Mark 1:16-20 - Follow me!

1:16,17

The “Sea of Galilee” is actually a lake, and it was only the local people who referred to it as a sea. Those involved in fishing tended to be better off than the peasants. Jesus was walking alongside the Sea of Galilee and saw Simon (Peter) and his brother Andrew fishing. Jesus said to them “follow me”. Now we read this as though the calling was completely out of the blue, but this is not the case. In John 1:40-42 we read of Andrew and Simon meeting Jesus. This happened before Jesus called them to follow Him. We must remember that the gospels contain very condensed accounts of what happened. Jesus used the context of their fishing to describe what He would teach them, and what they would become. Likewise, David’s looking after and protecting the sheep prepared him for the mission that God had for him. Notice also the “I will make you”. It is the work of Jesus in their lives that would make them fishers of men.

1:18-20

They followed Jesus immediately. Remember that this was not their first encounter with Jesus, but when the call comes we need to respond like Simon and Andrew did. Many times God may introduce various aspects of Himself to us, and then at some point there will be a demand for a radical change in our life. There is, of course, our first coming to faith, but there may be other times in our life as well. Knowing God is something that must change our lives, otherwise we do not really know Him at all. Next Jesus met James and John, the sons of Zebedee, two more fishermen. Jesus called them, and they too left their nets to follow Jesus. They left their father with the hired servants.