Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed him.
When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.

• Mark 1:16-20

The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”
Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is going to betray you?”) When Peter saw him, he asked, “Lord, what about him?”
Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.”

• John 21:17-22

“Costly grace is the sanctuary of God; it has to be protected from the world, and not thrown to the dogs. It is therefore the living word, the Word of God, which he speaks as it pleases him. Costly grace confronts us as a gracious call to follow Jesus, it comes as a word of forgiveness to the broken spirit and the contrite heart. Grace is costly because it compels a man to submit to the yoke of Christ and follow him; it is grace because Jesus says: ‘My yoke is easy and my burden is light.’
“On two separate occasions Peter received the call ‘Follow me.’ It was the first and last word Jesus spoke to his disciple (Mark 1.17; John 21.22). A whole life lies between these two calls. The first occasion was by the lake of Gennesareth, when Peter left his nets and his craft and followed Jesus at his word. The second occasion is when the Risen Lord finds him back again at his old trade. Once again it is by the lake of Gennesareth, and once again the call is: ‘Follow me.’ Between the two calls lay a whole life of discipleship in the following of Christ. Half-way between them comes Peter’s confession, when he acknowledged Jesus as the Christ of God. Three times Peter hears the same proclamation that Christ is his Lord and God—at the beginning, at the end, and at Caesarea Philippi. Each time it is the same grace of Christ which calls to him ‘Follow me’ and which reveals itself to him in his confession of the Son of God. Three times on Peter’s way did grace arrest him, the one grace proclaimed in three different ways.
“This grace was certainly not self-bestowed. It was the grace of Christ himself, now prevailing upon the disciple to leave all and follow him, now working in him that confession which to the world must sound like the ultimate blasphemy, now inviting Peter to the supreme followship of martyrdom for the Lord he had denied, and thereby forgiving him all his sins. In the life of Peter grace and discipleship are inseparable. He had received the grace which costs.”

• Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship (Costly Grace)

Most people will argue that Peter got a calling to be a church leader directly from Jesus and that is not the same thing as accepting Jesus and becoming saved, but can we legitimately make that argument?  Is there a calling to slide in on the back pew every third Sunday, not say anything to anyone, never admit you accepted Jesus, live your life the way you always did, and never read the Bible or pray?

I do not believe in callings to defeat.  God chose His elect for action.  My wife and I witnessed without saying anything when I was assigned a military position in Watertown, Massachusetts.  We were the only military on the research center site that left the compound on Sunday morning to attend church.  And people noticed.

We are not all called to be the next Billy Graham.  For one reason, there will only be one Billy Graham.  That does not mean that the next evangelist will not have more success.

But before we get to us, let’s look at Peter.  His first request from Jesus to follow led to Peter and his brother Andrew leaving the best catch of fish they had in a long time to follow Jesus.  But with Jesus not there, Peter regresses to the role of fisherman.  If Jesus told them to go to the Sea of Galilee, why not?  It kills the time.  But having the time, Jesus uses the beach as a means of getting Peter alone.  Peter had denied Jesus three times.  Jesus challenged Peter three times, asking Peter three times if Peter loved Him.  Asking the same question three times is supposed to put you in your place in that culture, or so I have been told.  Peter was humbled and then Jesus basically tells Peter that if Peter follows Jesus, he will end up crucified.

Peter gives up his livelihood and follows Jesus.  Peter gives up his life and follows Jesus.  When we look at the Apostle Peter, Grace is costly.

But God is not asking each of us to give up our livelihood or die a martyr’s death.  As Jesus goes on to tell Peter, what happens to the Apostle John is not for Peter to decide, but God.

We may need to become a caregiver and show God’s love.  We may need to help out in a soup kitchen.  I have a neighbor that brings me a meal once a month in a disposable container.  We all have skills, interests, and passions that God can use to further His kingdom.  Opting out is not an option.  Praying until God leads, expecting God to give us a nudge one way or another might easily be an option.

But Grace is costly.  It cost Jesus Christ His life, although He rose from the dead.  Grace produces in us that desire to please God.  That leads to repentance, but it also leads to love being shown to others.  We can do those kinds of selfless acts until God shows us more of His plan for our lives.

Lord, guide me. You have been guiding me for several years and I have never had any needs not met, but I put in the time.  When not at the keyboard or teaching a Sunday school class, I am preparing for the next thing to write.  When I accepted You as my Savior, I had no idea what direction that would take me, but I knew there was no turning back.  It was all or nothing. In Your name I pray.  Amen.

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.