Leaving and Following.

In his account of the Gospel record, Dr Luke shares the incident in which the Lord Jesus, having resisted the temptations of the enemy; been rejected in Nazareth, where He had been raised; cast out a demon in Capernaum; healed the mother-in-law of Simon; and preached in the synagogue; was preaching at the shore of Lake Gennesaret. As the crowd pressed in on Him, He saw a couple of fishing boats drawn up on the beach while the fishermen were washing their nets. He got into one of them - that happened to belong to Simon - and asked him to put out a little way from the land. Then, having taught the people, He instructed Simon to "Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” (Luke 5:4). Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at Your word I will let down the nets.” The catch that they now took was so great that even with the other boat helping, the boats began to sink under the weight of the fish.

Simon was completely overcome, and "fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” (v.8}. The Lord Jesus replied to Simon, and to James and John who were his partners: “Do not be afraid; henceforth you will be catching men.”  And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Him." (vs.10-11)

Perhaps we take too lightly the fact that the disciples "left everything and followed Him." This action involved at least two aspects, the leaving of their former life, and the realignment of their loyalty.

 

The Greek word translated as "leaving" is used in a variety of extreme situations, including the "putting away" of a spouse (I Corinthians 7:11-12; also "leave," v. 13), and even death. "And Jesus cried again with a loud voice and yielded up (same word) His spirit." (Matthew 27:50). This leaving implies a complete severing of a situation or relationship.

 

Furthermore, they "left everything". For Peter, James, John, and Andrew, this involved leaving a prosperous business; for Matthew, a prestigious position of wealth - in other words, their careers. Certainly each left their livelihood, security, training, possessions, relationships, hopes - everything! "So therefore, whoever of you does not renounce all that he has cannot be My disciple." (Luke 14:33).

 

Next, the disciples needed to restructure their lives and loyalties to those of Christ. The word "follow" implies a unity of purpose and direction. Jesus told the rich young ruler: "You lack one thing; go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow (same word) Me" (Mark 10:21).

 

The Lord Jesus issues the same call to discipleship to each of us. Peter asked Him the question which we frequently ask. “Lo, we have left everything and followed You. What then shall we have?” (Matthew 19:27). The Saviour answered, "every one who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for My Name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life." (v. 29).

How ready are you, am I, to leave everything and follow Him? That's a good question!

Eternal Life.

It was the headline in an advertisement on a French website: "Vivre éternellement est-il possible ?" ("Is eternal life possible?"). The advert appeared to be promoting a herbal mixture that would ensure longevity - at the right price! 

Apparently, two researchers, Sou Sato and Ichika Tanaka, conducted an in-depth investigation in search of an illustrious Chinese herbalist, Li Ching-Yuen, who lived to be 256 years old! A legend that one would have thought completely eccentric, and yet ... the researchers discovered that it was not a legend, that this herbalist really existed, that he lived very, very long and that his longevity had a secret. A secret they've updated. Who does not dream of immortality or, at least, of an almost eternal youth?

I never did manage to find out the price of this amazing product - and I don't really need to, or want to! You see, I already have eternal life. And the eternal life that I am already living is truly eternal! That is because not even my mortal death, at whatever age it occurs, will have any effect on it! 

Let's clarify one thing. "Eternal life" is not "everlasting life" - although it is 'everlasting'! However, eternity is not time. Time had a beginning, and will have an end (that is an established scientific fact!). Eternity has neither! It is not "endless time", but "timelessness". In my first book - Great Words of the Faith* - I have a chapter on the word, and concept. In it I write: "The way in which I most easily think of it is by going back in my memory (which is, of course, time-bound!) to the days when I was ‘courting’ the young girl who eventually became my wife.  As our relationship grew, and we became more serious about spending our lives with one another, we would often sit, in the evening, in the front room of her parental home, discussing our future together – where I might be called to minister (I was already at University studying for that vocation); how many children we might have; whether or not we would have a dog; and her insistence that she was not going to become this character who was “the minister’s wife”, but rather the wife of a man who happened to be a minister!  Suddenly, I would look up at the clock on the wall above the fireplace.  “Look at the time!”, I might exclaim.  “I’d better go before your dad comes in and throws me out!”  What had happened was, that for an all-too-brief interlude, time for us had effectively ceased to exist.  We had been so engrossed in ourselves, and our plans, that we had forgotten about it.  Of course, the clock on the wall had not been so distracted!  And so, when I saw the position of its hands, I was brought sharply back to the reality of my time-bound existence."

Eternal life is, to put it simply, the life of Almighty God, the only self-sufficient Eternal One. But, as God, He may give that life to whomsoever He wills. His written Word, the Bible, makes clear that He gives it to those who respond, positively, to His grace through faith in the Lord Jesus, the Christ - God the Son. It is in Him that eternal life is found. 

Earlier this evening, I was watching a YouTube video on the ancient Galilean town of Capernaum. It was in that town that some of those who had been following the Lord Jesus began to drift away. John records: "Jesus said to the twelve, 'Do you also wish to go away?' Simon Peter answered Him, 'Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life; and we have believed, and have come to know, that You are the Holy One of God.'" (John 6:67-69).

"You have the words of eternal life." It is found, not in any herbal mixture, but only in the Lord Jesus. John also records that: "... God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16). Note the present tense! As soon as I come to Jesus, confessing my sins, repenting of them, and accepting that His sacrificial death at Calvary is the only way by which they may be forgiven, then I receive the gift of God the Holy Spirit in my life, to guide me, and empower me - here and now!

Do you have eternal life? It's available to all who will call on His Name. If you need any personal help, please check out the "Do you need God? " website in "My favourite links" (below). Alternatively, please feel free to contact me using the e-mail address at the top of the page. I only check it a couple of times a week, but I shall get back to you as soon as I can. A third option is to speak with a disciple of Jesus whom you know. Just be sure to do something - you may not have another opportunity!

*All of my books (links above) are available as both paperback and Kindle e-books. All royalties are sent directly to Release International, in support of the persecuted church. Please purchase; leave a review; and encourage others to buy!