We can often tell a person’s devotion to something or to someone by how much they are willing to give up for that person or object. Are they willing to part with a good deal of money? Will they give up their job, their home, sacrifice their family? Historians may remember about 84 years ago a man giving up his throne for “the woman he loved”. In our reading today from the first chapter of the Gospel of Mark, we see several men called to give up the jobs they had, and to follow the Savior. Let’s take a look.
As our Scripture passage opens, Jesus had just been baptized and spent over a month in the wilderness, being tempted by Satan. Now Jesus has gone to the shores of the Sea of Galilee, where He calls two sets of brothers, the first four of His apostles. The first two are the brothers Simon Peter and Andrew. The other two are the brothers James and John. Peter and Andrew had their own boat and fishing business. James and John were in business with their father Zebedee. Zebedee’s business seemed to be a rather prosperous one, as they even had other hired employees. As John later alludes to in his Gospel, he knew the high priest’s family personally (John 18:15-16), so perhaps the family fishing business was so successful that they had some rather well-to-do customers, that of the high priests in Jerusalem. Why else would the family of the high priest in Jerusalem know common fishermen in Galilee?
Jesus began His ministry by echoing the words of John the Baptist, that of the need of repentance and believing in the gospel (vs. 15). The call for repentance from sin was a major point in John the Baptist’s messages, and contrary to what many people today think, it was also a message that Jesus preached (Matthew 4:17). Right after the ordeal of the temptation and His victory there, Jesus sets to work proclaiming the message of repentance and salvation. “Repent and believe” were the words He spoke to start off His earthly ministry, breaking the power of sin and beginning God’s personal reign on earth.
These pairs of brothers were familiar with John the Baptist’s ministry, having gone to hear him preach, probably on more than one occasion, and through him, they knew who Jesus was, having seen Him baptized and heard the Baptist’s testimony. When Jesus called the men, He was not a total stranger to them. These men had faith in Jesus and believed His message of salvation, enough so that they were willing to abandon their jobs and follow the call of God on their lives (vs. 18, 20). Jesus called them to be “fishers of men”, to evangelize, tell others about Him and about salvation. That is the most important job of a Christian - to tell others about Jesus.
It cost the disciples to follow Jesus. Not just these four, but also the other chosen men, as well. They each would have had a job, too. They heard God’s call on their life, and forsook all to follow Him. It cost them their jobs, along with time with family and friends. It cost them a reputation with many of their neighbors and kinfolk, and eventually it cost them each their lives. It will cost us today to faithfully follow Jesus and His Word, the Bible, as well. A faithful follower of Jesus is usually not too popular. It may cost us many of our friends, and frequently our families. In some countries, it may cost some their job and/or their lives to become a Christian.
At the beginning of our passage we read that John the Baptist was put in prison (vs. 14). He was put in prison by King Herod Antipas, the son of King Herod the Great who had ordered the slaughter of the young children of Bethlehem. Herod Antipas had put John the Baptist in prison because John took a stand for godliness and righteousness. He was not concerned with being popular and making a good impression with people. When he saw sin, he called it out. Herod had an affair with his brother’s wife, and then took her to be his wife, and John called him on that sin. For that, John paid a price, and ultimately was beheaded. Each of the apostles paid a price for following Jesus. All but the Apostle John were martyred, though he suffered plenty, as well.
What about us? Are we willing to give up anything to follow Jesus? Some Christians have a hard time just getting out of bed on a Sunday morning to go to church. And to tell others about Jesus? They have a thousand excuses why they can’t do that! Are we willing to take a stand for God like John the Baptist did? Yes, it may be difficult. It may cost us some popularity in town. Some of our friends or family may turn away from us. However, Jesus is still calling us to become fishers of men, to tell others about Him, whatever the cost.
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