Jesus is Calling

Matthew 4:12-25

Matthew’s narrative of the life of Jesus picks up with Jesus returning from the wilderness having been tempted by the Devil to Nazareth and on to Capernaum. The time is set when John the Baptist is in prison. However, according to John’s record a great deal more took place and is covered in John 1:19 through John 3:36.

At this point Matthew does not tell us why or how John ended up in prison. He does explain later in Matthew 14:3-4: “For Herod had laid hold of John and bound him, and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife. Because John had said to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.”

▸ Calling Galilee to Repent

“Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee. And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:  ‘The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles: The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned.’ From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand’” (4:12-17).

Jesus was to work in the region of Galilee. This province was about 59 miles long and 28 miles wide. It was the area originally given to the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali. Now it was controlled by the Gentiles: Romans. It was densely populated with several cities around the Sea of Galilee which is actually a lake. The Jewish population of Galilee were more the working class and not considered as sophisticated at those in Jerusalem and Judea. These Jews even had their own accent (Matt. 26:73). However, according to the prophecy of Isaiah 9:1,2 this is where the light of the Messiah was to dawn.

The preaching of Jesus was the same as that of John (3:2). “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (3:17). Repentance requires a change of heart that results in a change of behavior. The phrase “at hand” means “has come near” (Pope 112) and proclaims the closeness of the kingdom’s arrival.

▸ Calling Fishermen to Fish for Men

“And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” They immediately left their nets and followed Him. Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them” (4:18-21).

Jesus seems to relocate his hometown from Nazareth to that of Capernaum. The name “Capernaum” means city of Nahum, perhaps, named after the minor prophet. Although this ancient city is now but a collection of ruins, in the time of Christ it had a substantial synagogue, military presence, and tax office. It was situated on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee. The sea was important to the commerce of the area. Although this lake was only about thirteen miles long and eight miles wide and several hundred feet below sea level. It supported many fishermen. Some of these fishermen used lines and hooks on the shore. Those with boats used a net pulled between two or more boats to catch fish in the deep.

Jesus calls Peter and Andrew to “follow me.” So, they immediately followed Jesus. Without information from the other three gospels, it would appear they just dropped everything and blindly followed a stranger. At the time of this meeting on the shores of Galilee, Jesus had already met these two brothers. John the Baptist had pointed out to Andrew and John that Jesus was the Lamb of God. Andrew spent time with Jesus and was convinced He was the Christ. He immediately finds Peter and brings him to Christ. In fact, every time Andrew is seen in the Gospel narrative, he is bringing someone to Jesus. Here he brings his brother, Peter. Later he brings a little boy with a sack lunch and finally Gentiles seeking Jesus.

Down the shoreline they find James and John. They too immediately leave their father Zebedee with his servants and follow Jesus. They also knew Jesus being his cousins through Mary’s sister. These men may have been disciples of Jesus in the recent past, but now He calls them to leave all and follow him full-time.

Notice Jesus likes to call busy men and women to follow Him. Fishermen knew hard work and the need to stay busy. In fact, fishermen possess many characteristics needed in becoming fishers of men. Fishermen must fish out of faith. When he casts the hook, he does so not by sight but by faith. The fisherman normally cannot see the fish in the water. Also, they must be very patient. Fish seldom bite the moment the bait hits the water. He must learn to be selective. Not all fish are caught the same way. Persistence is key to success. The good fisherman does not want to quit until he makes his catch. The fisher of fish must have courage. The water is not always shallow and tranquil. A good fisherman is alert to the best time to fish. He knows that there is a time to cast and a time to look for better fishing spots. Finally, he takes care of his catch. He carefully preserves his fish.

▸ Calling All to Hear and Be Healed

“And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them. Great multitudes followed Him—from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan”. (4:23-25).

How did Jesus bring this Light to Galilee? First, by his teaching in the local synagogues. These synagogues were found in just about every town and city of Galilee, where they had at least of population of ten male Jews of age. The ruler of the synagogue would often turn the services over to a visiting Rabbi for the public reading and exposition of the Torah. Both Jesus and Paul took advantage of this in order to spread the good news (Luke 4:16-17; Acts 13:15-16). Jesus’ message consisted of preaching the Gospel or Good News of the Kingdom. Second, Jesus let the light shine by His many miracles which were the certification He was the Christ. His miracles were performed as a means of Good News and blessings to the people of Galilee.

Jesus healed everyone from every malady. He took away the symptoms – like pain. Jesus helped the demoniac by casting out the demons who possessed them. He cured the epileptics who were suffering from central nervous system disorders. The Greek word here literally means “moonstruck” hence some translations say lunatics. Jesus healed those with handicaps of the feet and legs called “paralytics”. No matter what the illness Jesus healed them without exclusion or without restricting the number of those healed. He healed them instantaneously, directly and completely. Also of note, this passage distinguished between physical and mental illness and demon possession.

It seems that Jesus did not turn anyone away. The more He healed, the more His “fame” spread. More people came to be healed and to hear the preaching of the Gospel. The crowds started pouring in from Galilee and Jerusalem and Judea, but also from “Decapolis” which was the area of the ten Greek cities on the east side of the sea of Galilee and from “beyond the Jordan” which was known as Perea.

Jesus began His ministry by calling others to Him. He called upon the masses to come to repentance. He called select men to be full-time disciples who would become fishers of men. The crowds were called to Him to hear the message of the Gospel and from those crowds were called those whom Jesus would heal of a myriad of maladies. Today, He is still calling.

– Daniel R. Vess