Matthew chapter 4 contains a lot. It speaks of Jesus fasting for 40 days & 40 nights, then being led by the Holy Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. It speaks of Jesus beginning to preach, and of Jesus healing the sick. But the thing that has stood out to most to me, is that when Jesus called Simon Peter, and his brother Andrew, they and then James and John, they at once left and followed Jesus. And again, when He called James and John, they immediately left their boat and father, and followed Jesus. While I can say that I understand the commitment that some would follow the Son of God right away, (and I would like to think that I could be one), no where are we given a reason to believe that they really knew exactly who Jesus was yet. So what did they see or sense in Jesus that made them make such a commitment? Could it have been that they were looking for something to give their lives more meaning? I'm sure that God created them for the purpose of following Jesus, but they had to decide to do it.
When I look back at my own life, and I realize all the gifts that God gave me as a human being, it makes me wonder how many opportunities I missed to follow Jesus. While we can't change our past, we can be more concious of our choices now and in the future. Let's follow Jesus together.
Mike
Mike, good words. that 40 day thing amazes me. Jesus' focus and knowing who he was, his self-discipline. I am so food conscious and would be so weak after 40 days; I would have caved. God challenged me on my perspective on food - in relation to my love, devotion and relationship to him on this one. Jack
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