Saturday, April 21, 2012

Leaving EVERYTHING

30 Days with Jesus

Day 6 - Luke 5 v 1 - 11
 
And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him. v 11


My dad was the skipper of a pair trawler the Quiet Waters that sailed out of the port of Fraserburgh. Called a pair trawler because two boats would work together to create an extra wide mouth to the trawl net whilst fishing. The other boat was called "neeper" a Doric word from the NE of Scotland for partner. They always worked together. Comparing note, discussing where to fish, taking turns in shooting and hauling the nets and eventually sharing in the spoils.


So in the pages of the Bible I am taken back to that relationship. Two boats, two families, probably for generations, striving together, fishing together, rejoicing together in the good times and supporting in the bad, all to create a living for their families. Until one day a man walked into their lives that would change the family business together.

The narrative here in Luke centres round Simon Peter but we know his brother Andrew as well as their "neepers" James & John would on mass leave the family business all in one day.


They LEFT EVERYTHING to follow Him. If I'm honest I sometimes wonder what happened to the business, what happened to the boats, did younger brothers take over the business, how did the families survive that were being supported?


But then maybe that's because I'm still attached to so much. I'm following to an extent but I haven't truly LEFT EVERYTHING. 


These guys left their business (on its most successful day ever)
These guys left their homes
These guys left their possessions
These guys left the security of their parents
But the "neepers" in the business became "neepers" for Jesus


My Bible gives these few paragraphs the simple title "Jesus calls his first disciples" what is recorded is an amazing radical almost crazy act of faith. Often we are encouraged that faith will gain us something tangible on this earth. Well these "neepers" faith lost them everything of this world and gave them everything in the next.

1 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love the fact that Jesus gave them success, and they followed Him rather than the success.

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