Daily Devotion – January 20, 2021 – Dr. Pat Taylor Ellison
Mark 1:14-20
1:14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God,
1:15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”
1:16 As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea–for they were fishermen.
1:17 And Jesus said to them, “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.”
1:18 And immediately they left their nets and followed him.
1:19 As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets.
1:20 Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him.
Jesus was a man with a plan.
Sometimes we don’t think of that aspect of Jesus. We think of him as a teacher who found teachable moments to convey God’s love to people. We think of him as a man on a journey to connect God with human beings, a faithful walker of the Gospel. But he was also a man with a mission that required planning. Such a mission required him to gather around him followers that he could teach – some older, some younger, from various walks of life. This story in early Mark is the moment the first portion of the plan comes to fruition: he calls a group of disciples – and they actually follow him. Simon Peter and his brother Andrew, and after that, James and John, the sons of Zebedee – 1/3 of the group of 12, all fishermen. Last week we read about Philip and Nathanael responding to Jesus’ call. How many days from start to finish did it take Jesus to gather his group? How did they relate to Jesus? And how did they get along with one another? 12 people is quite a large group to hold together.
Jesus was a man with a plan – to reconcile the whole world to God, starting among God’s chosen people but extending this reconciled relationship to the entire world, starting with these 12.
Whatever it was that they saw when Jesus first called them to follow him, the Holy Spirit caused to flourish and grow stronger and deeper. Whatever experiences they had together, the Holy Spirit knit them together into a community. We know it did, because, except for Judas Iscariot, they all became apostles who then found even more apostles who took the Christian faith outward and onward.
And it all began with this lesson from Mark – Jesus with his plan and four people following him.
The God who knows you and me inside out is also calling you and me today. To do what?, we might wonder. If we are brave enough to pay attention, we will hear it.
Lord God, Thank you for loving us. Thank you for calling the disciples who spread your message of God’s love throughout the world. Thank you for persistently calling us, too. Help us to hear that call and also to follow. Amen.
