The Real Enlightenment
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. And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." Immediately they left their nets and followed him. 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. Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. - Matt. 4:18-22
"Immediately". Quite and extraordinary response to Jesus' invitation. The similarities between these two invitation are equally remarkable. Both invitees were involved in their vocation at the time of Jesus' remarks. Particularly, both groups were working with their nets. Peter and Andrew were casting their nets, while John and James were mending theirs. One intriguing difference relates to what Matthew specifically notes was left behind. Peter and Andrew left THEIR NETS, while John and James left THEIR FATHER. To be sure, Peter and Andrew also left their respective families and James and John left their respective vocations. While these facts are evident and clearly indicated in what Matthew records, it is how Matthew presents the facts that causes me to pause and wonder.
Matthew seems to go out of his way to specifically emphasize the two implications of Jesus' call: Vocation and Family. Matthew could have shared this event in any number of ways, including, "Jesus came upon Peter and his brother Andrew and James and his brother John in their respective fishing boats and called them to forsake everything and follow him, and immediately, they followed him." Certainly "forsake everything" would be a proper description of what these four would have to do in order to follow Jesus. However, Matthew is very particular about how he presents the narrative. But Why?
The two most precious things of all that humans value in this world are suppling our basic daily needs (food and water) and our families (relationships). Without a vocation, we lack the means to provide for our daily needs and without relationships we are just as incomplete as Adam was before God formed Eve. This is what makes social welfare systems so dangerous, they re-imagine a world were we do not need God, by suggesting that collective humanity can meet every individual's needs. However, as we are continuing to find, these systems always seem to fail, because like gravity to a skydiver, reality will not be denied. Just because I say there is no God and I can meet my own needs, does not make God any less real, or me any more self-sufficient. But enough of that.
The first sin act in the garden was motivated by and negatively affected these two needs. Adam and Eve were led to believe that God was not good and did not care for their well being (relationships). If they were to survive, Adam and Eve would need to take matters into their own hands and provide what they needed (food and water) for themselves.
In his account of Andrew, Peter, James and John's calling, Matthew seems to point directly at these two specific implications. Following Jesus means that I believe that God will meet my daily needs because I trust that He is good and loves me. In many ways, if we are to follow Jesus, we must depart from the actions of our first parents and say no to that fruit. The only reason we can say no to the fruit of self-sufficiency and self-dependence in the first place, is because Jesus has offered the invitation. We are redeemed by Jesus, and Jesus alone.
This brings us back to the term "immediately". What would have provoked this astounding response? Perhaps they recalled the negative effects of Eve's pondering. Perhaps they needed a change of scenery. Or perhaps most of all, they had read Isaiah 9:1-4, and they knew they were in the presence of someone very special. It would be some time before they would become fully aware of who Jesus was, but in that moment Jesus had broken through the darkness, and light began to fill their world. Perhaps we got it wrong, the enlightenment didn't happen in the 17th and 18 century, it happened in the 1st, eyes were opened and the darkness dissipated. Jesus is calling, how much time must pass before you drop your nets, release your loved ones and follow him? If you refuse or wait too long, you will never reach the cross, see the empty grave, or know his Pentecost presence. It all hinges on where it always begins, denying oneself and following Jesus.
The Real Enlightenment
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. And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." Immediately they left their nets and followed him. 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. Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. - Matt. 4:18-22
"Immediately". Quite and extraordinary response to Jesus' invitation. The similarities between these two invitation are equally remarkable. Both invitees were involved in their vocation at the time of Jesus' remarks. Particularly, both groups were working with their nets. Peter and Andrew were casting their nets, while John and James were mending theirs. One intriguing difference relates to what Matthew specifically notes was left behind. Peter and Andrew left THEIR NETS, while John and James left THEIR FATHER. To be sure, Peter and Andrew also left their respective families and James and John left their respective vocations. While these facts are evident and clearly indicated in what Matthew records, it is how Matthew presents the facts that causes me to pause and wonder.
Matthew seems to go out of his way to specifically emphasize the two implications of Jesus' call: Vocation and Family. Matthew could have shared this event in any number of ways, including, "Jesus came upon Peter and his brother Andrew and James and his brother John in their respective fishing boats and called them to forsake everything and follow him, and immediately, they followed him." Certainly "forsake everything" would be a proper description of what these four would have to do in order to follow Jesus. However, Matthew is very particular about how he presents the narrative. But Why?
The two most precious things of all that humans value in this world are suppling our basic daily needs (food and water) and our families (relationships). Without a vocation, we lack the means to provide for our daily needs and without relationships we are just as incomplete as Adam was before God formed Eve. This is what makes social welfare systems so dangerous, they re-imagine a world were we do not need God, by suggesting that collective humanity can meet every individual's needs. However, as we are continuing to find, these systems always seem to fail, because like gravity to a skydiver, reality will not be denied. Just because I say there is no God and I can meet my own needs, does not make God any less real, or me any more self-sufficient. But enough of that.
The first sin act in the garden was motivated by and negatively affected these two needs. Adam and Eve were led to believe that God was not good and did not care for their well being (relationships). If they were to survive, Adam and Eve would need to take matters into their own hands and provide what they needed (food and water) for themselves.
In his account of Andrew, Peter, James and John's calling, Matthew seems to point directly at these two specific implications. Following Jesus means that I believe that God will meet my daily needs because I trust that He is good and loves me. In many ways, if we are to follow Jesus, we must depart from the actions of our first parents and say no to that fruit. The only reason we can say no to the fruit of self-sufficiency and self-dependence in the first place, is because Jesus has offered the invitation. We are redeemed by Jesus, and Jesus alone.
This brings us back to the term "immediately". What would have provoked this astounding response? Perhaps they recalled the negative effects of Eve's pondering. Perhaps they needed a change of scenery. Or perhaps most of all, they had read Isaiah 9:1-4, and they knew they were in the presence of someone very special. It would be some time before they would become fully aware of who Jesus was, but in that moment Jesus had broken through the darkness, and light began to fill their world. Perhaps we got it wrong, the enlightenment didn't happen in the 17th and 18 century, it happened in the 1st, eyes were opened and the darkness dissipated. Jesus is calling, how much time must pass before you drop your nets, release your loved ones and follow him? If you refuse or wait too long, you will never reach the cross, see the empty grave, or know his Pentecost presence. It all hinges on where it always begins, denying oneself and following Jesus.
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