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[Note: This speech (given at the Xiamen International Fellowship) started with a reading from the Bible: Luke 5:1-11.] Click here for another XICF message. Article index.

When Jesus Calls Again

     Our beloved Pastor, who is enjoying a well-deserved holiday in his homeland of Mexico, showed us a funny video clip last week. Well, I want to begin with a cute audio clip. Imagine what would happen if God called you at work….

Radio skit: God called, you have been busy (from Lifeline Productions) (Basically, a busy business man returns from lunch, and his secretary tells him about important phone calls, including one “from God,” who wants the man to know that He has been ‘trying to reach you, but you’ve been too busy; I’m here for you when you need me.’

     Sometimes I wish that God would pick up the phone to “call” me, but God’s “callings” don’t happen like that, do they? As a result, some believe that God doesn’t really “call” us anymore, but nothing could be further from the truth. I believe He constantly calls us; we’re just normally too busy to pay Him the attention He deserves.

     You know, when we read about God’s call to Simon-Peter and his partners in Luke 5, it is easy to marvel, because it sounds like they meet, see a miracle, and then immediately (in the words of verse 11) “when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.” But there is actually a lot more to their story, and I think a careful examination of the scriptures shows that Peter responded a lot like most of us: cautious and interested at first, with his commitment to Christ growing from basic spiritual hunger to loving devotion. Likewise, we see that Jesus didn’t just call Peter to “follow Him” one time—Jesus called several times, and accepted whatever level of commitment Peter was willing or able to give at that moment, which is also a lot like what happens to most of us.

     My favorite way to read the Gospels is in chronological order. Thomas and Gundry’s Harmony of the Gospels was a favorite book even before it became one of my textbooks in graduate school. These conservative scholars have put the life of Jesus in chronological order, using extensive research to fit the pieces in from all four accounts. By reading it this way, we find—to be specific in relation to today’s passage—that Peter had several encounters with Jesus before that fateful day when “he forsook all” and followed.

     To look at those encounters, I’ve created a seven-step framework. Many people go through these phases in their approach to and walk with Jesus. The seven steps might look like a series of questions, leading up to faith (for you or for your friends):

1. I seem to be “missing something” and the answers I’ve found fall short. Could there be a god? If so, how do I find out about him/her/it?

2. There is something attractive about Jesus and/or Christians. Could this be the path I’m looking for? Why do I find Christ or Christians attractive?

3. I’m willing to “try Jesus”—to get to know Him through His Word and through His people. Could these facts about the historical Jesus be true?

4. Now that I’ve come to understand a bit about Jesus and come to know some of His followers, what do they have that I don’t have, and how do I get it? And is it worth it?

Faith is then exercised, and the questions give way to commitment in three more steps (expressed here in the form of prayers).

5. I’m convinced that I’m a sinner—I’m not perfect. Jesus, please forgive me and give me Your promised inner peace.

6. I’m a follower, and I’m willing to publically call myself a Christian (often via baptism). In gratitude for all You’ve done, I give You my life. Change me more and more into Your image, and give me a heart to do Your will.

7. I’m in love with You, Lord. I have embraced my cross and ‘left everything to follow You’ wherever You lead. “Is it worth it?”—YES! I count it all gain because “YOU are worthy!”

     We don’t have much time today, so I’ll just show you where these scriptures are. I've also posted this message on my website so you can study these passages on your own.

1. I seem to be “missing something” and the answers I’ve found fall short. Could there be a god? If so, how do I find out?

     For Peter, we see Step One in John 1:35-42. Peter and his brother Andrew are both away from home, listening to a fiery young preacher named John the Baptist. To me, this shows their spiritual hunger, as if they are looking for more answers than what their Jewish upbringing has provided. John points Andrew to Jesus, calling Him “the Lamb of God”, and Andrew is so impressed that he finds his brother (actually still called Simon at this point—but not for long!), and (according to John 1:41) Andrew brings him to Jesus by saying: “We have found the Christ.”

2. Jesus and/or Christians are attractive to me. Could this be the path I’m looking for? Why do I find Christ or Christians attractive?

3. I’m willing to “try Jesus”—to get to know Him through His Word and His people. Could these facts about Jesus be true?

     We can see Steps Two and Three in several places, as Simon-Peter starts following Jesus around in an off-and-on sort of way, as his work permits. Immediately after Peter and Andrew (and probably John) become among the first to “follow” Jesus, John 2:7-11 says that “his disciples” were with Him at a wedding in Cana, where Jesus miraculously turned water into wine. The result, according to verse 11, was that “His disciples believed in Him.” Perhaps it is Jesus’ miracles that first attracted Peter, but in addition to seeing these “wonders” first hand, Peter surely heard the Gospel message. Either way, the seeds of faith began to grow.

