The Call Is For All

 

Mark 1: 14-20

Jesus Announces the Good News

¹⁴ After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. ¹⁵ “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”

Jesus Calls His First Disciples

¹⁶ As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. ¹⁷ “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” ¹⁸ At once they left their nets and followed him.

¹⁹ When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. ²⁰ Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.

Yes, we are back to the beginning again.  Here is the core message of Jesus:  "The time has come, the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news.!" ( Mk 1: 15).  We can't hear it enough, as with the old "repeat after me" method some of us remember from grammar school, repetition works:  think of learning the "times tables",  intricate grammar rules, important historical dates, etc.  We can still quote them today. So to read verse 15 again, only helps to nail the message home.  This is why Jesus came, this is what we are asked to do: repent and believe.  And to cap off the lesson, Mark reminds us that, as with the sons of Zebedee, and the others later called, so are we, to spread this message as teachers and believers who live it. No small easy assignment, hence to need to have it repeated to us over and over. Thank God this comes to us on a Sunday when we CAN take some time to reflect on it and put it in to practice at first in our homes and during the weeks ahead, into our workplaces...No one is "off the hook," the call is for all!

Bro Rene