ANSWERING THE CALL

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were 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.

Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed Him.

Matthew 4:18-22

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.

Mark 1:16-20

One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around Him and listening to the word of God. He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked Him to put out a little from shore. Then He sat down and taught the people from the boat.

When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”

Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”

When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.

Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed Him.

Luke 5:1-11

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

We know John the Baptist has a dedicated group of followers, those who were referred to as his disciples. In today’s scripture passage, we find Jesus recruiting His own band of faithful servants, starting at the Sea of Galilee with some ordinary fishermen. Look again at this account from three of the four Gospel writers:

As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were 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.

Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed Him.  Matthew 4:18-22

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.  Mark 1:16-20

One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around Him and listening to the word of God. He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked Him to put out a little from shore. Then He sat down and taught the people from the boat.

When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”

Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”

When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.

Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed Him.  Luke 5:1-11

As we look at this recruitment story of the first disciples, we see the importance of synoptic study, a study which involves looking closely at the same account across multiple Gospels. When we do this in this case, we find that Matthew and Mark’s recollection are very similar but Luke’s has much more detail, detail that adds content and fullness to the overall understanding of what took place.

One of the first things we learn from Luke’s account as compared to the other two is that the Sea of Galilee was known by at least one other name: the Sea of Gennesarat. This is where Jesus was standing while teaching the people who had gathered to listen to Him share the word of God and as Jesus looked around, He saw two boats at the water’s edge, boats belonging to fishermen who were close by, washing and cleaning their nets. The people crowded Jesus so much that He had to get underway in one of the boats and finish teaching the people from just off shore in the sea.

Once He was finished teaching, we find Jesus wanting to do a little fishing, directing Simon to:

“Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”

Now, the request had to seem rather foolish to Simon at the start because the fishermen had been working hard all night to catch fish but had nothing to show for their efforts. But we read where Simon decided to accommodate Jesus’ request and let down the nets.

What happened next was nothing short of remarkable.

For we read where the nets of the fishermen filled up with such a large number of fish that the nets began to break and when a second boat was summoned, it was filled to the place where it was close to sinking along with Simon’s. Simon and the rest of the fishermen must have been left in utter astonishment and awe over what had happened.

In fact, the scriptures tell us that Simon Peter “fell at Jesus’ knees”, proclaiming:

“Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!”

In other words, Simon Peter knew at that very moment that He was in the presence of his Lord and was not worthy to be there because of His sinfulness. And we know he confessed this in the company of his partners, James and John, as well as his brother Andrew, who although is not mentioned in Luke, is definitely mentioned in Matthew and Mark.

So with a captive audience of astounded fishermen, Jesus made a pitch for His first disciples, saying:

“Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.”

And with that, Andrew, Simon Peter, James, and John answered the call. They “pulled their boats up on shore” and left everything behind to follow Him, doing so in quick fashion. Matthew tells us they left “at once” while Mark says they left “immediately”. In the case of James and John, they left their father behind in the boat with his hired men.

Today, Jesus is still calling disciples, using His people to call them to leave their former way of life behind to follow Him. The specific order for that calling happened just before Jesus ascended to the heavens to sit at His Father’s right hand and it sounded like this:

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20

Note that there is no option for Christians here, not like the options the non-believer may have. Followers of Jesus are expected to go and make disciples, leaving the nets of their worldly lives behind in order to be fishers of men and women, selflessly sacrificing for the cause of helping other be saved just as Jesus did for them.

This only leaves one question for my Christian readers today:

Are you answering the call of your Savior?

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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