In the previous study, we considered the call of Jesus and of the disciples to 'come and see.' Now we turn to
the second call, the call to 'come, follow Me.'It is one thing to come and see someone, but it is an entirely different level of commitment then to change ones life and to follow that person. Mark wants us to
clearly understand the depth of the commitment of the first four disciples.
We know from John's Gospel that Andrew and Simon already knew Jesus. In the previous study we saw that
Andrew had been a disciple of John the Baptist down in the vicinity of Bethany, and that after he had decided to follow Jesus, he introduced his brother Simon to Jesus.
In our reading from Mark, we first see that Jesus and the first disciples had traveled to Galilee. Why the brothers had returned to fishing is not clear. Perhaps Jesus had
needed some time alone, perhaps Jesus had been with others. The Gospel writers do not go into this detail. We must always remember that they did not set out to write a detailed and precise
history, but to proclaim the good news of Christ. Mark wants us to simply understand that this moment by the Galilean Sea was a decisive moment for the fishermen.
For whatever reason, Andrew and Simon were fishing. They had earlier seen Jesus and they had decided to follow Jesus. Now, by the sea, Jesus tells them that this was the time; this was the
turning point; this was the moment to respond. In effect, Jesus says; "you are finished fishing for the fish of the lake, now come and follow me and I will make you fishers of men." Jesus made the
same call to John and to James.
Mark wants us to understand the urgency and the magnitude of the call, and the immediacy of the fishermen's decision. Andrew and Simon, did not disappoint Jesus. They were ready, and
Mark tells us that 'at once they left their nets and followed Him.' At once, and with apparently no looking back at trade and profession, they responded with immediacy.
Scripture records other such calls from Jesus. Matthew, the tax collector, i mmediately got up from the tax booth and followed Jesus. Zacchaeus went to see Jesus and Luke tells us that
when called by name, Zacchaeus 'at once came and welcomed Him gladly'. The response of others however, was different and we can also learn from those experiences.
Do you remember the rich man described by Mark in his 10th chapter? This man was very wealthy and he came to Jesus to ask how he could inherit eternal life. After speaking about the
need to follow the commandments, Jesus told the man to sell all that he owned and to give the proceeds away to the poor, and to then follow Him. I do not believe that this is a universal
command to all of us. We are not all called to sell every thing and give away the proceeds. But the man in question literally loved wealth beyond everything else and he lived to accumulate
more and more. Jesus saw that the man's heart was lost to this pursuit and Jesus saw that radical surgery was necessary for this man. Unfortunately, the man was not up to the task and
Mark tells us that he went away very sad. There was apparently an immediacy in the man's decision, but it was the wrong decision. It was a missed opportunity that may not have come his way again.
Or, do you remember how in Luke 9, we read how Jesus called another man to follow Him? That man's response was also immediate, but with a condition! "First, let me go and bury my father."
Apparently this man was prepared to follow Jesus, but needed first to take care of his deceased father. Surely this was not too much to ask of Jesus? It was a necessity of the people to take
care of a burial quickly and it was the special responsibility of a son to take care of his father's arrangements. What was a few days to Jesus?
That line of thought will lead us to the wrong conclusion. Jesus was certainly not putting down the man's love for his father or suggesting that such matters were trivial. But it was an issue of
priority. The first priority was to follow Jesus and if that meant someone else taking care of the man's father, then so be it. Our response to Jesus must never be; 'OK, I will follow you, but first
I must . . . ' The response must be an unequivocal 'yes, I will follow You!' In His love and compassion, Jesus will allow us to take care of those we love -- indeed He calls us to do so, but first we must follow Him.
As a teenager I worshiped at a little one room Gospel Hall. It served for Sunday school and for the worship time. Our Sunday school teacher, Miss Gibson, taught us songs to express our faith.
How well I remember Miss Gibson teaching us the chorus 'I Will Make You Fishers of Men.'
I will make you fishers of men, fishers of men, fishers of men. I will make you fishers of men if
you'll follow Me. Follow Me, follow Me. I will make you fishers of men if you'll follow me.
Miss Gibson and the other teachers had invited me to come and see Jesus, and I had responded.
I saw Jesus in their lives and no doubt I heartily sang out the words of that chorus, but it was years before I understood the call to follow. It would be many years before I took the next,
all-important steps of following Jesus! I could give many reasons for delaying those years, but none of them would be good or acceptable! All would be failed excuses!
Thank God that I eventually made the decision to follow. I hope that you are not putting it off. I hope that you, having sensed Jesus saying to you 'come, follow Me,' have not responded with a conditional 'yes, but first I must...'
With an unconditional love He calls you to follow Him—so follow Him without conditions!
In the previous study, we considered the call of Jesus and of the disciples to 'come and see.' Now we turn to
the second call, the call to 'come, follow Me.'