Are You a Follower of Jesus? (Mark 1:14-20)

At verse 14 of Mark chapter 1 Jesus himself comes out into the public arena. It’s interesting that this occurs at the very time when the ‘preparer of the way’ John the Baptizer has been arrested and silenced. The same word translated “arrested” (or ‘handed over’) used here was also used of Jesus in three years time – Jesus will also be arrested and executed (yet of course he will not be ultimately silenced)! This is an early indicator that the call to “repentance” i.e. challenging people to change their ways, is a confronting and therefore risky pursuit.

The first words that come out of Jesus’ mouth, sums up what he is about, what God is seeking to achieve, and also what any true disciple of Jesus will be on about … "The time is fulfilled … the kingdom of God has come near … repent … believe in the good news". The “kingdom of God” has come near” because God has come to the world to deliver people out of their modern day exile. Yet the “kingdom of God” has not fully arrived because the “good news” still needs to be spread and heard.

The “Kingdom of God” is seen where the will of God is done. It is evident here and there, but essentially it is still in the process of coming. Thus we are taught to pray (by Jesus in the “Lord’s Prayer” - Matt 6:10) for God’s Kingdom to come … “Your Kingdom come … Your will be done … on earth as it is in heaven”. Jesus needs modern days disciples to bring forward the Kingdom, and shows this by recruiting disciples in his own time to set the pattern for committed following.

The “repentance” required of those who would truly follow Jesus is not just some level of regret for misdeeds and a mild commitment towards doing better. This “repentance” is about a total surrender to God’s way of living! It will mean that the true follower of Jesus will not just think that the gospel is a good idea, but that they will ‘stake their life’ on the “good news” – Jesus will be their major focus in life, and that everything else will fall into line behind Jesus; that’s what it means to "believe in the good news" – it is to live from the vision of the “kingdom”, participating in its life.

Whereas there would be an open call to all to repent and believe in the good news, Jesus would target certain ones for leadership that he knew would positively respond in a determined fashion. There was Simon Peter and his brother Andrew. There was also James and his brother John. These guys had obviously been prepared by God for such an occasion as this. They had a real sense of their own need, yet they understood that they had a contribution to make to humanity above and beyond their fishery vocation. When this man Jesus came along with such impacting words as … follow me and I will make you fish for people, this addressed these fishermen’s personal spiritual desires and expectations, as well as their readiness for service.

Both sets of brothers immediately left their workplaces and businesses and followed Jesus. This was a vital re-orientation for the first and founding disciples of Jesus – for they could walk and talk with Jesus full-time for three years. Instead of living by the fishing business, they will now live to reach other people for the Kingdom of God.

We are not necessarily called to leave our workplaces and careers today (in fact our workplaces can actually become our mission field), but the idea of not letting anything else get in the way of our following relationship with Jesus remains crystal clear. Follow me, or ‘come after me’ in the sense of walking behind, describes a pupil’s role and relationship to their teacher and master. The former fishermen join themselves to Jesus, to accompany him, to participate in his life, to share in his ministry, with a view to later continuing this ministry (after the end of Jesus’ earthly life). Jesus was already on the move and beckoning followers to keep up with the pace.

While Simon Peter and Andrew may have simply left basic jobs, James and John seem to have left a lucrative family business behind. And the reference to “hired hands” in the ‘Zebedee fishing company’ might even suggest that James and John were more management than labourers. So, we can’t let even the prospect of earthly success obscure our view of following Jesus. [But what of the mention of James and John “mending the nets”? What would better qualify them as potential disciples than workplace leaders who were willing to carry out even the more menial tasks?!!]

We could now refer to the conclusion of Mark's Gospel at 16:1-8. We would reflect there on the reassurance that Jesus was alive and waiting for his disciples in Galilee. Yet in referring to verse 8 and the response of the women (also remarking on the earlier scattering of the disciples), we could be first surprised and then feel significantly challenged. We should then link 1:1 with the prospect of 16:7, and the reality of 16:8. We would note the relevance of 16:8 to Mark’s Christian community in Rome, and then the call to be a disciple in 1:16-20. The call to discipleship will naturally involve suffering even today. We will have to journey through that suffering remaining joined to Jesus.

Simon Peter, Andrew, James and John were being asked to step out of their comfort zones, change their focus, and take on a largely unknown but certainly risky enterprise. Yet they did so without hesitation. Hesitation (or prayerfulness) to determine whether something is God’s will or God’s best for us is a good thing. However, hesitation while weighing up the cost or looking for excuses, while being human, is likely to mean we’ll miss our moment in time.

The immediate responses of Simon Peter, Andrew, James and John to follow Jesus might also imply unconditional responses. This is a theme that Mark will take up later. It did not matter where Jesus was going, or the danger they might be heading for, or what their personal circumstances, desires or ambitions were – they were going anyway! This seems to be the indication of the text. Yet, as the narrative unfolds, the humanness and fallibility of these disciples emerges. But nonetheless Jesus will regather his disciples in Galilee, and in Rome, and in Point Cook, and invest the Holy Spirit in them, and give them his ministry to continue on with.