Mark 1:16-20; Mark 2:14
In the Gospel of Mark the theme of discipleship is powerfully presented from beginning to end. It is closely interwoven with the entire message and mission of the Messiah. Not only does Jesus begin to meticulously choose His disciples in Mark chapter one, but by the time we get to Mark chapter 16 we perceive that He is still working with them. We may graduate from a lot of things in life, but we never graduate from being disciples of the Master. Discipleship is an ongoing, deliberate, gradual process. With Him there is always something new, fresh and exciting to learn. Apparently it takes time, patience and effort. What a blessing it is to be called to be lifelong disciples of His.
The angel of the empty tomb declared to the women who came seeking for Jesus “But go tell His disciples, and Peter, that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him as He said unto you” (Mark 16:17 NKJV). He had already forewarned them and repeatedly instructed them about His death, but somehow it did not register. Therefore, here again they had to be reminded “…as He had said unto you” (Mark 16:17). Not fully understanding the implications of discipleship and what it meant to unselfishly follow Him, especially in the dark places of death and suffering, the message was sent to them again until hope is raised up in them. Thank God, He does not easily give up on us. Like the master teacher that He is, He knows that the lesson is finally grasped through repetition and constant rehearsal of the facts. So He keeps on teaching until the truth is fully comprehended.
When Peter and Andrew were first presented to us in chapter one verse 16-19, Mark states they were casting their nets into the sea. The author informs us “…for they were fishermen” (v.16). Yet as soon as they received the invitation of discipleship from Jesus, “They immediately left their nets and followed” (v.18). Known as the gospel of action and vividness, in Mark we pay particular attention to the word “immediately.” It is repeatedly used. There is a sense of urgency and quickness felt throughout. They quickly responded. They instantly left their nets and followed Him. They radically and enthusiastically responded.
It was a call to leave their occupation, to leave the unknown and the familiar, to leave their comfort zone and to journey into unknown and unchartered territory. Yet Mark records “they immediately left their nets and followed Him” Have we lost that sense of immediacy and urgency that always seems to be associated with the master’s call upon our lives, to radically follow Him?
In Mark’s narrative, a similar incident immediately follows. The author declares, “When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother who were in the boat mending their nets” (v.19). Like Peter and Andrew, they were also busy. However, in response to the directness and forcefulness of the call, Mark states, “…and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and went after Him” (v.20). Here they left their father, left the task at hand, left their profession and means of livelihood and went after Him. Is that not still the crux of the matter today? We are still required to leave all and go after Him. The truth is He is still worth pursuing and going after with all our body, mind and soul. We follow the Christ wheresoever He leads.
This same truth is also seen and brought out in Mark 2:13, in Jesus’ summoning the tax collector Levi, a man held in public contempt because of his profession. Jesus as He passed by saw him sitting at the tax office and commanded him, “Follow Me,” and the Word states “And he arose and followed Him” (2:14). Jesus called, and they radically left all to follow Him. May it be fully understood today that it is not just a sweet thought or a kind suggestion to follow Jesus, but an irrevocable urgent command. It is indeed a call to radical discipleship. It changes everything!
Leroy V. Greenaway
Presiding Bishop – Northeast Region
June 5, 2021
