4. Call to follow Jesus (Mark 1:16-20)
This sermon was preached on 24/1/2010
The calls described in this section are not the conversions of Peter, Andrew, James and John. Peter, Andrew and John had already met Jesus in Judea, shortly after he was baptised by John the Baptist. Andrew and John had spent an evening with Jesus and such was their discovery that they went and told their brothers that they had found the Messiah. They had spent some time with Jesus, as recorded in John 1–4 before returning to Galilee. Jesus had engaged in a preaching throughout Galilee since then, but it looks as if his initial disciples returned to their families and occupations. So this is not their conversions, but their calls to Christian service.
Right away we can see a very important principle of Christian service – a person cannot serve Jesus properly until he or she has been converted. This requirement should be obvious because we know that before a person trusts in Jesus he or she does not live by faith in Jesus. Before such can serve Jesus, they have to repent of their sins and trust in him for mercy.
We can see other important details concerning Christian service as well. There is usually a time gap between an individual’s conversion and the moment when a particular role is given to them. In the cases of the men in this incident, there was a gap of several weeks, even months, but we know from the experience of others that the gap may sometimes last for several years. Indeed, as far as Peter was concerned, he was going to receive further calls from Jesus. A few weeks later, he would receive a call after the incident recorded in Luke 5:1-11 when Jesus used Peter’s boat as a pulpit from which to preach. And he would receive a further call from Jesus after his resurrection when he met with Peter and some other disciples by the sea of Tiberius and publicly stated that his work was to feed God’s people. So the call to specific Christian service can come in stages for some individuals.
What was the point of giving several such weeks or months to these men? One likely answer is space for reflection. These men had spent an initial period with Jesus (as detailed in John 2–4), and then were given a period of time at home during which they could assess what they had discovered about Jesus and whether or not their hearts were being drawn into his service.
Another answer is that Jesus is not always in a hurry to send out his followers into specific roles. These men had to learn patience, to wait on Jesus to open doors at the right moment. And here he was, coming to the sea of Galilee, and so opening such a door of service.
What is it like to be called by Jesus?Mark says that the call took place when Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee. So from the point of view of Jesus, he made the call at a particular time and in a personal way. He chose the moment for the call and he chose the method in giving the call. This is a reminder that he is sovereign and chooses when to deliver his call. Given that he is also full of wisdom and knows all the factors involved, it means that the call is always at the best time. We see this principle in many instances in the New Testament, for example with regard to Levi the tax-collector or Paul the persecutor. Jesus took the initiative and came to each of them.
Yet from the point of view of the four men, initially there is nothing surprising about it. All they could see, to begin with, was Jesus walking along the shore towards them. They could have imagined that he was approaching them to give some instruction about God and his purposes. In a sense, everything seemed normal. Is this not the way Jesus works when assigning specific roles to individuals? For example, a person can be sitting in church listening to a sermon. Nothing seems unusual and he finds himself experiencing a situation that he is familiar with. Then suddenly, in the middle of the sermon, that listener suddenly senses that Jesus is speaking to him specifically, commanding him to engage in a certain activity.
Another obvious detail from the incident is that Jesus knew where they were. He did not have to wonder if they were at home or if they had gone somewhere else for the day, perhaps to buy some items or visit relatives. Jesus knew where they were. The same is true of ourselves. If we are the disciples of Jesus, it is good to know that Jesus knows our situations. He knows our situations physically and he knows our situations spiritually. When the time is right, and when we are spiritually fit, Jesus will come to us with his special task for us.
Mark points out that Jesus observed them working. Peter and Andrew were casting their nets into the sea and James and John were mending their nets. The point to note here is that the type of person whom Jesus asks to perform a task is one who is busy in their everyday work. I am not aware of any individuals whom Jesus called to special service who were not hard workers in their daily work. If a person is a shirker as far as their employer is concerned, he will also be a shirker in the work of the kingdom. I suspect if the four men had been idling their time, Jesus would not have called them on that occasion. But he knew that they were hard workers.
