In response to those who are unable to attend my
weekly Bible study on the Gospel According to MARK (Sunday’s at 10 am at
Hollywood United Methodist Church), I share my thoughts and notes from previous
sessions. While I’m not a scholar, I am an enthusiast. Enjoy!
MARK 1:14-20
These next seven verses seem
fairly cut and dry. John the Baptist is placed in prison; Jesus travels into Galilee and proclaims the good news; along the way, Jesus
picks up four fishermen to begin compiling a “Dream Team.”
…Not so fast.
First, verses 14 and 15. John
the Baptist was hauled off to jail, but why? John committed a no-no – speaking
his mind to Herod Antipater (nicknamed “Antipas”) about the tetrarch’s incestuous
marriage to Herodias (his niece). “Off with
his head,” would eventually match demand to deed. A void has been created with
John being taken away, and Jesus fills it.
Further into Galilee goes
Jesus and he proclaims, “The kingdom
of God is near. Repent
and believe the good news!” [i]
which are the core of his teaching. To whom are these words spoken? In much the
same way today, his message penetrates the hearts of those in need – the poor,
the hurting, the hopeless, the oppressed. The words of Jesus also carry action.
Repent AND believe. Beyond the
rants of a street corner zealot on Hollywood
Boulevard, there is actual meaning and value
behind Jesus’ words. He is offering freedom, justice and hope; yet, you have to
follow-through and do your part.
In much the same way as James
4:7-10 lays out a specific order of 10 commandments (“God opposes the proud but
gives grace to the humble” [ii]),
Jesus does the same. Repentance leads to belief (an added level), but as the
study group discussed, it doesn’t stop there. Bethany called it “The Circle” – repent, believe
and obey; then when you fall (or fail), you start over.
Then there’s a “cut to” like
a film script. We jump from this proclamation of good news to Jesus walking
beside the Sea of Galilee.
Did You Know…?
Over the years, the Sea of
Galilee has been called Lake Kinneret, Sea
of Chinnereth, Lake
of Gennesaret, as well as Sea of Tiberias.
It was estimated to be 13 miles long, 7 miles wide, 690 feet below sea level –
making it the lowest body of fresh water on earth. [iii]
Josephus, the governor of Galilee, stated 330
fishing boats sailed the waters of the lake. [iv]
It seems simple enough –
verses 16-20: Jesus sees Simon, Andrew, James and John; he says, “Follow me,”
and that’s what they do.
Seemingly
simple. It is the story behind the
story which adds another layer of intrigue.
This wasn’t the first time
the paths of Simon (Peter) and Andrew had crossed Jesus’. John 1:35-42 tells us
Andrew had become a disciple of John the Baptist. The possibility exists Peter
had been too. Then Jesus came along. “They left John to follow Jesus for a time
before returning to fishing in Capernaum.”
[v]
Interesting. Previously they followed Jesus then went back to fishing. So, when
the brothers dropped their nets in verse 18 to become “fishers of men,” it
wasn’t like they didn’t have an inkling of who Jesus was. “We have found the
Messiah!” [vi]
That’s what they exclaimed earlier.
And let’s not forget about
James (the older brother) and John, sons of Zebedee. Meeting Jesus wasn’t exactly
happenstance – although it certainly could be read that way. Word has it that
these brothers were Jesus’ cousins. How? Their mother may have been sisters
with Jesus’ mother, Mary. [vii]
They had a blood connection.
Adding yet another layer to
the story beyond the page…. “Zebedee, their father, owned a fishing business
where they worked along with Peter and Andrew. When Peter, Andrew and John left
Galilee to see John the Baptist, James stayed
back with the boats and fishing nets.” [viii]
All of these guys knew each other and they were talking with each other, so it
wasn’t like they were taken by complete surprise when Jesus appeared where they
worked.
Now it may seem I’m deflating
the balloon of mysticism around Jesus and these fishermen – that Jesus spoke
and they got doe-eyed and obediently followed him. Well, mysticism aside and
blood-related or not, something greater is at hand.
What I glean through these
verses is utter conviction by the fearless foursome, a full commitment to the
cause. For James and John to leave their dad in the boat with the hired hands
took extreme courage. It was major risk-taking. The sons were leaving behind a
sure thing – financial security. Not only were they leaving the family
business, they were leaving their dad to follow Jesus. During that time (and
some would say even now), the actions of the four fishermen flew in the face of
reason.
“Come, follow me.” When you hear
God’s call, when you catch the Spirit, do your actions fly as well in the face
of reason?
NEXT…
Jesus strategically chooses a
home base; Jesus teaches by whose authority; and there’s some serious healing
taking place.
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