Today's main idea: Jesus meets people where they are. He calls them to follow him and helps them become people who bring others near.
Read Slowly
In Day 6, Jesus kept going so more people could hear the good news. Today we meet some of the people he calls to follow him.
They have different backgrounds and different questions. Some are curious. Some feel ashamed or discouraged. Jesus gives each of them a reason to come near.
Jesus Invites People to Spend Time with Him
John the Baptist points two of his disciples toward Jesus, calling him the Lamb of God. This title points to Jesus' work of dealing with sin through his sacrifice.
The two begin following Jesus. He turns and asks what they are seeking.
They ask where he is staying. Jesus invites them to come and see, and they spend time with him.
Knowing Jesus begins with more than hearing someone else describe him. These men come close and listen for themselves.
Jesus answers their interest with an invitation to spend time with him. The encounter gives their search a person to know. John's witness has brought them to a place where they can listen for themselves.
I can give Scripture that kind of attention. Instead of hurrying to finish, I can stay with one thing Jesus says and ask what it reveals about the one I am seeking.
Remember: Making time to listen is part of coming to know Jesus.
An Invitation Can Be Simple
Andrew meets Jesus and finds his brother Simon. He tells him they have found the Messiah, God's promised King, and brings him to Jesus.
Philip also meets Jesus and tells Nathanael. Nathanael is doubtful about someone from Nazareth. Philip answers by inviting him to come and see.
Neither Andrew nor Philip knows everything that will happen. They know enough to want someone else to meet Jesus.
We do not need to win every argument before making an invitation. We can say, “This passage helped me understand Jesus. Would you like to read it together?”
Philip meets Nathanael's doubt with an invitation to encounter Jesus. He has something to share without having to settle every objection first. Jesus himself will meet the man he brings.
I can offer a passage or an honest account of what I am learning. Respectful invitation makes room for the other person's questions and for Jesus' words to do their own work.
Remember: I can offer an honest invitation without having to control its outcome.
Jesus Knows the Person in Front of Him
When Simon comes, Jesus gives him the name Cephas, or Peter. This name means rock. Read alongside Simon's later story, it points us toward the person Jesus will help him become.
Jesus also tells Nathanael that he saw him under the fig tree before Philip called him. Nathanael realizes that Jesus knows more about him than he expected. He calls Jesus God's Son and the King of Israel.
Jesus promises that they will see greater things. He speaks of heaven opened and angels ascending and descending on the Son of Man.
This recalls Jacob's dream in Genesis 28:10–17. Jacob saw a ladder reaching to heaven with God's angels ascending and descending. He awoke amazed that God was present in that place. Jesus now places himself at the center of that picture: the angels ascend and descend on the Son of Man.1
Nathanael discovers that Jesus knew him before this meeting. Jesus then directs him toward a greater revelation of God's presence through the Son of Man. The encounter begins with being seen and opens into knowing who sees him.
When I come to Scripture, I can remember that I approach Jesus as someone already known. I can bring my questions openly and let his words enlarge my understanding of him.
Remember: Being known by Jesus gives me reason to keep getting to know him.
Jesus Meets Simon After a Disappointing Night
Simon has worked all night and caught no fish. Jesus uses his boat to teach a crowd, then tells him to go into deeper water and let down the nets.
Simon explains that they have already tried. Still, because Jesus says so, he lets down the nets.
They catch so many fish that they need another boat to help.
The miracle reveals Jesus' authority in the middle of Simon's ordinary work. Simon has experience, but Jesus shows him something beyond what that experience can explain.
Simon acknowledges the failed night's work and then responds to Jesus' word. His experience is real, but he remains willing to listen to the person addressing him. The catch reveals an authority greater than he had understood.
A disappointment can make me stop expecting anything worth hearing. I can bring that weariness to Jesus and remain willing to obey what Scripture makes clear about the next step.
Remember: Yesterday's disappointment need not close my ears to Jesus today.
Jesus Responds to Simon's Fear with a Call
Simon falls before Jesus and asks him to leave because Simon is sinful.
The catch has helped him see Jesus' greatness. It has also made him aware of his own wrongdoing.
Jesus does not leave. He tells Simon not to be afraid and says that from now on he will be catching people. He is giving Simon a new work: helping people come to him.
Simon's response recalls Isaiah's encounter with the holy God in Isaiah 6:1–8. Isaiah becomes painfully aware of his sin, receives cleansing, and is sent to speak. Simon also recognizes his sin in the presence of holiness, and Jesus answers his fear with a call.2
The pattern helps us understand why confession and service belong together. Jesus knows the truth about the person he calls. We can admit our need and trust him to lead us into the work he gives.
Simon and the others leave their boats and follow Jesus.
Simon asks Jesus to leave because he sees his own sin; Jesus calls him to follow. The holy presence that exposes his need also gives him a future of service. Confession becomes a place where he hears a new direction.
When I recognize wrongdoing, I can turn toward Jesus and receive his mercy. The truthful response is to confess and follow him into change.
Remember: The sin I need to confess is a reason to turn toward Jesus.
Jesus Calls Matthew and Eats with Sinners
Jesus sees Matthew at his tax booth and calls him to follow. Matthew gets up and does so.
Later, Jesus eats with tax collectors and others described as sinners. Religious leaders question why he shares a meal with them.
Jesus answers with the picture of a doctor. Sick people need a doctor. He has come to call sinners.
Jesus quotes Hosea 6:6, where God calls for steadfast love and knowledge of him. By sharing a meal with sinners and calling them to follow, Jesus puts that mercy into action. The leaders are being invited to learn God's heart from the very people Jesus has welcomed.
A doctor goes where people need treatment. Jesus uses that picture to explain both his welcome and his purpose in calling sinners. Matthew responds by leaving his booth and following him.
I can receive mercy as an invitation into a changed life. I can also make room for others to come near while they are still in need of the same care I receive.
Remember: Mercy welcomes me near and calls me to begin following Jesus.
What We Learn About Jesus
Jesus is the Messiah and God's Son. He knows people deeply and has authority to call them into a new life.
He welcomes questions, meets failure, and shows mercy to sinners. His call gives people something to do: follow him and help others come to him.
How the Readings Fit Together
John shows people meeting Jesus and inviting others. Luke shows Simon moving from disappointment and fear into following him. Matthew shows Jesus calling a tax collector and welcoming people who need mercy.
The people differ, but the invitation is the same. Come near, trust Jesus, and follow where he leads.
Take a Moment with Jesus
- What disappointment has made me less willing to hear what Jesus says next?
- Am I letting the sin I should confess become a reason to keep my distance from him?
- Who could I invite to listen to Jesus without pretending to have every answer or controlling the response?
Prayer
Jesus, thank you for seeing me clearly and inviting me near. Help me be honest about my questions, failures, and sin. Teach me to follow you and make room for others to learn about you too. Amen.
One Thing to Do
Spend ten minutes answering this question: “What am I seeking from Jesus?” Then choose one simple way to share what you are learning with someone who is willing to listen.
Carry This with You
Jesus sees the real person and calls that person to follow. I can come with my questions and failures and begin taking the next step with him.
Sources Consulted
Source citations
-
Paul S. Berge, Commentary on Philip and Nathanael, Working Preacher, Luther Seminary. On Jesus’ promise and Jacob’s vision of heaven opened. ↩
-
Arland J. Hultgren, Commentary on the call of Simon, Working Preacher, Luther Seminary. On Simon’s awareness of sin and the pattern of biblical call stories, including Isaiah’s. ↩
What is one thing you want to remember?
Your progress stays on this device.