It was Tuesday, Marc walked into a local café to discover what it means to follow Jesus. The café had local art hanging on a background of walls painted in earth tones. There were small round and square tables that had enough room for him to place his coffee, muffin and Bible. There were also couches for those who got tired of sitting on a hard chair.
Marc got his coffee and found a table in the corner. As he set his Bible on the table he looked around the café and noticed three other people sitting alone. He wondered what their story was and why they were here. Most of all why were they alone. He gave it little thought and sat down and began to read the book of Matthew, searching for what it means to follow Jesus.
Toby was sitting at a table reading a book. Calling him a skeptic is an understatement. Toby not only does not believe in God, he despises even the thought of God. There are times he sits and stares at the back of a dollar bill shaking his head in disgust as reads the words “In God we Trust.” He sees those who believe in God as weak and out of touch. His perception of Christians is that they are judgmental and use their faith to control others. They try to impose their faith on the culture making morality just a political agenda.
Toby’s problem is that he has never really met the real Jesus. He has met the finger pointing Jesus, not the Jesus ready to embrace him with an abounding love. Love is the last thing he thinks of when he hears the name Jesus. Those who were called to be his witnesses could easily be called a false witness. Except for a few exceptions they have been so unlike Jesus. The more he sees from the Christian community the farther he is walking away from God.
Reading a news paper, Henry has his own issues. He grew up going to church every Sunday. He knows the stories of the Bible he heard as a child. He even has etched in his mind verses like, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life.” Intellectually he believes in God because he has grown up in the church. But his heart is not in it.
The predictability of Sunday mornings has grown stale. There seems to be little relational focus on God and others, it has become to ritualistic. Going to church seems complicated trying to keep up with the changes in method while holding on to doctrine. It is easier to go every now and then, than to commit to something so processed.
Sally’s life is a wreck. She work’s as a waitress at a night club, trying to support two children from two different fathers. She is constantly trying to find that right man who will love her unconditionally. She juggles time with her children, work and men who show interest in her for only one reason. She barely has enough money to survive week to week, but somehow she finds a way to treat herself to a latte at a local café on the corner.
God, Jesus, the church, never cross her mind. She grew up in a family that never talked about God. She has never, to her knowledge ever met a Christian. She has never heard about having a relationship with Jesus. She has seen images of him, but they never stir any emotion. Seeing an image of Jesus is no different to her than seeing an image of a fisherman standing by the sea.
After about an hour Marc takes out a note pad. He opens it up to a blank page. At the top he writes the word Jesus. He wrote down, “Matthew 4:19: ‘Come follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will make you fishers of men.’” Just what he was looking for, a reference to what it means to follow Jesus, and what he gets is “I will make you fishers of men.”
Beneath the scripture Marc writes real big: “Focus #1: Become a fisher of men.” He thought to himself, “I hope Jesus explains this in more detail. I know how to fish, but not for men.” He closed his note pad and his Bible. He puts them in his backpack, throws his empty cup away and walks past some fish. He will be back next Tuesday to continue this journey.
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