A Study of Matthew: A Bunch of Nobodies
A Study of Matthew • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Now when he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee.
And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali,
so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
“The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—
the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.”
From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
While walking 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 fishers of men.”
Immediately they left their nets and followed him.
And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them.
Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people.
So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, those having seizures, and paralytics, and he healed them.
And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.
We are continuing our study of the book of Matthew. The last time we looked at this, we focused on the fact that Jesus’ ministry began at the same time that John the Baptist had been arrested for preaching the uncomfortable truth and calling out the sin and hypocrisy of king Herod and the religious leaders. God calls us to speak the truth, even if it is uncomfortable and unpopular.
When Jesus heard about John’s arrest, he traveled to Galilee, then went to live in Capernaum. Once again, Matthew points out that what Jesus is doing is a fulfillment of prophecy—notably Isaiah 9:1-2
But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.
It was here, in Capernaum, that Jesus began to officially preach.
He also began calling men to follow him. Matthew is rather matter of fact in his presentation.
While walking 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 fishers of men.”
Immediately they left their nets and followed him.
And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them.
Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
Other gospels give more detailed accounts of how Jesus met them as they were having a bad day, not catching any fish. He gives them instructions, which they follow, and their nets are miraculously filled to almost tearing under the weight of the fish.
What Matthew simply points out is how Jesus, whom these men don’t really know, calls out to them to follow him, and they immediately abandon everything to follow him.
We’ve talked about this before—how the experts in Jewish religion, the priests and religious leaders, should have been the first to recognize the Messiah. They knew every biblical prophecy about him, but they failed to recognize Jesus when he showed up right before them.
And then there are these guys: Simon, Andrew, James and John. Fishermen from the backwoods area of Capernaum. Your basic, blue-collared workers. THEY were the ones who followed Jesus. At this time, they don’t really know or understand who Jesus really is, but they are drawn to him. Whatever they have seen, it’s enough for them to at least want to know more.
So these four men follow Jesus as he travels throughout Galilee, teaching in the synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom. That’s great.
But then they see him do something else. Look at Matthew 4:23
And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people.
Lots of guys went around preaching and teaching. Rabbis were everywhere, with their disciples following them around. And, as I have said before, there were also plenty of other men in recent Jewish history who had claimed to be the Messiah. They came with their messages and promises for change.
But NONE of them had gone around healing every kind of disease! This was different!
While others claimed to have the title and power of Messiah, Jesus actually had authority—over disease, physical afflictions, even people who had been paralyzed!
And in the middle of this are these guys: Simon, Andrew, James, and John.
Can you imagine being out on your farm, just doing what you normally do, and some man just shows up and asks you to come work with him? I mean, not just any man. You can tell that he’s different. He’s special. You might even say that he’s holy in a way that is just somehow obvious. And he wants YOU to join his ministry.
How would you respond? I think my initial response would be, “Me? REALLY? Why me?”
We live in a world of talent scouts, professionals whose job is simply to find out what kind of worker some company needs and then find the perfect candidate for that job.
People are constantly working on their resumes, making them sound as attractive as possible. They go to school and do internships to help them become the best of the best. You would think that Jesus would be looking for those folks. But instead, he picks some rough-around-the edges day laborers.
Why would he choose THESE guys?
But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”
Jesus wasn’t looking for diplomas or certifications to determine who was worthy to follow him. He chose guys who knew how to stick it out all day, doing their job even when it didn’t seem to be bearing results. Jesus cares more about character than qualifications. There’s a saying, and it’s true: Jesus doesn’t call the qualified; he qualifies the called.
It’s amazing the number of Christians who do little to nothing to help grow God’s kingdom. And I don’t think it’s because they don’t care. If they don’t care, they are probably not really Christians. Rather, they don’t do much because they believe they CAN’T do much. They don’t have a theological education. What do they know? How can they answer the hard questions that may come up if they try to witness?
But notice that when Jesus met these four men, he didn’t say, “Go to Bible school.” He simply said, “Follow me.”
I don’t know about you, but I think we often make following Jesus so much harder than it needs to be. Just follow. These guys, early on, weren’t expected to do much. They had fishing skills, so they could help provide food as they traveled. Mostly though, they listened to Jesus teach and saw what he did.
We all know that we shouldn’t be proud about our talents because they are gifts from God. But think about what you are good at. Some of us can talk to anybody and make them feel like they’ve been our friend forever. Some of us are tenderhearted. We will sit down with someone for hours, just so they won’t feel alone. Simon Peter was a go-getter. He was always quick to action and the first to try something, which means he was also quick to make mistakes. But he is also revealed to be someone who, when confronted with his failings, owned them and repented.
Jesus could have gone after the “spiritual elite.” He could have warmed up to the religious leaders to get them on his side. I mean, they already had the Jewish people in the palm of their hands. They were experts in scripture and the law. Isn’t that who we look for when we look for leaders? But they were not looking for truth. They already had a religious system that made them important. They had THEIR kingdom. They weren’t interested in the kingdom Jesus was bringing.
According to the religious leaders, the kingdom of God was only for those who could keep the law perfectly. In order to qualify for heaven, you had to measure up to the standards these men presented.
But the kingdom of God isn’t just for some elite. When God called Abraham and made a covenant with him back in Genesis 12, he made a promise to Abraham.
I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
ALL the families of the earth shall be blessed. God’s kingdom is supposed to be for EVERYONE. The high and the low. Rich and poor. The respected and the outcast.
That’s why Jesus chose people like Simon and Andrew, James and John. Simple blue-collar workers. He chose people like Matthew—guys who had made mistakes and become social outcasts.
We are all broken people living in a broken world. We want healing, and we think we know what that means. What we need is restoration, from the inside out. Jesus chose common men and outcasts because they knew how messed up they were and they were grateful to be accepted by this holy man. He saw them for who they were, and he still chose them.
Likewise, Jesus sees you for who you really are, and he still chooses you. Isn’t that amazing?
I keep talking about the importance of learning how to just listen to God speaking to us. He does have things he wants to tell us. He has things he wants us to do. But first, and foremost, he wants us. He wants to tell us how much we matter to him. He wants to teach us things that will help us in our journey. And THEN he will tell us how he wants us to help others in their journeys.
Jesus called out to ordinary guys to join his ministry team. He called out to people who had no idea how to do ministry. Today, he continues to call out to ordinary people to do things they would never imagine themselves being able to do. But Jesus knows the great things we are capable of. He made us. He made you.
So today I challenge you to step out of your comfort zone. Ask Jesus to lead you where you need to go, to share what you need to share, to say what you need to say to bring his kingdom into someone else’s life.