October 2, 2019

“Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fisherman. 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.” (Mark 1:1-18)

In this passage in Mark, Jesus chooses His first followers. Much has been made of the fishermen’s immediate reaction to Jesus’ call. They dropped their nets in the same way that we “drop everything” when something crucially important comes up. Clearly, something about Jesus was incredibly compelling.

But the often over looked detail I want to highlight today is that during Jesus’ day, disciples chose rabbis – rabbis didn’t choose disciples!  So Jesus’ call to Simon and Andrew must have had some kind of shock and awe value to it. Later, Jesus says as much in John 15:16 – “You did not choose me, but I chose and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit – fruit that will last.”

Jesus has chosen you, too. This is extremely comforting news. If you’re like me, you don’t always “make good choices” – that Jesus has chosen you takes the choice right out of your hands.

“Almighty God, who gave such grace to your apostle Andrew that he readily obeyed the call of your Son Jesus Christ, and brought his brother with him: Give us, who are called by your holy Word, grace to follow him without delay, and to bring those near to us into his gracious presence; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  Amen.”  (St. Andrew – BCP p. 237)