Mobility for the King and the Gospel
When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he left Judea and returned to Galilee. He first went to Nazareth, then left and moved to Capernaum, beside the Sea of Galilee, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali. Matthew 4:12-13
Having completed the first year of His public ministry in and around Judea, Jesus’ ministry began to grow. Many of John the Baptist’s followers became disciples of Jesus (John 3:26). As His popularity grew, opposition formed as He was viewed as a threat to the Jewish leaders. This initiated a change of ministry location for Jesus as seen above. He left Judea and moved north to Galilee (John 4:1-3). He left His childhood home and moved to Capernaum which would now become His home for the final 2.5 years of His ministry (see Mark 2:1).
Mobility is part of a disciplemaker’s lifestyle as we follow Christ. Jesus modeled mobility when He left His widowed mother (assumed) and family and moved from Nazareth to Capernaum as He launched year two of His ministry (see Matthew 4:13). It would seem that this was a strategic move away from forming opposition in Judea and family and friends because they did not accept Him or His ministry (Mark 6:1-6).
Jesus does promise reward for those who leave home for His sake and the gospel (see Mark 10:29-30). But there is no greater spirituality in moving, nor is it less spiritual to stay in one place for many years. It is simply a matter of obedience to God’s calling on our life. Some will stay in one location for many years, and some will move many times. Some circumstances and seasons of life will necessitate us moving. And it will seem always seem stretching, especially when God says move at ‘inconvenient times.’ Remember, God asked Joseph and Mary to move to Egypt with a young baby!
We note in the Great Commission passage of Matthew 28:19 that ‘go’ literally means ‘as you go.’ But it also implies an attitude of mobility as we go about our daily serving Christ in our mission. We do not have to go far away to bear much fruit, but neither should we resist if the Lord asks us to relocate to a different part of the harvest field. He is the Lord of the harvest and we are His servants.
Listen carefully to Him. And when He says “move,” it’s time to pack!
Developing Kingdom Leaders - Tom Yeakley 