Following Jesus From the Edges
IT WASN’T AN OPTION – Part 5
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Pastor Calvin Cook
May 21, 2026
Scripture Focus: Matthew 4:18-22; Luke 5:1-11
“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed Him. — Matthew 4:19-20
This morning with the help of scripture I’m pausing on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. The fishermen were doing what fishermen do. Mending nets. Boats needing cleaned and prepared for the next fishing trip. Fish being sorted and sold. Bills needing paid and thought about. The pressures of life present. It was an ordinary day.
Then Jesus walked by.
What strikes me about this encounter is that Jesus did not stop and present a list of options. He did not hand Peter, Andrew, James, and John a brochure explaining the benefits of discipleship. He did not say, “Think about it and get back to Me next week.”
He simply said: “Follow Me.”
It was not merely an invitation. It was direction.
The One who created them, knew them, and loved them called them to something greater than they could see for themselves. The fishermen had a choice whether to obey, but Jesus’ command was clear. The call was direct. The path was defined.
And Scripture tells us their response: “At once they left their nets and followed Him.”
The nets represented security. The boats represented familiarity. Both the nets and the boats represented their security and the tools of everything that mattered – fishing, providing, and surviving. Yet, Jesus called them to lay them down. The shoreline represented comfort, the place they were comfortable with. Yet when Jesus called, they recognized that remaining where they were was no longer an option.
I believe the same is true today.
I also believe that Jesus is still walking into our ordinary, getting by focused lives and speaking extraordinary words.
Follow Me.
Not when it is convenient. Not after you have everything figured out. Not when the timing seems perfect. Follow Me now.
Many of us spend our lives asking God for options when He has already given direction. We pray for alternatives. We negotiate. We delay. We look for a safer route. Yet Jesus continues to call us away from the shoreline of comfort and into a life of trust, obedience, and purpose.
For some, it might mean it is time to get life in order. Seeking forgiveness, maybe leaving behind our self-centeredness. For others, it means serving where God has called you, even when it’s not the place you want to be. For others still, it means stepping into ministry, sharing your faith, or surrendering a habit that is keeping you from Him.
The call remains unchanged: Follow Me.
The fishermen discovered that following Jesus would lead them farther than any boat could ever travel. The same is true for us.
Today, may we lay down whatever keeps us tied to the shore. May we stop treating the words of Jesus as one option among many and embrace them as the direction for our lives.
Because when Jesus says, “Follow Me,” He is not merely offering advice. We are being showed the way.
(Please note – this is part of a series of devotionals and personal journal writings I have been praying through over the last few weeks : the no-option directions of Jesus. Praying we all take serious the no-option call of Jesus. I look forward to further conversation.)
Thoughts from the Edges 
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