Matthew 4:18-22
When we read the Great Commission in Matthew 28 it can become easy for the church – followers of Jesus – to take it in with a “been there, done that” kind of attitude. After all, we’ve heard those words repeatedly, many of us for our entire lives.
But this morning ask yourself a couple of questions that I’m not sure we’ve often considered: Who exactly was Jesus speaking to, and what did they think when he said these words?
Matthew 28:18-20
We’ll come back to the second question, “what did the disciples think when Jesus said this?” later, so leave that for now. But ask yourself again, in light of the words of Jesus, “To whom was Jesus speaking in Matthew 28:19-20?”
Peter, James, John and company, right? Sure! But who were those guys? Or put another way, “Why say these things to these people at this time?”
The answer, before you start talking specific names, is pretty simple. Jesus was talking to his disciples when he gave them their commission. It wasn’t so much that he spoke to Peter, as he spoke to his disciples, in the general sense. Not just those 11 people, but everyone who would be called a disciple of Jesus, ever.
That’s so important this morning. We’re starting to talk about what it looks like to be a disciple of Jesus – every day. We’re looking for a biblical job description if you will. Discipleship is an identity that is directly related to what we do rather than what we know.
If you’re like me, your earliest understanding of a disciple came right from the pages of the Gospels as you heard the stories of Jesus and his 12 closest friends – Peter, Andrew, James, John, et al. I’m glad I learned about them when I was a kid, but the way it happened I’m afraid that I got some misconceptions. What I mean is that, because they were kind of “heroes of the faith,” they were also doing something original or unique for that day, and something that I couldn’t attain to.
Both of those are untrue. A disciple is a follower, a student, a learner. Disciples were common in the days Jesus lived; every teacher had some. In fact, John the Baptist had disciples and a couple of them – John and Andrew – left John to follow Jesus. The fact that a disciple is simply a student or a follower – in this case, of Jesus – means that I’m completely capable of being his disciple as well.
We said discipleship is an identity related to what we do rather than what we know. A lot of folks seem to equate Christianity with knowing a lot of factual information about Jesus. I was really proud as a kid when I learned the names of all twelve of the Apostles. I know men and women older than me who specialize in acquiring knowledge about Jesus. But here’s the rub: what they do seems to conflict with what they know.
The goal of a true disciple wasn’t just to know stuff about their master; they wanted to be their master. A disciple follows someone in hopes of eventually becoming what the teacher is.” Disciples want to “do.” Disciples in Jesus’ day didn’t just watch or listen – they imitated, assuming that if the teacher did something that action held value for them as well.
A great example of this in the Bible is the relationship between the prophets Elijah and Elisha.
Charley Lau was a major league baseball player in the 50’s and 60’s before becoming one of the most celebrated hitting coaches in MLB history in the 70’s and 80’s. His influence was such that, as a kid I remember hearing repeatedly that this hitter or that coach was a “disciple of the Charley Lau school of hitting.” What did that mean? Did they learn what he taught and then do their own thing? No! They learned his principles and sought to use them as they coached and played. Charley Lau understood hitting, and his disciples wanted to understand as he did, then put their knowledge into action.
Disciples of Jesus aren’t so much called to accumulate knowledge about Jesus as they are to be like Jesus. We study his life, read about his actions and teachings so that we can put them into practice in our own lives. That’s exactly what Jesus told the first disciples that he called.
Matthew 4:18-22
It’s important to understand the context when people speak. A good example is the phrase, “The customer is always right,” when used in a commercial/retail setting. It all depends on how you interpret the word, “always.” If by always you mean, “No matter what,” then anything goes. People constantly want Walmart to give them refunds on products they have damaged, misused, or even stolen, stating, “The customer is always right.”
Context tells us that, “the customer is always right,” in terms of a valid transaction where the customer acted in good faith. I once observed a customer argue vehemently that Walmart should refund them for a purchase made from JCPenney. They were angry and screaming, repeating again and again, “The customer is always right!” But we know they aren’t. The staff couldn’t do it. Context!
In context, it’s important to understand that just prior to this passage in Matthew 4, Jesus has started preaching with the goal of calling people to repent and follow him. Verse 17 says, “From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
When Jesus then approaches first Peter and Andrew, then later James and John, and called them to follow him, what was he asking? He says, “I will send you out to fish for people.” He’s saying, “Right now your purpose is to fish. For fish. I “fish” for people; for their souls. I want you to shift gears and be like me.”
Over the following 3+ years those men along with 8 others would do exactly what Jesus asked. Literally. They followed him wherever he went, listened to what he said, and learned how to be like him.
While Jesus may have been only speaking to Peter, Andrew, James and John in Matthew 4, when we get to Matthew 28 he’s talking about the long view. Those same men would have remembered that day years before when Jesus called them to follow him. They could, and would, recount experience after experience with him as he taught them how to be like him.
Now when he said, “go and make disciples,” they got it. He was sending them to do what he did, to look like Jesus, making disciples of other people. Disciples who would repeat the process, because a disciple, a real disciple, looks and acts like Jesus. And Jesus was a disciple maker.
Lots of people have disciples. Many of those leaders are making disciples that will follow them straight into a lifetime of hurt and worse. Meanwhile a lot of the church sits back and waits for someone to stand up and do something about it.
Let me be clear: Jesus didn’t call apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers to make disciples. No, he called followers of Jesus, disciples to make other disciples. That’s me, and that’s you. And if we’re not making disciples, we’re not disciples ourselves. Disciples are like their teacher. Jesus made disciples. So do we.
If you’ve never committed your life to following Jesus, I want you to know that’s exactly what he wants. He came to earth and died for your sins so that you could receive forgiveness and follow him as his disciple. He wants you to grow in love and grace and, with the help of the Holy Spirit, become like him. Today is a great day to make that commitment.
If you’re doing that today, or if you’re already a follower of Jesus, ask yourself…
To what extent do I hope to become like Jesus? I mean, that’s exactly what a true disciple wants. They want to be like he is.
Have we written that off as impossible, like I did as a kid?
Do we truly care to become like Jesus?
What steps are we taking to truly be his disciples?
When Jesus called his first disciples, he explicitly told them, “Follow me.” We’re called to more than knowing about Jesus. We’re called to be like Jesus.
This morning we’re going to close a little differently. I’m going to challenge you to take advantage of the next 10 minutes or so. The book of James, chapter 5 says this:
James 5:13-16
Today we’re going to act on those words. There’s gonna be some music going on. Sing if you’re happy. I’m gonna be here to pray with you if you’re sick. And if there’s trouble or you just don’t know what to do, pray. Come and pray down here if you want. Walk around the perimeter and pray if that’s how you do it best. Maybe ask him to help you in your efforts to be his disciple today.
That’s what Jesus did. We’re his disciples. Let’s talk to him.