Mark also notes their employment, fishermen. We may regard fishermen highly today, but it was not an admired vocation when Mark’s Gospel was written. If someone was wanting to have an impressive CV, he would omit that he had been a fisherman. In contrast to such silly notions, Mark stresses what these men had been. How encouraging the mention of this little detail would have been to Mark’s original readers! Most of them would have been slaves, not very significant as far as this world’s standards are concerned. Yet they could say to themselves, ‘The first set of individuals whom Jesus called for a specific role were insignificant like us. This means that we also may be called by Jesus to engage in his service.’
As Jesus looked at these men, he did not see them in regard to what they had made of themselves. It is clear that James and John had done well for themselves because their family business employed workers. They had accomplished something with their lives. Yet while Jesus was aware of that, he saw far more. Instead of seeing them according to their own achievements, he saw what they could be once he had developed their gifts. This is an important perspective we need to have. So often we limit a person to their own attainments, even when they are very high, instead of thinking about what Jesus could do through them.
The response of the four men
Bearing in mind, that this occasion was neither the first or last time they would be called, what can we deduce from their response to Jesus’ command to follow him? What had they learned already as his followers which stood out in this current response?
First, they showed that they had learned the importance of instant obedience to the commandments of Jesus– each set of men responded immediately. Yet they could have made some apparently legitimate excuses. For example, they could have said that they would follow Jesus once they had tidied up their boats and nets. But they had discovered in the period they had previously spent with Jesus that immediate obedience brought great blessings. They had seen what had happened at the wedding in Cana where immediate obedience brought forth an abundant supply of wine. They had seen the benefits that had come to the woman of Samaria when she listened to Jesus. Experience had told them that no matter the situation a command of Jesus should be obeyed right away.
The biggest hindrance to instant obedience is not illegitimate things, but legitimate ones. Martha missed out on a blessing because she put housework before Jesus. Nicodemus and Joseph were secret disciples of Jesus because of their positions in the Sanhedrin – it was not appropriate, they thought, to make public that they listened to what he had to say. But until these individuals got their priorities right, they missed out on spiritual blessings. If I were you, I would not focus on illegitimate matters and see if they are hindering your discipleship. Instead I would take a good look at where we put permissible matters in our scale of priorities.
Second, they showed that they had learned to obey unreservedly, that they had grasped that they could leave the affairs of their families safe in the providential provision of Jesus. We know that they had family responsibilities, but becoming followers of Jesus did not mean that their families were denied. The father of James and John already had servants to look after the boats, and we know from elsewhere that they were partners with Andrew and Peter (Luke 5:7). Jesus had come at such a time when it was possible for them to serve him without having any legitimate family concerns unattended to.
Third, their response reveals that they had grasped that Jesus was divine. No true prophet said to people, ‘Follow me.’ Instead they called people to follow God. For a mere man to demand such a response was tantamount to blasphemy. These four men had been disciples of John the Baptist, but he had not claimed to be the one they should follow. Instead he had pointed them to the coming Messiah. With Jesus, it was so different – he claimed to have the authority to act as God, and these four men accepted that he was so.
Fourth, their response reveals that they had committed their futures into the hands of Jesus. They did not know what lay ahead, but what they did know was that they wanted their future to be lived out in fellowship with Jesus. It would mean a change – until now they had been in charge of their lives, from now on they would be under the authority of Jesus. Still they preferred to be dependent on Jesus than independent from Jesus.
Fifth, they recognised they were being called to a life of imitation, not innovation. The emphasis on imitation comes out in the invitation of Jesus to follow him. He was not only going to instruct them, he was also going to transform them into men who would use his methods in winning souls. They would catch souls when they shared the gospel message in a manner that was Christ-like.
Sixth, the invitation by Jesus contained a promise of success. He did not promise that they would merely fish, but that they would be catchers of men. As they used the gospel net, they would draw in all kinds of sinners into their Master’s kingdom. They continued their discipleship with words of assurance ringing in their ears that Jesus would give them success in the role he had assigned to them.
They were now men starting off in Christ’s school. He did make them successful fishermen and now they and the people they caught for Jesus are together with Jesus in heaven. The pay he has given them for following him is out of this world.
