side, his team. With every ounce of my massive hulk I wanted to do the one thing he was now asking me to doâfollow him.
I didnât say a word. I didnât need to. He and my brother saw what no one had seen for more years than I could remember: they saw tears well up in my eyes and roll down my cheeks. And, of course, he understood. I dropped my net and waited for him to lead.
We walked with the Master along the shore until we reached the boat in which James and John were working. They were anchored to the shore. Jesus waded out to the side of the boat and spoke with the two brothers. We saw them look at each other, then at Jesus. Then they rose, jumped over the side, and waded ashore with their Master.
Together the four of us walked down the beach next to Jesus, heading toward Capernaum and toward a future that would change us, and eventually the entire world, forever.
8
My surrender to the Master left me feeling as though every troublesome issue in my life was instantly, eternally resolved. And in one sense, I was right. For the first time I knew I was on the right course, heading in the right direction. I was well pleased to spend the rest of my life following Jesus, getting to know him, trusting his lead. But submitting to his lead was only the beginning. Having accepted him as my goal, the Master now needed to introduce me to the only means by which that goal could be attained. And that learning process would take years.
And so the quake began. For several months our tiny nation had been feeling the Masterâs jolts and tremors. The pieces were now in place. He was ready to shake Israel as it had never been shaken before.
We walked with the Master back to the house where he was staying in Capernaum. People were already milling around the outside when we arrived. A few of the more aggressive ones were knocking on the door or peeking in the windows. As soon as Jesus appeared, the entire pack charged us. Some were sick, some crippled, some deformed. Others just wanted to meet this man who was causing such a stir.
The approach Jesus took with those people that morning established a pattern we saw repeated countless times as we traveled throughout the nation in the months ahead. He turned his attention first to those with physical needs. For those who hurt, entrance into the kingdom so often begins at the point of their pain. He healed and restored each sick and disabled person in the group.
Then he found a convenient place to sit and began to teach. Occasionally people would ask him a question. Sometimes he would ask the group or one individual within the group a question himself, using the response to help illustrate a concept he wanted to share with us. Always he talked about God, relationships, trust, and the world around us in a way that was absolutely consistent with real life. It was unlike anything any of us had ever heard before. And always we came away from those group teaching times feeling as if we had just finished a private conversation with the Master. That morning the people sat and listened, unwilling to move more than a few inches for fear they would miss something he said or risk losing their place. It was late afternoon before he finally dismissed the group so that we could return home to prepare for the Sabbath.
As Andrew, James, John, and I walked back to Bethsaida, we talked about what was coming. We knew our future was now bound up with Jesus. He would not remain in Capernaum long. When he traveled, we would travel with him.
It had been a long, intense day for me. I was tired. The feelings of peace and serenity that had been so intense on the beach that morning were being quickly eroded by what I saw as the practical realities of life. I was a married man, the head of a household, with the responsibility to care for my familyâs needs. For the first time I wondered what Jesus did for money and even more how he expected us to meet our physical needs. We would not be able to
I didnât say a word. I didnât need to. He and my brother saw what no one had seen for more years than I could remember: they saw tears well up in my eyes and roll down my cheeks. And, of course, he understood. I dropped my net and waited for him to lead.
We walked with the Master along the shore until we reached the boat in which James and John were working. They were anchored to the shore. Jesus waded out to the side of the boat and spoke with the two brothers. We saw them look at each other, then at Jesus. Then they rose, jumped over the side, and waded ashore with their Master.
Together the four of us walked down the beach next to Jesus, heading toward Capernaum and toward a future that would change us, and eventually the entire world, forever.
8
My surrender to the Master left me feeling as though every troublesome issue in my life was instantly, eternally resolved. And in one sense, I was right. For the first time I knew I was on the right course, heading in the right direction. I was well pleased to spend the rest of my life following Jesus, getting to know him, trusting his lead. But submitting to his lead was only the beginning. Having accepted him as my goal, the Master now needed to introduce me to the only means by which that goal could be attained. And that learning process would take years.
And so the quake began. For several months our tiny nation had been feeling the Masterâs jolts and tremors. The pieces were now in place. He was ready to shake Israel as it had never been shaken before.
We walked with the Master back to the house where he was staying in Capernaum. People were already milling around the outside when we arrived. A few of the more aggressive ones were knocking on the door or peeking in the windows. As soon as Jesus appeared, the entire pack charged us. Some were sick, some crippled, some deformed. Others just wanted to meet this man who was causing such a stir.
The approach Jesus took with those people that morning established a pattern we saw repeated countless times as we traveled throughout the nation in the months ahead. He turned his attention first to those with physical needs. For those who hurt, entrance into the kingdom so often begins at the point of their pain. He healed and restored each sick and disabled person in the group.
Then he found a convenient place to sit and began to teach. Occasionally people would ask him a question. Sometimes he would ask the group or one individual within the group a question himself, using the response to help illustrate a concept he wanted to share with us. Always he talked about God, relationships, trust, and the world around us in a way that was absolutely consistent with real life. It was unlike anything any of us had ever heard before. And always we came away from those group teaching times feeling as if we had just finished a private conversation with the Master. That morning the people sat and listened, unwilling to move more than a few inches for fear they would miss something he said or risk losing their place. It was late afternoon before he finally dismissed the group so that we could return home to prepare for the Sabbath.
As Andrew, James, John, and I walked back to Bethsaida, we talked about what was coming. We knew our future was now bound up with Jesus. He would not remain in Capernaum long. When he traveled, we would travel with him.
It had been a long, intense day for me. I was tired. The feelings of peace and serenity that had been so intense on the beach that morning were being quickly eroded by what I saw as the practical realities of life. I was a married man, the head of a household, with the responsibility to care for my familyâs needs. For the first time I wondered what Jesus did for money and even more how he expected us to meet our physical needs. We would not be able to
Similar Books