     The next verse puts Jesus in Capernaum for a few days, before Jesus heads off to Jerusalem. I can’t imagine Jesus visiting Peter’s hometown without spending time with this man and his brother, who met Jesus in John 1. Then in John 3:22, we find “Jesus and His disciples” baptizing; now remember that Peter and Andrew had been with “John the Baptizer”, so isn’t it logical to expect that Peter and Andrew were among these “disciples”? Next, Jesus continues traveling around with unnamed “disciples” (in Samaria in John 4:5; in Galilee in John 4:43), but we don’t have any indication that Peter went along. However, this might be typical of the “on and off” relationship common in Steps Two and Three.

     A few more touches are found in things that happen around Peter’s town, things that someone who had already met Jesus was surely to have heard about. Mark 1:15 tells us that Jesus’ core message was “Repent and believe in the gospel”; Peter must have known this, for why else would he soon thereafter feel the need to fall down before Jesus, saying “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!”? Then Jesus heals the Royal Official’s son in Peter’s town (Capernaum), by long-distance prayer no less (for Jesus was back in Cana at the time; see John 4:46-54). This miracle was probably the “talk of the town” in Capernaum, so I can’t imagine that Peter and Andrew didn’t hear about it! Soon after that, Jesus was rejected in His own hometown (Nazareth) and “settled in Capernaum” (Luke 4:16-31/Matt 4:13-16); could it be that Jesus chose Capernaum because he had already had an impact on several people there, including Peter? (Having “a royal official” in Capernaum who felt grateful to Him couldn’t hurt either!)

4. Now that I understand a bit about Jesus and have come to know some of His followers, what do they have that I don’t have, and how do I get it? And is it worth it?

     Next, both Mark and Matthew recall Jesus’ first formal “call” for Peter to follow. At this point, I’d put Peter around Step Four—on the verge of a permanent commitment, but lacking one important element: namely repentance. According to Mark 1:16-18:

¹⁶ And as Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. ¹⁷ Then Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”¹⁸ They immediately left their nets and followed Him.

     Of course they did, for they had already passed Steps 1 to 4: they were spiritually hungry, had found Jesus attractive, and had heard enough to be willing to become “followers” by this point.

     The text says they followed Jesus, and in the next section (Mark 1:21-28) they see Jesus cast out demons who call him “the Holy One of God”. We know Peter was there because the very next passage (Mark 1:29-34) has Jesus following Peter to his own house! There, Peter sees another miracle—indeed, in his own family!—for Jesus heals Peter’s wife’s mother (Mark 1:29-31).

(continued from other column)

     Let me digress for a moment to talk about the chronological order of the Luke 5 passage. Thomas and Gundry put Luke 5:1-11 between Mark 1:39 and 1:40 because 1:39 is “parallel” to Luke 4:44 while Mark’s next verse (Mark 1:40) is “parallel” to Luke’s passage 12 verses later (Luke 5:12—with the “extra calling” in between!). In a footnote (p 52), the scholars also explain: “The sequence of Luke’s account, along with several differences in detail from Matthew and Mark, probably indicates this call came later than the one described in Section 47 [Matt 4:18-22 and Mark 1:16-20]. For example, Simon and Andrew were not fishing from a boat in Matthew and Mark, but they were in Luke. In Matthew and Mark, Jesus did not enter a boat as He did in Luke. Luke records a great catch of fish, but Matthew and Mark say nothing about one. Hence, it appears that the two pairs of brothers went back to their fishing trade after the tour of Section 50 [Matt 4:23-24, Mark 1:35-39, Luke 4:42-44].”

5. I’m convinced that I’m a sinner—I’m not perfect. Jesus, please forgive me and give me Your promised inner peace.

     This brings us to today’s main passage (Luke 5:1-11), where Peter clearly reaches Step 5. Jesus gets into the boat of his friends Peter and Andrew, preaches a while as the guys mend their nets, and then performs yet another miracle. This is too much for Peter, who finally feels that deep conviction that he is a needy sinner—an essential element for anyone who desires a permanent, life-changing relationship with Jesus.

     According to Luke 5:7-8: “…they came and filled both the boats [with the miraculous catch of fish], so that they began to sink. ⁸ When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, ‘Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!’”

6. I’m a follower, publically calling myself a Christian. In gratitude, I give You my life. Mold me into Your image, with a heart to do Your will.

     Of course, Peter doesn’t waste time, taking Step 6 as he and his partners ‘leave everything to follow Jesus.’ This time, because he had walked through all of the steps in his many encounters with Jesus, Peter’s commitment was permanent, and he remained Jesus’ committed disciple for the rest of his life. Quoting Thomas and Gundry again: “After responding to this second call, they seem to have remained with Jesus permanently. Following His crucifixion they did, however, return to fishing (cf. Sec 255 [John 21:1-25]).” (p52)

     That reference to Peter’s post-resurrection fishing trip is worth a closer look, for it allows us to demonstrate Peter’s progressive faith-walk in one more way, as Jesus again calls Peter to “follow Me.” This account shows that discipleship is a life-long process, just as the Believer’s love for Jesus keeps growing.

