Mark 1:16-20 16 As He was going along by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew, the brother of Simon, casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen. 17 And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” 18 Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. 19 Going on a little farther, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who were also in the boat mending the nets. 20 Immediately He called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went away to follow Him. There is something very striking about this story as we begin to look at Mark 1:16-20 and it starts in verse 16. Two words stand out in this verse, 'He saw.' He being Jesus, saw Simon and Andrew living their lives and doing the vocational work they would do any day of the week. Deeply involved in their profession, working to provide for their families, trying to make ends meet, these men were working class Jews making an honest living. We don't know their background; Were they well versed in the Torah? Did they regularly attend synagogue and observe the Jewish festivals? We don't know and honestly for Jesus it didn't seem to be a prequalification. Jesus saw these men and he met them using a working class analogy. 'Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.' What is the modern day equivalent of this? I am not sure but one thing I do know. Jesus' engagement with Simon and Andrew had a resounding impact and in verse 18 we see they 'immediately' followed Christ. What would cause you to leave your job, leave your family, leave the successful lifestyle you have led for years to follow someone? What type of impact would that person have to have on you for you to immediately drop everything and leave? In life, especially in western culture we can get caught up in our vocation as our identify. Think about when you meet a new person, one of the first questions we ask someone is: 'What do you do for a living?' It's completely understandable as vocation typically takes up a majority of our day to day lives. It's a source of income, a source of pride and we have been taught that to work hard and earn a living is a good thing (and hear me, it is). But a good thing can become a bad thing if it becomes a god thing (little g is intentional there). And above all else we must be ready to answer the call of Jesus in our lives. If you are a believer in Christ then God has kingdom impacting things for you to do; He sees you and is calling you. And my prayer for each of us is that we would be a people that puts Christ above all things and that we are immediately obedient to his call. Questions: What are some of the things that may cause you to not immediately obey the call of Christ? What are some of the unique ways God has met you and worked in your life? Are there times in your life that you have put your vocation ahead of God's plan? (by the way you could be in full time ministry and this can still be an issue)
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