A Series on God’s Call to Ministry
Luke 5:1-32
(Use
the link below to read the verses.)
[Preface: How do you know what your calling
in life is? Will you know from a big bang experience? Or will it come quietly,
almost imperceptible? Will you be inspired by the stories of a visiting
missionary; or a book that opens your eyes to the needs of a specific people
group; or from your own life experience? This series is about God’s call to
ministry for your life; what it means or doesn’t mean.]
Growing up,
when we were going to play a pick-up baseball game, teams were chosen by using
a bat. The two captains decided who chose first when one would toss the bat for
the other to catch. Then they would grab the bat, hand over hand, moving up the
handle. Whoever could grab the last piece of bat, got the first choice.
Of course, the whole
idea of choosing a team was to pick the players who would help you to win. So
you picked who you thought was the best player available. It makes perfect
sense, and is a great strategy for winning. It’s the same strategy that all the
professional sports teams employ when drafting players; they are choosing sides.
However, Jesus
didn’t seem to use this strategy when calling his disciples; when choosing his
team.
Consider the
interactions that he had in chapter 4. First, he called four fishermen to
follow him. On the surface this doesn’t seem like a bad choice. After all, they
were business men who ran their own businesses. No doubt they could bring that
experience to the ministry of Jesus; along with their hot temper and impulsiveness.
Next he healed a
leper, but did not call him to be a disciple. Instead, Jesus sent him to go see
a priest, according to the Law, and to not tell anybody. This seems like
a real missed opportunity. After all, a healed leper would have a tremendous
testimony to share with others.
Then he healed a
paralyzed man who was dramatically lowered through the roof of a private home
by four of his friends. The text states that Jesus healed him, “because of the faith of his friends”. And
yet, he did not call even one of them to be his disciple.
Finally, Jesus
called Levi, a tax collector, to follow him. Tax collectors were notorious sinners
because they were Jews collecting exorbitant taxes from other Jews with the
blessing of the Romans.
Choosing sides… Jesus
seems to be following the pattern of his Heavenly Father who called imperfect
sinners to faith. In the following passage, Jesus explained why he called who
he called, particularly with reference to Levi.
29 Later,
Levi held a banquet in his home with Jesus as the guest of honor. Many of
Levi’s fellow tax collectors and other guests also ate with them. 30 But
the Pharisees and their teachers of religious law complained bitterly to Jesus’
disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with such scum?”
31 Jesus
answered them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. 32 I
have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know
they are sinners and need to repent.” NLT
The thing is,
Jesus wasn’t trying to choose sides to build a winning team; he wasn’t trying
to add notches to his evangelism belt; he wasn’t even trying to build a massive
movement. What he was trying to do, was to call those to follow him who
knew they were sick; who knew they were sinners; who knew they needed help.
Using the link
below, listen to the words of the song, “Come to the Table” by the Sidewalk
Prophets. It describes just who is invited to follow Jesus.
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