Quick Response Christians

Matthew 4:18-22
As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea--for they were fishermen. And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fish for people." Immediately they left their nets and followed him.

Being the father of four young boys, I have just about forgot what the word “immediately” means. In my house nothing is immediate anymore. To simply get everyone ready to go out to town might take 30 minutes. To get everyone ready to go to a trip to grandma’s house could take a couple of hours. At my house, the immediate rarely happens.

When I think about Simon and Andrew I realize that they were fishermen. For them, immediate wasn’t an often experienced thing either. They had to prepare nets. They had to row the boats. They had to cast the nets. They had to haul the nets in. They had to prepare the catch. They had to repair the nets and so the cycle continues. Their lives were not lived at a fast “immediate” pace. They worked with the rhythm of the day and the season. They moved in a steady gradual pace. That is, until they met Jesus.

Jesus, saw them doing what they had done day in and day out all of their lives. He said, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” The text then says “Immediately they left their nets and followed him. Immediately? What got into these two brothers that they would change their whole lifestyle at the request of a stranger? Immediately? What did Jesus offer to them that could possibly make them follow him? IMMEDIATELY—wow!

I don’t know about you, but there was obviously something about this Jesus that made a difference—right then and there! Most of us, are not immediate people. We like to think. We like to plan. We like to ponder. This is especially so when it comes to the church. One of the common statements about the church is that we are continually behind the curve when it comes to adopting new ways of thinking and doing ministry. While it is good to think, plan and ponder, I sometimes feel that God wants us to just react—IMMEDIATELY  to the opportunities that lie in front of us.

What do you think?