Digging Deeper: Be Available
13 And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles: 14 Simon, whom he named Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, 15 and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot, 16 and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor
Luke 6:13-16 (ESV)
FOLLOW JESUS FIRST
We saw yesterday that the first step in our walk with Jesus is to answer His call to “follow me.” The twelve whom Jesus first calls to be apostles could have easily rejected His call by clinging to their current lives and commitments. As we read in Luke’s account, none of the twelve hesitate to leave that life behind to follow Him.
The four fishermen—Simon, Andrew, James, and John—whom Jesus meets on the shores of the Sea of Galilee “immediately” drop their nets and follow Him (Matt. 4; Mark 1). Matthew—the tax collector—is hated by the local population but makes a comfortable living representing the Roman government. He gives up all of that to follow Jesus (Matt. 9; Mark 2). Simon—the political zealot—is surely not excited to follow a man preaching “peace and love.” Yet, he walks away from that ideology to follow Jesus. Judas Iscariot—drawn to Jesus for what might have been, initially (only my speculation), honorable intentions—also joins the twelve. Jesus does not exactly pick the Dream Team, but instead chooses twelve very ordinary individuals.
The one thing all twelve apostles have in common is their availability. There is an adage in the world of competitive athletics that says, “The only ability that matters is availability.” For those who aren’t sports enthusiasts like Mike, this simply means your talent and ability are of no use unless you are physically available to participate.
What does it look like to be “available” when Jesus calls? One area of our lives that may hinder our availability is our finances. As we saw yesterday in the story of the rich ruler, he is unwilling to part with his “idol” and follow Jesus. Being available financially means having enough flexibility in your budget to meet the needs of others when the opportunity arises. It also means having “eyes” in your heart to see the need when it presents itself. I love the way James writes, “If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; be warmed and filled,’ without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?” (Jas. 2:15–17, ESV). “Thoughts and prayers” are meaningful, but an available faith is an active faith.
Another aspect of availability is how you allocate your time. I know personally that I am often most selfish with my time. Jesus always acts according to the will of His Father and in the Father’s timing. He is available for those who need to see Him, touch Him, and listen to Him. Jesus reminds us that the time to follow Him is now: “Leave the dead to bury their own dead,” and “don’t look back” (Luke 9). I challenge you this week to take a deep look into your checkbook and daily planner. Make yourself available, and see how God will bless you in return.
Digging Deeper (er):
lsa 6:8; Luke 6:38; Prov 16:9.
Phil Meade is a father of 3, and grandfather of 6. He has a Masters Degree in Theological Studies from Liberty University, and lives in Acworth. He has led various small groups throughout his 25 years attending NS. He retired after 8 years as an Air Force pilot, and 33 years as a Delta pilot.