Right away we can see a very important principle of Christian service – a person cannot serve Jesus properly until he or she has been converted. This requirement should be obvious because we know that before a person trusts in Jesus he or she does not live by faith in Jesus. Before such can serve Jesus, they have to repent of their sins and trust in him for mercy.
We can see other important details concerning Christian service as well. There is usually a time gap between an individual’s conversion and the moment when a particular role is given to them. In the cases of the men in this incident, there was a gap of several weeks, even months, but we know from the experience of others that the gap may sometimes last for several years. Indeed, as far as Peter was concerned, he was going to receive further calls from Jesus. A few weeks later, he would receive a call after the incident recorded in Luke 5:1-11 when Jesus used Peter’s boat as a pulpit from which to preach. And he would receive a further call from Jesus after his resurrection when he met with Peter and some other disciples by the sea of Tiberius and publicly stated that his work was to feed God’s people. So the call to specific Christian service can come in stages for some individuals.
What was the point of giving several such weeks or months to these men? One likely answer is space for reflection. These men had spent an initial period with Jesus (as detailed in John 2–4), and then were given a period of time at home during which they could assess what they had discovered about Jesus and whether or not their hearts were being drawn into his service.
Another answer is that Jesus is not always in a hurry to send out his followers into specific roles. These men had to learn patience, to wait on Jesus to open doors at the right moment. And here he was, coming to the sea of Galilee, and so opening such a door of service.
What is it like to be called by Jesus?Mark says that the call took place when Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee. So from the point of view of Jesus, he made the call at a particular time and in a personal way. He chose the moment for the call and he chose the method in giving the call. This is a reminder that he is sovereign and chooses when to deliver his call. Given that he is also full of wisdom and knows all the factors involved, it means that the call is always at the best time. We see this principle in many instances in the New Testament, for example with regard to Levi the tax-collector or Paul the persecutor. Jesus took the initiative and came to each of them.
Yet from the point of view of the four men, initially there is nothing surprising about it. All they could see, to begin with, was Jesus walking along the shore towards them. They could have imagined that he was approaching them to give some instruction about God and his purposes. In a sense, everything seemed normal. Is this not the way Jesus works when assigning specific roles to individuals? For example, a person can be sitting in church listening to a sermon. Nothing seems unusual and he finds himself experiencing a situation that he is familiar with. Then suddenly, in the middle of the sermon, that listener suddenly senses that Jesus is speaking to him specifically, commanding him to engage in a certain activity.
Another obvious detail from the incident is that Jesus knew where they were. He did not have to wonder if they were at home or if they had gone somewhere else for the day, perhaps to buy some items or visit relatives. Jesus knew where they were. The same is true of ourselves. If we are the disciples of Jesus, it is good to know that Jesus knows our situations. He knows our situations physically and he knows our situations spiritually. When the time is right, and when we are spiritually fit, Jesus will come to us with his special task for us.
Mark points out that Jesus observed them working. Peter and Andrew were casting their nets into the sea and James and John were mending their nets. The point to note here is that the type of person whom Jesus asks to perform a task is one who is busy in their everyday work. I am not aware of any individuals whom Jesus called to special service who were not hard workers in their daily work. If a person is a shirker as far as their employer is concerned, he will also be a shirker in the work of the kingdom. I suspect if the four men had been idling their time, Jesus would not have called them on that occasion. But he knew that they were hard workers.
Mark also notes their employment, fishermen. We may regard fishermen highly today, but it was not an admired vocation when Mark’s Gospel was written. If someone was wanting to have an impressive CV, he would omit that he had been a fisherman. In contrast to such silly notions, Mark stresses what these men had been. How encouraging the mention of this little detail would have been to Mark’s original readers! Most of them would have been slaves, not very significant as far as this world’s standards are concerned. Yet they could say to themselves, ‘The first set of individuals whom Jesus called for a specific role were insignificant like us. This means that we also may be called by Jesus to engage in his service.’
