Mark 1:14-20 — "It's Time...Follow Me!"

Photo by David Clode on Unsplash

Mark 1:14-20 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” And immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.

Have you noticed how there seems to be an almost ironic juxtaposition of joy and sadness, deliverance and bondage, healing and suffering that go hand-in-hand in the Gospels? Just as Jesus’ ministry goes public, the Baptist’s ministry goes dark. Here in Mark’s Gospel, we read that it is after John has been arrested that Jesus returned to Galilee to preach the good news of the kingdom of God (v.15). There must be a leaving behind in order to follow (v. 20). For those early disciples, nothing was more important than following Jesus. It should be the same for us today. 

John the Baptist had spoken ahead of time, of the One who was coming,

^“And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” (1:7-8)

John the Baptist’s role, his calling, was to prepare the way and to point people to Jesus as he had done following Jesus baptism and temptation, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!” (John 1:26, 36). So when he was told that “everyone” was going over to follow the new rabbi, Jesus, John was glad to decrease recognizing that he had fulfilled his purpose,

John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’ The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:27-30 emphasis mine)

The Baptist's response really impresses me. He knew what he was here for so clearly that he could know when his job was done, and move off center-stage with joy. Likewise, the first disciples were willing to leave all that they knew to follow the One in whom they now believed.

There is a distinctive term in the Gospel of Mark, the Greek word is euthūs and is translated “straightaway” in the KJV and “immediately”, or, “at once” in modern translations. It is used 80 times in the New Testament and fully half of them (40) are in the little Gospel of Mark. This contributes to the energetic tone of the narrative…a gospel of action written to a people used to decisive action. Here we see it in verses 18 and 20 which describe the four young fishermen’s response to Jesus’ invitation to be his disciples on a full-time basis. Jesus must have been waiting to begin, but now it’s time.

So are we open to a decrease in our own glory and personal following so that people can better see Jesus? Are we willing to change careers, leaving behind the comfortable things that we have always known to follow Jesus in faith? I guess it depends on what you want to catch. If you’re satisfied with casting for perch there is little chance you will catch people. Simon and Andrew, James and John, didn't have to think twice. Neither should we. It’s time!