One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. 17 Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” 18 And they left their nets at once and followed him. 19 A little farther up the shore Jesus saw Zebedee’s sons, James and John, in a boat repairing their nets. 20 He called them at once, and they also followed him, leaving their father, Zebedee, in the boat with the hired men.
Mark 1:16-20 (NLT)
It is graduation season again! A few years ago I attended a local graduation that was hosted at the Thompson-Boling arena downtown. This massive graduating class looked as small as ants while on the floor of this arena with 20,000 seats! Each of the students were doing the same thing when they walked in wearing their cap and gown. They each were looking for the faces of their family and friends that came to see them. Then they would smile and wave once they found them. Yes, there was a huge crowd, but what made it special was the fact that they were seen by those that loved them.
In life it is easy to think that we are just a face in the crowd; that we are not that important. Maybe you have heard negative words spoken over you. Maybe you hate what you see when you look in the mirror. You think that you are not someone that anyone cares about. You feel invisible. I want to share some hope with you; Jesus sees you.
Jesus sees you
Mark’s account of Jesus begins with the note that Jesus saw Simon and Andrew. That didn’t just mean that he physically saw them. It meant that they were so valuable to Jesus that he knew who they were individually. He saw them. Jesus sees you today. You are known by God. Think about that statement. The God of the universe knows you. He knows everything about you. He knows your ups and downs. He knows your fears and your tears. He knows you. The number of hairs on your head are numbered.
Know that as you walk throughout this day you are known by God. If he had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it. If he had a cell phone, your photo would be his background. He sees you!
Fishing was not a prestigious job in this time. It was an average blue-collar occupation. They probably did not fell very important or noticed, but here they are being noticed by Jesus.
Jesus invites you
Not only does Jesus see you, He calls you. Like Simon and Andrew, Jesus invites you to be part of his team. He believes you have what it takes to be someone who makes a difference. You have what it takes to change the world. You were created on purpose for a purpose!
Jesus invites you to follow him and as you follow him he will show you how to step into your purpose and become fishers of men. Why did God allow you to wake up today? What is your purpose?
Leave Your Nets
All of this would not be possible if they did not say yes to the invitation. The scripture says simply: “They left their nets.” This was huge because it represented how they made a living and so much more. It represented their time, training, andtheir reputation with friends, family, and coworkers. They knew that they had to leave the nets if they were going to take this next step with Jesus.
We all have nets. We all have a comfort zone that keeps us from following Jesus with everything we have. Maybe your net is your popularity or financial security. It is something different for everyone. Jesus was going to fully supply all of their needs, but they had to trust him and leave their nets.
You are seen by God. You are invited by God to a life beyond imagination. Let’s let go of our nets and follow Jesus with all of our hearts today!
Lord, thank you for seeing us. Thank you for your great love for us. Help us to look up from the struggles and anxieties of life and see your invitation today. Help us to put down our nets and be followers today. Help us to fish for men today. Help us to make a difference in the lives of others. In Jesus Name!
Take a moment to answer the following questions:
- Am I following Jesus today?
- Are there things that I need to let go of that are holding me back?
- What is the next step God is calling me to take today?
- What is something I can practically do today to reach out to someone who needs the hope?