As Jesus looked at these men, he did not see them in regard to what they had made of themselves. It is clear that James and John had done well for themselves because their family business employed workers. They had accomplished something with their lives. Yet while Jesus was aware of that, he saw far more. Instead of seeing them according to their own achievements, he saw what they could be once he had developed their gifts. This is an important perspective we need to have. So often we limit a person to their own attainments, even when they are very high, instead of thinking about what Jesus could do through them.
The response of the four men
Bearing in mind, that this occasion was neither the first or last time they would be called, what can we deduce from their response to Jesus’ command to follow him? What had they learned already as his followers which stood out in this current response?
First, they showed that they had learned the importance of instant obedience to the commandments of Jesus– each set of men responded immediately. Yet they could have made some apparently legitimate excuses. For example, they could have said that they would follow Jesus once they had tidied up their boats and nets. But they had discovered in the period they had previously spent with Jesus that immediate obedience brought great blessings. They had seen what had happened at the wedding in Cana where immediate obedience brought forth an abundant supply of wine. They had seen the benefits that had come to the woman of Samaria when she listened to Jesus. Experience had told them that no matter the situation a command of Jesus should be obeyed right away.
The biggest hindrance to instant obedience is not illegitimate things, but legitimate ones. Martha missed out on a blessing because she put housework before Jesus. Nicodemus and Joseph were secret disciples of Jesus because of their positions in the Sanhedrin – it was not appropriate, they thought, to make public that they listened to what he had to say. But until these individuals got their priorities right, they missed out on spiritual blessings. If I were you, I would not focus on illegitimate matters and see if they are hindering your discipleship. Instead I would take a good look at where we put permissible matters in our scale of priorities.
Second, they showed that they had learned to obey unreservedly, that they had grasped that they could leave the affairs of their families safe in the providential provision of Jesus. We know that they had family responsibilities, but becoming followers of Jesus did not mean that their families were denied. The father of James and John already had servants to look after the boats, and we know from elsewhere that they were partners with Andrew and Peter (Luke 5:7). Jesus had come at such a time when it was possible for them to serve him without having any legitimate family concerns unattended to.
Third, their response reveals that they had grasped that Jesus was divine. No true prophet said to people, ‘Follow me.’ Instead they called people to follow God. For a mere man to demand such a response was tantamount to blasphemy. These four men had been disciples of John the Baptist, but he had not claimed to be the one they should follow. Instead he had pointed them to the coming Messiah. With Jesus, it was so different – he claimed to have the authority to act as God, and these four men accepted that he was so.
Fourth, their response reveals that they had committed their futures into the hands of Jesus. They did not know what lay ahead, but what they did know was that they wanted their future to be lived out in fellowship with Jesus. It would mean a change – until now they had been in charge of their lives, from now on they would be under the authority of Jesus. Still they preferred to be dependent on Jesus than independent from Jesus.
Fifth, they recognised they were being called to a life of imitation, not innovation. The emphasis on imitation comes out in the invitation of Jesus to follow him. He was not only going to instruct them, he was also going to transform them into men who would use his methods in winning souls. They would catch souls when they shared the gospel message in a manner that was Christ-like.
Sixth, the invitation by Jesus contained a promise of success. He did not promise that they would merely fish, but that they would be catchers of men. As they used the gospel net, they would draw in all kinds of sinners into their Master’s kingdom. They continued their discipleship with words of assurance ringing in their ears that Jesus would give them success in the role he had assigned to them.
They were now men starting off in Christ’s school. He did make them successful fishermen and now they and the people they caught for Jesus are together with Jesus in heaven. The pay he has given them for following him is out of this world.
I thank God and Glorifying his name because of this, powerful message. I was reading the book of Mark chapter 1 then, the Holy Spirit catches my attention in verse 16-20. I really wanted to understand what it really meant, then I did search in Google and found this commentary in exact verse i was reading. This been a great help for me as leader of 9 disciple entrusted to me by Jesus Christ our Lord. Now, I have a guide how to choose disciples, to build them and help them to what Jesus wanted them to be and also to complete them as 12. And also helping my self to what Jesus expected me to be as also his disciple and servant. Glory to God alone!
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