Following Jesus’ Call
What are the implications of following Jesus? Who does God call? What does God’s calling look like for us? Are we called to leave some things behind? Are we able to hold on to some things and follow Jesus?
When God calls us from something, he is also calling us to something.
Obediently following Jesus has consequences and real implications for our lives. However, God uses all of who we are to do the ministry he is calling us to do. While we may be called to leave some things behind, God also uses who we are, our personality, our vocation, our skill set, and our giftedness.
We see this dynamic of calling in Jesus’ call of his disciples. Jesus called ordinary people with a diversity and complexity of background. Jesus called doubters, betrayers, questioners, zealots, tax collectors, and fisherman to follow him and to become his disciples, just to name a few.
The author of the Gospel of Mark writes, “Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, Jesus saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.’ And immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.” (Mark 1:16-20, ESV).
We can learn a lot about following Jesus from his calling of the disciples in Mark 1:16-20, including:
1. When God calls us from something, he is also calling us to something.
2. Jesus meets us where we are when he calls us.
3. We cannot stay where we are and go to where Jesus is calling us.
4. Jesus uses our areas of competencies to use us in his mission.
5. Our vocational position and skill set is not wasted in our serving Jesus in ministry.
6. Following Jesus’ call requires a certain level of sacrifice.
7. There are times when we need to leave homes, families, and businesses for the sake of following Jesus.
May we obediently follow the call of Jesus, no matter what the cost, and experience the joy and the impact of the ministry he has for us.
A Collect for the Third Sunday of Epiphany: “Give us grace, O Lord, to answer readily the call of our Savior Jesus Christ and proclaim to all people the Good News of his salvation, that we and the whole world may perceive the glory of his marvelous works; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.” (Book of Common Prayer, 2019).
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