My maiden name is Smith. A common last name in many cultures stemmed from the type of work that the person did—silversmith, gunsmith, locksmith, or possibly blacksmith. This is distinctive when a person’s job ends up coupled with their identity and in some ways defines it. It’s not so different now. When you meet someone for the first time, what is one of the questions often asked? “What do you do for a living?” Learning someone’s occupation offers clues to personality, interests, and values. Work can be a fulfilling expression of personal makeup, give purpose, and provide the patterns of our days.
These men were fishermen when Jesus came upon them and asked them to be under the yoke of his teaching—defined by the job they carried out each day. Some were in the middle of casting their nets to catch fish in shallow waters. Each cast held hope of earning the name “fishermen.” Others were mending the holes in the netting to throw it back in again and achieve success. The routines of their days were set by these actions day after day… until Jesus interrupted them.
We all know what it feels like to be interrupted in the middle of something. It can be frustrating as we are enmeshed both physically and often psychologically as we earn our identities by the work we carry out. However, God interrupts our busy lives and calls us in a new direction. For these men, it meant leaving everything behind, all of the tools of their trade and the people with which they worked were left behind. For James and John, it was their father and the craft he had taught them that they left behind. No longer would they find fulfillment in the size of their catch or help to maintain the family business because ahead of them was an opportunity to find their greatest fulfillment from their greatest interruption. Their new interests and values would be shaped by this man, this King, whom they chose to follow, and in the following, embracing the title of disciple and learning a new way that would define them.. the way of Jesus.
Here are a few questions to ponder:
Where/how is Jesus interrupting you and leading you in a new direction? Will you trust Him and follow?
What sets your value system and guides the way you carry out the day-to-day tasks?
Jessica Klootwyk
Discipleship Director