Mark 1:14-20
Follow me and I will make you into...!
After John had been arrested, Jesus went into Galilee. There
he proclaimed the Good News from God. ‘The time has come’ he said ‘and the
kingdom of God is close at hand. Repent, and believe the Good News.’ As he was
walking along by the Sea of Galilee he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting
a net in the lake – for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, ‘Follow me
and I will make you into fishers of men.’ And at once they left their nets and
followed him. Going on a little further, he saw James son of Zebedee and his
brother John; they too were in their boat, mending their nets. He called them
at once and, leaving their father Zebedee in the boat with the men he employed,
they went after him.
Food for thought!
Jesus has started to go around telling the people that the
TIME HAS COME. He then calls some people to follow him, and they do. What time
is it that has come? The time has come for what? The answer is simple. Jesus
wants us to follow him, that is, he wants us to know the truth that with him
and through him we can and make a difference; we can change from fishers of
fish to fishers of men. Jesus wants us to leave home, to leave what we are used
to be and do, and start off again with him. This means that home is home but
only until Jesus shows up; family is family but only until Jesus shows up; our
place of work is our place of work but only until Jesus shows up; our
profession is our profession but only before Jesus shows up.
Those first disciples of Jesus had been all their life fishermen; all they knew was fishing, fish and sea. This was their profession and their place of work. Their loyalty was tied to their father Zebedee. When Jesus showed up, all of this changed. Their profession changed, their workplace changed and the person of their loyalty also changed. Jesus sometimes asks us to change our profession, our loyalty, our place of work, and start all over again.
It means that the time has come to you and me to take Jesus serious, like those fishermen of Galiliee, who “at once left nets and followed him.” And because they took Jesus serious, those men were never the same again. They changed completely into fishers of men; and from fishers of men to heroes of our faith.
Yes, Jesus can make us into that man or woman we dream of. Let us take him serious as they did; the fishermen followed him yesterday and today they are saints. Someone might have criticized them for leaving a sure and secure job, or even for leaving their father alone. Had they listened to their critics they would not have turned into fishers of men; they would have stayed fishers of fish.
Follow me and I will make you into fishers of men!
Those first disciples of Jesus had been all their life fishermen; all they knew was fishing, fish and sea. This was their profession and their place of work. Their loyalty was tied to their father Zebedee. When Jesus showed up, all of this changed. Their profession changed, their workplace changed and the person of their loyalty also changed. Jesus sometimes asks us to change our profession, our loyalty, our place of work, and start all over again.
It means that the time has come to you and me to take Jesus serious, like those fishermen of Galiliee, who “at once left nets and followed him.” And because they took Jesus serious, those men were never the same again. They changed completely into fishers of men; and from fishers of men to heroes of our faith.
Yes, Jesus can make us into that man or woman we dream of. Let us take him serious as they did; the fishermen followed him yesterday and today they are saints. Someone might have criticized them for leaving a sure and secure job, or even for leaving their father alone. Had they listened to their critics they would not have turned into fishers of men; they would have stayed fishers of fish.
Follow me and I will make you into fishers of men!
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