"What a short passage to try to write a whole sermon on. Is that all I have to work with?" That's what I told Wendy on Tuesday after reading the passage given to me to preach this Sunday. It really is a bare-bones passage. Jesus simply sees two sets of brothers - first Simon (Peter) and Andrew and then James and John. Each time he says "Follow me" and they immediately drop their nets and follow. No dialogue, no conversation, no inner stuggling, no questions of Jesus. They just follow. Can it really be that simple? especially after Curt's sermon last week on scepticism and doubt coming out of the calling of Nathanael.
Maybe that is why we need to look at all the passages where Jesus calls his disicples -there is quite a range of how this happens. At the same time, what can we learn from this particular passage and its brief but powerful example of following Jesus immediately. Part of it is the style of gospel writer Mark -he likes action and moving the story forward, all to support what is really important - discipleship and the Kingdom of God coming near. But this passage has made me also ask how these fishers were able to simply drop everything and follow Jesus. It's made we reflect on how I make decisions in general, and how I respond to Jesus and God. What risks do I take? How willingly do I just take the jump and follow God's calling?
How does this story speak to you? I would be curious.
This makes me think of something that's bothered me at times. How do our rational and logical minds fit into our faith decisions? In logical terms, what James and John did seems pretty silly. But then many things we do seem silly when we are in love. Decisions we make when we are dating, or when our family members are hurting or in danger are far from rational at times. God created our rational and logical minds so they must have value but maybe they are to be overruled when our emotions, especially love take over, or when there's really important life-changing decisions are to be made? Knowing who Jesus is now, as Christians, we should see a decision to not follow Jesus immediately as silly. Love conquers all, so the love of God for us and from us in return makes for "irrational" decisions by some definitions. Sounds a little "upside-down" doesn't it? Isn't that the point of why Jesus came and why James and John followed immediately?
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