Matthew 4:12-23 Commentary
Chelsey Harmon
This is a different version, or perhaps we could say a similar story, to the discipleship calling narrative we had in the Gospel of John. Some of the same players are here though, even if in lesser roles: John the Baptist looms in the background and Andrew and his brother Simon Peter are here again—seen by Jesus. We even get an emphasis on prophecy being fulfilled and themes of light and darkness (albeit this last one is a theme from earlier in the month of January).
Let’s just focus on the two discipleship calling narratives for a moment. They each portray two distinct
timelines for becoming a disciple. Last week, Jesus invited the would-be followers to come and spend time with him—an opportunity to test the waters or deliberate and weigh one’s thoughts and commitment before diving into the call. Here in Matthew, however, the focus is on how quickly—immediately—these fishermen decided they were done with the underwater kind of catching. In fact, it plays on the theme set up with the light and darkness: like the body’s response to having been in darkness and encountering a light, these men react immediately to Jesus’s invitation. As it goes for the first pair of brothers, so it goes for the other. In other words, the reaction is not a fluke. Simon Peter and Andrew are not weird or alone in their response—James and John also immediately leave it all to follow Jesus.
Some of us know what it’s like to have the journey to understanding as the longer variety, happening over
many visits of taking Jesus up on his invitation to “come and see.” And some of us will know (or even have been) people like the pair of brothers, whose decision to follow Jesus has the feel of wholehearted, almost reckless abandon. It feels a little like they didn’t know that this invitation was the thing they had been waiting for their whole life until they found it and now, they won’t give it up for all the world.
Clearly, Jesus has sparked something in these fishermen. It’s as though they innately knew that the life Jesus was offering to them as his disciple would be immensely better than the one they already had. And I can’t help but feel that that’s the thing that’s standing in the way for so many of us. Perhaps because we have no imagination for what life as Jesus’s disciple means, or because we love too much the things we already have in our life, many of us are not keen to have it all be turned upside-down by Jesus’s call.
And it’s here that the other contrast comes to mind. This contrast is the one in this text. Whereas the
fishermen who become Jesus’s disciples appear and are called as pairs, Jesus is all alone as the narrative opens. Not only is Jesus alone, but he is also setting out in the shadow of John the Baptist’s arrest—aware of the dangers of this work he has given himself to. Alone, but committed. Jesus goes forth to proclaim the kingdom, call for repentance, and bring the good news through healing and wholeness.
He is quite capable of doing this on his own but yet, he chooses to include us and make us his disciples. He invites us to let it all be transformed and to join him in a new way of doing whatever it is we do.
I especially appreciate that the lectionary includes verse 23 in this calling narrative because it provides us with such a lovely, promising, and wholesome image of what disciples give their lives to in following Jesus. Could Simon Peter, Andrew, James, and John have had healing people, curing diseases, teaching about the kingdom in view when they dropped their nets to follow Jesus?
If not, they will have plenty of opportunity to see and be. That is the beauty of life with God; the way of being a disciple is unending, full of seeing and being part of blessings even as we heed Jesus’s other proclamation about the Kingdom by repenting of what does not belong. In this Epiphany season may we find afresh new ways of being “fishers of people” through how we live, work and play.
Textual Point
Verse 15 lays the important groundwork that Jesus has come for all, Jew and Gentile. The details of where Jesus sets out on his own highlight both the heritage of the tribes of Israel in the North and the mixed ethnic community in which he is going to minister and spend time.
NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
Matching Gift Campaign Results
The Graceview Matching Gift Fund Raising Campaign conducted in the month of December 2025 was a
tremendous success. A total of $12,490 was donated, which includes the $5,000 matching gift, and that
amount will all go toward reducing our 2025 annual deficit. Special thanks go to our Matching Gift Donor who
had the idea for the campaign and donated the matching gift, and to all those in the congregation who so
generously supported the campaign. Thank you all.
Coffee Sign-Up
It is that time of year again when we are looking for volunteers to serve coffee and tea after worship. The sign
up sheet is on the bulletin board in the Adamson Lounge.
Jan. 18 – Susan & Nancy
Jan. 25 – Mission Team
Feb. 1 – Koko & Chuka
Feb. 8 – ????
Feb. 15 – ????
Feb. 22 – ????
Mar. 15 – Carol & Iris
Thank you to all of you who have given so willingly of your time and efforts. We appreciate you!!