A Decision of the Feet
We often talk about spiritual decisions being either decisions of the heart or of the head, meaning those decisions are either based on feeling or thinking. But when it comes to the decision to follow Jesus, what we're really talking about is a decision of the feet.
Matthew 4:18-22 is the account of Jesus calling the first disciples -- Peter and Andrew, and James and John -- two sets of brothers, two families of fishermen. Matthew records the action this way --
"As Jesus walked 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 fish for people." Immediately they left their nets and followed him." -- Matthew 4:18-20 NRSV
The same scene repeats itself with James and John, the Sons of Thunder. "Immediately they left their boat and their father, and followed him."
Decisions of the heart and head may be internal and individual. But decisions of the feet are public, obvious, and practical. When the Bible says, "They followed him" it literally means they not only felt and thought that Jesus was someone special, but their feet decided to go where Jesus went, and they followed him quickly, immediately, and irrevocably. Decisions of the feet might be what we need more of today.
