Matthew’s Gospel: Team Jesus

40 Blogs of Lent: 8

Matthew 4:18-22

Jesus has been preaching repentance for a year, and it is time to move on to part two of his ministry. The first stage is to assemble his team. The first stage of that is to hand pick the team leaders,

Two pairs of brothers, Peter, Andrew James and John are the ones mentioned here, Peter, James and John (and occasionally Andrew) will become Jesus’ inner circle.

Peter and Andrew were already followers of Jesus we are told in John’s Gospel, Jesus calls them, not as strangers but as people he knows to change from being part time to full time in their commitment.

Whatever the previous contact, if any, James and John had with Jesus is unknown. The result was the same for both sets of brothers, they left their nets, or the boat, in both cases they left the family business in order to follow Jesus.

In Yesterday’s blog, I finished with a question: have you repented? If the answer is yes then get used to it, continuous repentance is part of the Christian lifestyle. Today’s question goes further. Is Jesus calling you to a deeper commitment that goes beyond just being a believer? Is there something you need to give up in order to follow Jesus?

Please take time to ask the Holy Spirit to lead you in this.

-o0o-

For those who would like to follow the Bible reading:

¹⁸ While 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. ¹⁹ And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” ²⁰ Immediately they left their nets and followed him. ²¹ And 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. ²² Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

Matthew 4 ESVUK

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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.