January 25, 2015

“And immediately they left their nets and followed him.” Mark 1:18

The word “follow” indicates there is action – ongoing action. It is not enough just to begin to follow – one has to allow themselves to be led – and not just one time but for an extended period of time. So, yes the disciples were leaving behind their livelihoods – their jobs and businesses. But that did not mean they were heading to a life of meditation and solitude.

And the first thing they needed to do was “get behind Jesus”. Think about it this way: the disciples will drop everything, leave their “old” lives, their “old” priorities, and they will make Jesus the most important thing in their lives. That is what they are doing when they followed Jesus. And the most important “work” on which they will embark will be to “fish for people”.

The Augsburg Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew says this:

“In the ancient world fishing was a metaphor for two distinct activities: judgment and teaching. Fishing for people meant bringing them to justice by dragging them out of their hiding places and setting them before the judge at the end of the world. And fishing was also used for teaching people, of the process of leading them from ignorance to wisdom. Both…involve a radical change…a break with a former way of life and entrance upon a new.”

To be a true follower of Jesus means two things for us today. It means that we first decide to make a break with our old lives and start down a new path – with Jesus in the lead. And in the process of being a follower, we learn a new way to live – and that is putting Jesus first, and everything else second.

“Too difficult”, you say. Well, remember, to follow Jesus means he will lead us to the cross. And through the cross, he takes on the responsibility for our sinful lives. Isn’t that reason enough to allow him to lead us: lead us in all aspects of living, lead us down all paths, and lead us into “new priorities”?

Pastor Dave