"At once they left their nets and followed him" Mark: 1:18
After Jesus' return form the Wilderness of Judea, where he demonstrated that he, and he alone, is the Messiah, Jesus now came to Galilee, and there, upon the shores of the sea Jesus calls his first Disciples.
At Jesus' call, we are told in the Gospel of St.
Mark, that they "At once" followed him. Many marvel
at what might have spurred these men to "at once"
leave behind their occupations and families. They left all that has been a part
of their lives for so long, to become followers of Jesus.
Some wonder was it a "power” which took them and that they would have
no power to resist it or was it that Jesus' personality was such they could not
say no? Understanding the answer, answers many questions about this
moment and, the life of our Lord Jesus Christ and the response of his Disciples
to his call and invitation to follow him.
A Rabbinical Call
To understand this moment of the calling of
the disciples, it is important that we know just a little about the culture and
spiritual climate of the day. In that day, among the Jewish people, only a man
who had been through the fourteen-year rabbinical school and was an "ordained” “licensed" Rabbi
was permitted to issue and the invitation of “come follow me” for a man
to become a Disciple, that is, to be a special student.
This was no small honor in those days among
the people of Israel to receive this invitation from a Rabbi. It was a
symbol of social status and prestige for a man and his family honor and not to
be passed up. This explains why the disciples, would "at once" climb out of their boats and follow
Jesus, and they do so with apparently no objections from their father Zebedee,
for he too, recognized that this was a great opportunity and honor for his sons
and his family to receive the invitation to “follow me” issued
by the Rabbi Jesus.
Rabbi Jesus
We are told, that some of John's disciples became
interested in Jesus after Jesus' baptism by John, and decided to have a
conversation with Jesus to see what he had to say.
"Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, "What do you
want?" They said, "Rabbi" (which means "Teacher"),
"where are you staying?" and He said come and see" John:1:38
At Jesus' meeting with Nathaniel, Nathaniel
acknowledges Jesus and called Him Rabbi "Then Nathanael declared,
"Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel." John: 1:49
Even Nicodemus a Pharisee and a respected
member of the Sanhedrin, which was the ruling council of the Jews, grants Jesus
this recognition and status of calling him Rabbi.
"He, Nicodemus came to Jesus at night and said,
"Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one
could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him." John: 3:2
This title of Rabbi was acknowledged only to those to whom it belonged. It was
not given to just anyone just because they claimed it, it had to be conferred
upon them by the authorized teachers of the Word of God.
If Jesus truly were not a Rabbi the religious
leaders of the day would not have acknowledge Jesus as such, however, in an act
of contempt brought on by jealousy and posturing the religious leaders
attempt to dismiss Jesus as being "unlearned” at one point.
The Not so Silent Years
Understanding that Jesus was an ordained Rabbi
answers many questions, some in regards as to what Jesus was doing in the
silent years between his conversation with the teachers of the Law at the
Temple at twelve years of age which we find in the Gospel of St. Luke and his public
reemergence on the banks of that Jordan at age thirty to be baptized and to
receive the John Baptist's public endorsement.
It was customary in those days, that when a
boy was accepted to, and entered Rabbinical school, that they did so at about
age twelve, and completed the schooling at about age thirty. This accounts for
the “silent years” of the Gospels, but we see with a
little understanding of the times in which the Holy Scripture were written that
they are not as silent as we may first believe.
Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem
for the Festival of the Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up to
the festival, according to the custom. After the festival was over, while his
parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they
were unaware of it. Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a
day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. When
they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. After three
days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening
to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard him was amazed at his
understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him, they were astonished.
His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father
and I have been anxiously searching for you.” “Why were you searching for
me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” But they did
not understand what he was saying to them" Luke: 2:41-48
It is possible for us to view Jesus' conversation with Temple teachers as being
Jesus' entrance interview for Rabbinical training which would have positioned
Jesus later in life to circulate among the spiritual leadership of Israel and
to open doors to synagogue pulpits around the nation giving Jesus a platform of
legitimacy which his opponents could not legally reproach him for. Jesus was a legally ordained Rabbi and there was nothing they
could do about it.
Making the Tour
In Israel two thousand years ago, after
rabbinical students graduated ,and were ordained, they generally received
invitations to make a tour of synagogues preaching and teaching giving
the Jewish people an opportunity to hear the new teachers and see
what each had to say.
We see that Jesus follows this very patterned
after the of calling his first Disciples. Here , at the Capernaum Synagogue
Jesus provided the congregation with not just his grasp of the word of God
teaching with power, but also demonstrates his power and authority over
even the demonic, bringing forgiveness, healing and life.
"They went to Capernaum, and
when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. The
people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had
authority, not as the teachers of the law. Just then a man in their synagogue
who was possessed by an impure spirit cried out, What do you want with us,
Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One
of God!” “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!”The impure
spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.
The people were all so amazed that they asked
each other, “What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives
orders to impure spirits and they obey him.” News about him spread quickly over
the whole region of Galilee." Mark: 1:21-28
"Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching
in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing
every disease and sickness among the people. News about him spread all over
Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those
suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the
paralyzed; and he healed them. Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis,
Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him." Matthew: 4:23-25
Follow Me
The Disciples of Jesus recognized the great
opportunity that our Lord offered them. It was a true honor, they saw in his
invitation to "follow me” what they sought in life, they knew Jesus' call had
a value to it so great that they left everything and went with Jesus. What
about us, especially we Christians, do we understand our Lords' invitation to
be the great honor that it truly is? Are we each willing to be like the
disciples who
"At once they left their nets and followed him." Mark: 1:18
Will we leave the boats of our lives behind and follow Jesus, to join him in
his work?
Consider, if we each and all accepted and
understood Jesus' invitation for the great honor it is, if we did, there would
not be an empty seat in the pews each church would be filled to capacity. An
empty seat would be the exception not the norm. Our churches the world over
would be filled with persons who were involved with the ministry of Jesus, we
would share His invitation to any and to all as we had opportunity to do so.
Jesus has bestowed upon all Christians the highest honor that we can receive in
this life, Jesus has given us the invitation to "follow me”. Will be like his disciples who "at once left their nets and followed Him” or do we stay
in the boat of our lives pursuing our own business?
Where ever you are today hear the invitation of Jesus to "come and follow Me" it is a great honor
which our Lord Jesus given to each and all us.
Benediction: May we each and all, understand and respond
to the invitation and calling of our Lord Jesus, to know the great honor that
Jesus has extended to us to come and follow him, today, tomorrow and
forevermore. Amen.
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Rev.Todd Crouch, Norman, Oklahoma
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