Biweekly Devotional 1-27-2026

Since we missed this week’s worship due to bad weather, I have decided to share some of my thoughts from this week’s sermon about the calling of the disciples.  There are two points that I want to make from this piece of scripture.

The first is that we need to rethink how this call was answered.  Jesus had been teaching for a while when the call was made to Peter and Andrew.  It is quite likely that they had heard and seen Jesus many times before this moment of decision.  In fact, if you read further, you see where James and John are called shortly after.  In the Luke version they are referred to as Simon’s partners.  So, I think it is safe to say that there had been prior discussions about Jesus as to who he was.  Yes, there was a spontaneous response to Jesus’s call, but it was preceded by previous discussions and contemplations.

The second part then is for each of us to consider.  We have all spent much time reading, studying and discussing the word of God.  But most of us are still sitting in the boat.  What has God laid on your heart that you should do and for whatever reason you have not answered that call.  The reasons for each person are different and change over time.  But the result is the same.  We stay in our boat because it is where we are comfortable.  We do not want to make waves; we do not want to make people uncomfortable.  We are happy where we are.  But Jesus is calling all of us to serve God not ourselves.