In Matthew 4.18-20… Jesus looked past Peter's fishing nets, the smelly boats, the sun-beaten face… and saw someone who was not wise by human standards; not influential; not of noble birth. And said, “Come, follow me and I will make you fishers of men.”
His focus was on the power of himself, on that of the call, the cause to transform – not on the innate ability of this man to minister. Jesus looked past those things that might hinder the cause and saw his potential.
Consider the characteristics we captured in a few of Peter's "finer" moments yesterday. That's the Peter I see (and that's a lot of the me I see, too). But, what do you suppose Jesus saw?
- Someone who heard every word, even if he put the emphasis in the wrong place – he was listening.
- Someone with leadership, even if it was a bit arrogant and self-seeking at times – he was already exercising great influence.
- Someone who would take a while to really lock into to who he was – but when he got it, he would have it.
- Someone who talked a lot, for most any reason, but who could rally a team around an idea and make it happen.
- Someone who was quick to proclaim loyalties with little idea of the cost, but once he understood suffering, he would be a world-wide encourager.
- Someone who lacked self-control, but whose passion could be redirected and remain white hot.
Check out Matthew 16.13-20… Jesus is asking his
disciples who people believe he is. The
answers vary: Elijah, Jeremiah or one of
the other prophets. Then, he presses
them: “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ,
the Son of the living God.” Now, notice
what Jesus does. I don’t want to miss
the magnitude of Peter's confession here – it’s big, it’s huge…someday it will
change Peter’s life and thousands after him – as it’s changed ours.
But, listen
to what Jesus does. He affirms the
miraculous revelation from his Father. Then, he builds into Peter. He
speaks value and hope and purpose into his life.
- “You are Peter, on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven…”
What might happen if we began to look at people around us…
- Ministry team members?
- Small group members?
- Work associates / team members?
- Family members?
And we began to write a profile on each of them – not a profile of
what we see currently, but of what we might see down the road. And we began to
speak the words of this hope and vision into their lives. What if we began to
treat them as though they were already there. Not as the “foolish of this world”, but as God chose them – “foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose
the weak things of the world to shame the strong.”
It won’t happen in mass. It will happen life on life. One individual at a time.
Who is it on my ministry team, in my small group
or my family that I will build into... because I embrace a God-sized vision for their already-packed-into-them God-potential?
