Every Man's Journey: Becoming the Man God Intended

By James P. Campbell

Today millions of faithful men serve their families, their churches, their parishes, and communities in quiet ways. They are the rock-solid foundation on which community life is built. In so many ways these men can be taken for granted and they can feel unfulfilled in their desire to grow in a closer personal relationship with God and others.

This series of thirty meditations are offered as a way to explore what it means to become the man God intended you to be. Our guide will be the Apostle Peter. Jesus saw in Peter the man who was strong and great enough to lead his fledgling community. Jesus called Peter from his daily work to refocus him for God and others. God is also calling men today in the midst of their labors to discover how they can become more than they ever imagined.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Feb 20, 2012
• ISBN: 9781937509347

Book preview

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1

JESUS BEGINS HIS MISSION

PREPARATION

How would you describe your own situation in life today?

Where would you expect to meet Jesus today?

Jesus Comes to the Sea of Galilee

He went down to Capernaum, a city in Galilee, and was teaching them on the sabbath. They were astounded at his teaching, because he spoke with authority. (Luke 4:31–32)

In about the year 30 AD Jesus began his active ministry in the northern district of Galilee. Galilee was a productive agricultural region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Sea of Galilee. The Jewish population in Galilee lived on the borders close to Phoenician and Canaanite cities to the north and west, and Greek-speaking cities to the southeast.

In Jesus’s time Galilee was ruled by Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great. Herod and his aristocratic friends owned large agricultural estates built on land taken from local families. The great majority of the population lived on whatever they could earn as day laborers on the great estates.

Jesus knew that in order to effectively preach God’s word, he would need the help of a team. The aristocracy and the professional scribes had little interest in the teachings of an itinerant preacher. The people in the farm villages, as day laborers for the large estates who were lucky to earn their daily bread, could not leave their homes and responsibilities. So Jesus went to the villages by the Sea of Galilee to preach and to gather his team

Jesus Approaches the Sea

Imagine Jesus walking out of the dusty hills of Galilee to the sea. The water would be shimmering under the bright sun. He probably went immediately to the shore to walk in the water to cool his hot and tired feet. Around him he saw a village bustling with life and energy. It was from among the fishermen who worked the sea that Jesus would call his first disciples.

The Sea of Galilee is a body of freshwater approximately eight miles wide and thirteen miles long. It is located deep in the Great Rift Valley of the river Jordan, 685 feet below sea level. Nestled as it is deep in the valley and enclosed by hills, violent storms can develop very quickly. Anyone crossing the sea in a boat had to be vigilant watching the weather. Fishermen were constantly on the alert. The storms described in the Gospels indicate how quickly they can come over the waters (Mark 4:36–40; 6:47–51).

In Jesus’s time there was a thriving fishing industry on the Sea of Galilee. It was highly competitive, with more than two hundred boats fishing the same area, hoping for the big catch. The tax man would take forty to sixty percent of the catch. After the tax was paid, the fisherman had to make enough to support his family. It was from among the rugged fishermen who manned these boats that Jesus called his first disciples.

REFLECTION

After leaving the synagogue he entered Simon’s house. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked him about her. Then he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. Immediately she got up and began to serve them. (Luke 4:38–39)

Soon after he arrived in Capernaum, Jesus became friends with Peter. They probably met at the weekly synagogue service, after which Peter offered the hospitality of his home. When they reached Peter’s home, they discovered that his mother-in-law was ill with a high fever. Jesus cured her, and she served them.

Peter’s generous act of hospitality marked the beginning of his new life.

RESPONSE

Take a moment to reflect on the times you have offered hospitality to others. Have there been times when what you received in return was far more than you expected or hoped for?

PRAYER

Lord Jesus, help me to be aware of the opportunities to offer hospitality to others. Help me to realize that in welcoming them, I am welcoming you.

2

PETER THE FISHERMAN

PREPARATION

• What skills have you developed as a worker, as a leader, as a parent or friend?

• Were Jesus to call you today, how could you use these skills for him?

Fishing on the Sea of Galilee

Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. (Luke 5:1–2)

Fishing was strenuous, backbreaking work. With more than two hundred boats competing on the Sea of Galilee, every crew vied for the best places to fish. No doubt Peter’s strength and forceful personality made him one of the leading fishermen on the sea. Crews of other boats probably thought that when it came to fishing at the best spots, they should not mess with Peter.

Peter was a successful fisherman. He had a family to support, and he and his brother owned their own boat (financially perhaps analogous to a family today owning an eighteen-wheel truck and trailer for shipping freight). They had their own house, an extraordinary achievement in the social environment of aristocracy and menial labor. They needed enough nutrition to survive the rigors of fishing every day. And all of this even after they paid the avaricious tax man waiting to take a share of the catch as they came to shore.

The Importance of Fishing

Fishing and agriculture were the most important industries in Galilee. Fish and fish products were a food staple and an important source of protein in the ancient world. Fish caught in the Sea of Galilee not locally consumed were cured, pickled, or dried and salted for preservation. Fish entrails and fish too small for eating were put into a vat, salted, and aged in the heat of the sun. Then the mixture was strained through a basket to produce a fish sauce called garum. Garum was used in almost every meal in the Roman world. As a result its producers made the equivalent of millions of dollars. Peter and his family were important contributors to the regional and Mediterranean