A Call to Leave 回应呼召

[Dexu Xia]

A Call to Leave

At once they left their nets and followed him. Matthew 4:20

As a young woman, I imagined myself married to my high school sweetheart—until we broke up. My future yawned emptily before me and I struggled with what to do with my life. At last I sensed God leading me to serve Him by serving others and enrolled in seminary. Then the reality crashed through that I’d be moving away from my roots, friends, and family. In order to respond to God’s call, I had to leave.

Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee when He saw Peter and his brother Andrew casting nets into the sea, fishing for a living. He invited them to “Come, follow me . . . and I will send you out to fish for people” (Matthew 4:19). Then Jesus saw two other fishermen, James and his brother John, and offered them a similar invitation (v. 21).

When these disciples came to Jesus, they also left something. Peter and Andrew “left their nets” (v. 20). James and John “left the boat and their father and followed him” (v. 22). Luke puts it this way: “So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him” (Luke 5:11).

Every call to Jesus also includes a call from something else. Net. Boat. Father. Friends. Home. God calls all of us to a relationship with Himself. Then He calls each of us to serve.

回应呼召

他们就立刻舍了网，跟从了祂。—马太福音4章20节

我年轻的时候，本以为会嫁给高中的男友，然而我们分手了。当时对于未来，我好像漫无目的，不知道自己一生该做些什么。最后，我觉得上帝要我藉着服事他人来服事祂，于是便报读了神学院。然而，为了回应上帝的呼召，我却不得不离开我的家乡、朋友和家人。这带给我很大的冲击，因为我必须离开我的根，远离我熟悉的环境。

当耶稣在加利利海边行走时，看到彼得和安得烈这两兄弟在海上撒网，以捕鱼为生。耶稣对他们说：“来，跟从我！我要叫你们得人如得鱼一样”（马太福音4章19节）。然后耶稣又看见另一对兄弟雅各和约翰，并向他们发出同样的邀请（21节）。当这些门徒来到耶稣面前时，他们也舍下了一些东西。彼得和安得烈“舍了网”（20节）。雅各和约翰“舍了船，别了父亲，跟从了耶稣”（22节）。路加这样说：“他们把两只船拢了岸，就撇下所有的，跟从了耶稣。”（路加福音5章11节）每一个跟从耶稣的呼召都包含必须舍下某些事物，像是渔网、船、父亲、朋友和家乡。耶稣呼召我们所有人都与祂建立关系，然后也会呼召我们每一个人来服事祂。

慈爱的上帝，帮助我了解，为了要回应祢的呼召，我可能要舍下些什么。

上帝呼召你跟随祂时，需要你舍弃哪些事物呢？
你要如何靠主放下这些事物呢？