May you be covered in dust

“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.” – Matthew 4:18-22 ESV

Have you ever wondered as you’ve read through this portion of Matthew, when Jesus calls some of His disciples, it seems kind of abrupt? It seems that He just walks along, and says “follow me” and they drop whatever they’re doing and follow Him. In Jesus’ day, a rabbi would not recruit his disciples, usually prospective disciples came to the rabbi.

Jesus goes out to James and John, and what are they doing when He sees them? They’re fishing. They have gone to basic synagogue school, but now they are working a trade. Would any rabbi want them? Probably not. B ut Jesus changed all that. “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Jesus is telling them, “I believe in you. You have what it takes to be my disciple.”

No wonder they left their nets!

There’s a great prayer that goes back to Jesus’ day. It was a blessing that was given to disciples about their rabbis:

May you be covered by the dust of your rabbi. (from In the Dust of the Rabbi by Ray Vander Laan)

It meant, “May you walk so closely to your rabbi that when his feet kick up dust, you will be covered with the dust.”

Stay close to Jesus. Never leave His side, always be listening for His voice.

May you and I be covered with the dust of Jesus!