     Once again, Peter has returned to fishing, perhaps because he didn’t know what else to do. Jesus had died and risen, but wasn’t there to be physically “followed” anymore. Peter had seven of the disciples out fishing all night, but they had caught nothing—until Jesus showed up. Yes, there was another miraculous catch of fish (153 fish, to be exact—I’ve always wondered which one got the job of counting those fish!). John figured out first who the stranger on the shore was, and when he told Peter, Peter jumped in and swam to shore. If that is not Step Seven—“I’m in love with You, Lord”—then I don’t know what to call it!

7. I’m in love with You, Lord. I’ve left all, embraced my cross, and count it all gain because “YOU are worthy!”

     The interchange between Jesus and Peter in John 21: 1-25 is full of meaning. I remember being a junior in college when Professor Eckland told us that two Greek words for love are being used here—and this gets lost when the English translators simply use “love” for both. One of the words (the one Jesus keeps using) is agape, which refers to an unconditional type of love—the kind of love God has for us. The other, which Peter uses in his responses, is phileo, or “brotherly love.” I can still hear the professor saying: “Phileo is our kind of love. You know, ‘I’ll love you if you love me’.”

     Keep that in mind when you read John 21: 1-25. Jesus says, “Do you love me unconditionally?” Peter replied, “I love you with brotherly love.” Jesus repeats His question with the “higher” standard of love: “Do you love me unconditionally?” Peter repeats his watered-down answer: “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You with brotherly love.”

     But here’s the kicker. Jesus changes the verb when He asks again! “He said to him the third time, ‘Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me with brotherly love?”

     Well of course “Peter was grieved” by this response—he had already used that verb twice! So Peter said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You with brotherly love.”

     My professor said that Jesus was trying to call Peter to “God’s kind of love”, but when He changed the verb it was like Jesus was saying: “I hear you saying that ‘brotherly love’ is the best you can do right now, and I’ll take it. But don’t forget there is a higher standard to strive for.”

     And Peter never forgot, for in Peter’s letters, he speaks about loving with God’s unconditional form of love at least three times, including 1 Peter 1:22: “Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart.” (See also 1 Peter 1:8 and 2:17.) Because Jesus had accepted “the best he could offer at the time”, Peter’s love for Jesus eventually grew into that higher form to which we are all called.

     Finally, take a look at John 21:19-22, a few verses down from the “love dialog”. Jesus has just told Peter that Peter would glorify God by being crucified, which history tells us happened in about AD 64, somewhere near where the Vatican is today (a church called St Peter’s has been there from the fourth century). Picking up in verse 19:

“And when Jesus had spoken this, He said to Peter, “Follow Me.”

²⁰ Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved [John] following…. ²¹ Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, “But Lord, what about this man?”

²² Jesus said to him, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.”

     I don’t hear a rebuke in Jesus’ words, only love. It was like He was saying: Peter, I’ve got a big job for you to do. It is not going to be easy, and from the world’s perspective you will fail. But I know how much you love me, and together we CAN do this. I know you think you don’t love me enough, right now, but trust Me when I say that you will feel differently before you die. From the very ground where you die, I will raise up My church. So, this isn’t about you, or “that disciple” or anyone else. No matter what others do, you follow Me.

     And isn’t that what Jesus says to all of His children? Give Me whatever you have. I’ll take you, vile sinner, just like you are, but I love you too much to leave you the same. Follow Me as we work harder, and climb higher, until you finally see what your mind can’t even conceive of—the glorious future that I have prepared for all who truly love Me. (1 Cor 2:9)

     In closing, I hope this quick look at the context of Peter’s “call” has been encouraging. Maybe you have a friend who seems hesitant to “commit everything” to Jesus; well, be patient, and keep doing what you can to bring that friend closer and closer to Jesus.

     Or maybe you are that friend; you are attracted to the Christian message or to the characteristics you see in the Christians you know—maybe one of them even brought you here today. I hope you saw yourself in one of those “steps” I outlined. As Jesus reveals Himself to you, respond with whatever level of commitment you can give. Jesus will walk with you there, and He will keep calling you to know Him better.

     Which brings us to the rest of us. I hope you saw today that God’s “call” is not a one-time event, but rather a lifelong, growing relationship. What new level of commitment is God calling YOU to today? If you are looking over your shoulder like Peter, asking “What about him?”, I hope you heard Jesus’ reply: “What is that to you? YOU follow me.”

     Somewhere along the way, Jesus may ask you to “forsake everything and follow Him”; but when that day comes, you will have seen enough to be convinced that He is worthy of whatever being His disciple entails. And our obedience will come with such a sense of His love, that it will seem more like being set free from those old boats and old nets, instead of sacrifice. Or, in the words of Michael Card’s song (that I will try to sing for you now): “It is hard to imagine the freedom we find, from the things we leave behind.”

[You can find Michael Card's lyrics at www.higherpraise.com/lyrics/cool/t/869.htm]

© 2012 Michael Krigline. As far as I am concerned, people are allowed to print or copy this article, or link to it, for personal or classroom use.

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Scriptures quoted are primarily from The Holy Bible, New King James Version, (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc.) 1982. Also on line at www.biblegateway.com

For more information about Christianity, check out www.ccci.org/whoisjesus/interactive-journey

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