how to influence people for the Lord God. All four of them were fisherman by trade and Jesus promises that they will now seek after a new catch. Their willingness to follow is immediate. When choosing a career, we generally spend a few years in college or some type of training. That is exactly what these men are being offered although they probably couldn’t have articulated that at the time. They are going to enter Jesus’ school of discipleship. When He leaves them, they will have everything they need to fulfill their calling except the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus sends after his ascension.

Jesus also begins showing the people that God is with them. He heals diseases, casts out demons, and frees those suffering from mental illness. And of course, His fame spreads. It would have been an amazing thing to see. For now, His ministry is found in the northern part of what was the land that God had given to His people. The crowds around Him grow. It must have been an interesting time, as the Jewish hierarchy doesn’t yet have their eye on Him. He is simply healing the people and spreading the Gospel. His message is the same as John’s had been. “Repent, for the Kingdom of God is near."

If you had been of those healed or who had heard His message in person, what might you have said about Him? That question still remains for us. What might we say about Him? He has healed us and He has delivered the same message of repentance to us. Because of knowing Him, our lives are forever changed. We have something to say – so let’s say it!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

יהוה שָׁמַר--Yahweh Shamar (God Watches)

Image
Psalm 121 1 I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? 2 My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. 3 He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. 4 Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. 6 The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. 7 The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. 8 The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore. There are numerous passages I cling to when stress takes over my life. I would be hard pressed to declare a favorite, but this psalm would come close. So this morning I listened to Psalm 121 about 20 times as I meditated through the verses. First, I want to point out that the word or idea of shamar appears in every verse expect 6. The NIV uses the word "watch" while the ESV uses "keep". The...
Read more

Excusez-moi

Image
2 Kings 23:31-37 31 Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. 32 And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his fathers had done. 33 And Pharaoh Neco put him in bonds at Riblah in the land of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem, and laid on the land a tribute of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. 34 And Pharaoh Neco made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the place of Josiah his father, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. But he took Jehoahaz away, and he came to Egypt and died there. 35 And Jehoiakim gave the silver and the gold to Pharaoh, but he taxed the land to give the money according to the command of Pharaoh. He exacted the silver and the gold of the people of the land, from everyone according to his assessment, to give it to Pharaoh Neco. 36 Jehoiakim was twenty-fiv...
Read more

Narrow Door

Image
Luke 13:22-30 22 He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem. 23 And someone said to him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” And he said to them , 24 “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 25 When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then he will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’ 26 Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ 27 But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’ 28 In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out. 29 And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at tabl...
Read more