Jesus Walking, Then and Now

As He was walking along the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon, who was called Peter, and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the sea, since they were fishermen.  “Follow Me,” He told them, “and I will make you fishers of  people!”  Immediately they left their nets and followed Him.

Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

Photo: Pixabay

Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.  Then the news about Him spread throughout Syria. So they brought to Him all those who were afflicted, those suffering from various diseases and intense pains, the demon-possessed, the epileptics, and the paralytics. And He healed them.  Large crowds followed Him from Galilee, Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.
-Matthew 4:18-25 (HCSB)

Jesus was a walking teacher.

Some teachers have class rooms, but not Jesus.  He went from town to town.  He encountered people, where they lived and people were drawn to him.

Jesus modeled for us, how to be a people person.  Maybe he had, what we would call, a magnetic personality.  I believe that Christ in you, is also a people person.

Jesus is our model for teaching, for leading, and for training others in God’s ways.  There is a lot to learn from his style. We don’t want to make Jesus fit our style or our ways; we want to learn to do life his way.

Jesus is the model for the Christian life.

When we tell people that Jesus is the model, I am not sure if they don’t believer it, or think, “that’s too hard”.

Jesus teachings and trainings are very practical.  They were also “doable” for all.  We see here, Jesus calling some of his first disciples.  They are like most of us, and they walk along with Jesus, learning by listening, watching and doing.  And they ask questions too.
 
One of the things that Jesus did, in his ministry, was to walk around.

He was a teacher without his own classroom, office, or lecture hall.  He would come to your street, your town, and your home.  He would come to where the people were.

Jesus called his disciples, as he walked.  Jesus went (walked) and taught is the synagogues of Galilee.  His message was the good news of the kingdom.  And he healed people.  He still heals today, by the way.

There might be a bumper sticker that says something like, “There’s a Whole World Out There”.  One thing is certain, and that is, that you will not meet anyone, if you don’t get out.  You may or may not meet someone, when you go out; but you will positively not meet anyone if you stay home, by yourself.

Jesus is a person who goes out and finds people.  He goes out and investigates. 

What if, the church in the future is going to be a “going” church, where the ministry occurs in the going?

There is a saying, “The meat is in the street”, which means, that the real Christian life, is “out there”. 

Jesus began his ministry as the “walking teacher” and did his ministry on-the-go.  He sent his first disciples to do the same.  And, to this day, during the age of the great commission, we are all supposed to be on-the-go.

The objections come in, like, “I don’t have the gift of evangelism”, or, “I am not called to missions or church-planting”, or, “I will just make money and write checks to others”.  

The truth is that we all, all Christians, are called to be Jesus’ hands and feet, arms and legs, in this fallen world that needs him.  Jesus’ plan was never to have you and me, “bring them to church”, but his plan has always been for us to go to them.  He modeled this.