Mark 1:16-20 - As Jesus walked beside the Sea of
Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for
they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,”
Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed him.
When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of
Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. Without delay he called them, and they left
their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.
Why do Simon Peter, Andrew, James and John all immediately
drop their whole lives to follow Jesus full-time with a simple, “come, follow
me” from the Rabbi? Lots of commentators
confidently put forth many answers that make sense, but the reality is we can’t
be sure. Only the person that drops
everything to follow Jesus could give a definitive reason or reasons for making
such a life-changing move. My guess is
that if we were able to go back in time and interview these four men, we would
get four different answers as to their particular reason(s).
We know from the letters of John that Andrew and probably
Peter were followers of John the Baptist.
Obviously, John the Baptist was all about preparing his followers to
follow the “one who would come after [him].”
When John identifies Jesus as that “One,” it makes a lot of sense that
they would be an easier “yes” to Jesus’s invitation. Though we are not given any such backstory for
James and John, the specific language Mark uses to describe the encounter
suggests Jesus already knew them before He calls them to be His disciples. Mark is not describing some mystical encounter
where Jesus asks total strangers to follow them and the strangers, as if put
into some hypnotic trance, drop everything and follow Him for the next three
years of their lives. A prior relationship
is assumed.
The other issue we must be aware of is what a momentous honor
it was to be ask to become the disciples of a popular Rabbi. The word that in English is translated “disciple”
is “talmidum” and it has a much deeper meaning than someone who simply follows
a teacher around for a specified amount of time. When a Rabbi chooses a Talmidum, the Rabbi is
choosing someone who he thinks can eventually take over his role. What Jesus is saying to these four men, and
the other eight that come after, is that they can become influential spiritual teachers
themselves. The faith and wisdom Jesus
represents can be the faith and wisdom that the Talmidum will represent
themselves. It is an invitation to
become a person of influence and impact beyond just themselves.
The invitation to become disciples of Jesus is still that
huge. It is the call to live for something
bigger than yourself. All of us may not
become famous teachers, but the life you’ve been called to live is for the benefit
of others and the growing influence of the Kingdom of God. A disciple is more than an admirer or someone
cherishes Jesus the same way you cherish your favorite actor or celebrity. A disciple is someone who leaves important
stuff behind to place their time, talent, and treasure in service to Jesus’s
mission. Jesus’s mission becomes the
disciple’s mission.
To be frank, Jesus doesn’t have an abundance of disciples
(defined in this way) today. Among the
billions that would call themselves Christians, only the smallest fraction have
really swapped their own aspirations for those of Jesus. But Jesus’s call to all of us remains the
same nonetheless.
Question: What have
you left behind to follow Jesus? What do
need to leave behind?
Prayer: Jesus, help
us clearly understand Your specific call on my time, talent, and treasure. Help me see steps I can take today to become
more like You and more invested in Your mission.
Prayer Focus: Pray for
those who struggling with what to do with their lives right now.
Song: For the Sake of
the World – Bethel Music
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