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Follow Me! (Mark 1:14-20)

We can claim that we belong to a particular faith, but our claim is meaningless unless our faith changes the way we live. To put it another way, if we do not act and live according to the teaching of the religion to which we say we belong, our religion is merely external – we do not have faith.

When Jesus began His ministry, He did not look for people who would merely give Him lip-service. Instead He sought those who had enough faith to follow even though it meant giving up their previous way of life. In chapter 1, verses 14 through 20, of his inspired Gospel, Mark writes, “Now after John was taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the Good News of God’s Kingdom, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and God’s Kingdom is at hand! Repent, and believe in the Good News.” Passing along by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew, the brother of Simon, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. Jesus said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you into fishers for men.” Immediately they left their nets, and followed him. Going on a little further from there, he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who were also in the boat mending the nets. Immediately he called them, and they left their father, Zebedee, in the boat with the hired servants, and went after him.”

The main purpose of John the Baptist’s ministry was to prepare people for the coming of Jesus. John faithfully completed this task. Once he baptized Jesus and proclaimed that Jesus was the One whose coming he had announced, John’s work was accomplished. He had already completed God’s purpose by the time King Herod put him in prison. It was John’s faithful service that made it possible for Jesus to begin His ministry so successfully.

Jesus began His ministry by proclaiming the same message John the Baptist did, “The kingdom of God is near.” (See Matthew 3:2). To say that the kingdom is near implies that the coming of the king who will rule over the kingdom is also near. In the minds of the Jewish people to whom both John the Baptist and Jesus spoke, this meant that the coming of the Christ, that is the One God would anoint to rule over His people, was near. In chapter 1, verse 10 of his Gospel, Mark writes that God’s Spirit descended on Jesus at His baptism. From other Scriptures we know that God anointed Jesus with the Spirit to be King over God’s people. By preaching that the kingdom of God was near, Jesus was saying that in a very short time, God would reveal Him, that is Jesus, as the promised Christ, God’s King.

Jesus not only told people the kingdom was near, He also told them what they should do to prepare themselves for its coming. He told them to repent and believe. What does it mean to repent? The basic meaning of the word Mark uses is “to change one’s mind.” However, repentance includes much more than revising our thoughts. We act on the basis of what we think. Therefore, to repent includes not only changing how we think but, also, changing what we do. It means that we adopt a different course of action. In view of the coming of God’s kingdom, we cannot live the way we did before. We must think and act in ways which are in harmony with God’s kingdom. Just as we must live according to the laws of the country where we reside, if we want to be included in God’s kingdom we must live and act according to God’s standards.

However, outward conformity to God’s standards is not enough. There are many who live or act in a certain way because that is what is expected of them, but in their hearts they are not convinced. In contrast, Jesus told people they must also believe the good news. Why is the coming of God’s kingdom good news? It is good news because, as the Scripture says in another place, “…it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.” (Romans 1:16 NIV) To put it another way, it is through God’s anointed King, that is Jesus, that we can be reconciled to God. If the kingdom had not come, more importantly if God’s anointed King had not come, the separation between us and God because of our sins could not be overcome.

Jesus not only preached, He recruited others to help Him carry out His ministry. Among the first Jesus asked to follow Him were two sets of brothers. These men were fishermen. Jesus told them He would make them fishers of men. Mark writes that Jesus called these men, and they immediately left their nets and followed Him.

This is true. However we know from other accounts that their decision to follow Jesus was not as sudden and abrupt as it seems from what Mark writes. We know that at least two of these men, Andrew and John, were already disciples of John the Baptist. They heard John proclaim that Jesus is “…the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29 NIV) They had already talked with Jesus and heard His teaching. They had already witnessed Jesus perform the miracle of turning water into wine during a wedding feast (John 2:1-11). So, their hearts were already prepared when Jesus called them. Having listened to John, they were willing to listen to the One who John proclaimed was the Messiah.

What Mark points out is that there is a cost to following Jesus. Simon and Andrew owned their own fishing business. Jesus did not offer them a bigger or better boat. Jesus did not offer them a better market for their fish. Jesus did not even offer to match the income they received from their business. No, in order to follow Jesus they had to leave their business, their income and security behind. The only thing Jesus promised them is that He would make them fishers of men. Simon and Andrew had enough faith that they immediately left their nets and followed. What about us? Do we have enough faith to follow Jesus even if it means the loss of our business, property and income? Will we follow Him even if it costs us our livelihood?

There may be another cost to following Jesus, as well. James and John not only left their business, Mark writes that they left their father. Sometimes we have to make a choice between our family and following Jesus. What is more important to us: Doing what God’s anointed King asks of us, or pleasing our relatives? Are we willing to follow even if our family is opposed?