Once
Jesus has finished his desert preparation and John has been taken out
of the picture, Jesus begins his life in the public arena.(Mark 1)
He begins preaching a prophetic message of repentance. He calls on
people to believe in the good news. And he calls people to come
follow him.
The
most striking thing about the calling of Andrew, Peter, James, and
John is the immediacy. They are out working on the boat, fishing and
mending nets, when Jesus calls them. Jesus says, “Follow,” so
they drop their work and walk away from it to follow him. James and
John do the same except they also leave their father in the boat
mending the nets. Jesus tells them that they'll be fishers of men.
This
passage makes me think of two things. One, I think Mark intended for
us to be struck by the 'immediately' thing. No hesitation, no
thought for the future, no looking back. Jesus tells them what to do
and they do it. How many of us act that way? Do you know anyone
that sold out? I'm envious of that kind of commitment.
Second,
Jesus calls for his listeners to do three things: repent, believe,
and follow. I think all three of these words are different ways to
saying the same thing. These words define being a disciple of Jesus
for us and for them.
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