My dear parishioners, Jesus invited Simon Peter and his brother Andrew to accompany him in ministry, saying, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." [Mk 1:17] Farther along Galilee’s shore, John and his brother James were mending their nets when Our Lord summoned them also to serve in his kingdom. Who were these men whom Jesus called?
Simon, Andrew, James and John belonged to prosperous entrepreneurial families headquartered at the Sea of Galilee’s northern end. The four men were highly skilled and successful fishermen, their intimate knowledge of fishing waters, weather conditions, and equipment having been accumulated over years of experience and hard work. To be sure, the four were not powerful or wealthy men. James and John were very young. Nevertheless, owning boats, nets, rigging and hiring crews to man them was no small achievement in first-century Roman-occupied territory on the Mediterranean's eastern shore. It is no exaggeration to say that their self-assurance and confidence came into play when Jesus summoned them to follow him in ministry. They were free to say no. However, when Jesus said, “Follow me and I will make you become fishers of men,” all four seized on the opportunity, answering yes with great conviction. [Mk 1:17] Not so for today’s generation. Doubtless someone or other should commit his life to ministry, most people would agree, as long as that “someone” is not me.
Mark’s gospel strikingly addresses this prejudicial one-sidedness by stating flatly, yes, the cost is high, but is this not true for anything of great value? Moreover, even a weak person will move mountains to acquire thirty pieces of silver. Thus the decision of the four fishermen to follow Jesus immediately, far from revealing rustic ignorance or instability, is precisely the opposite. Strong people make decisions like this every day, and the four fishermen were no exception. “And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.” [Lk 5:11] Without hesitation. The fact that Peter, Andrew, James and John possessed little formal education was of no great concern to Jesus whose knowledge of the scriptures and the Jewish law was formidable. Being intelligent, skilled and eager to learn the mysteries of salvation counted for much. Jesus appreciated the working stiff who could grasp the importance of spiritual things and act on them in practical ways.
We must remember that Jesus will have little need for anyone who perceives his opinions and decision-making talents greater than his. Or if one expects Jesus to chauffeur him down the golden road of entitlement. So often while we wait patiently for privileged persons to mature, they rot. Jesus characterized anyone who clings to his own agenda or fiercely protects his own vested interests, as hired hands. At the end of the day, few things were worse in his eyes. Our Lord had much to say against false shepherds. He called them thieves, robbers and hirelings who scorn the sheep. [cf Jn 10:8,13] These shameless persons who say they are ministers, but are not, excel at one thing only: monetizing their unabashed guest-host relationship with faith communities they claim to serve. Servant-discipleship, ah that, is the least of their concerns.
Jesus needed strong spiritual partners who would labor diligently in the great harvest of souls He wanted men who would not be afraid to take their eyes off the ground nor their feet off the wide highway. Prayer and the proclamation of Good News were to be their essential tasks. Understandably Capernaum’s villagers desire that Jesus remain with them for a long time. But Our Lord will not be corralled no matter how ardently the villagers yearn for him to stay. Jesus tells his disciples why he needs respite in the wilderness, "Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also; for that is why I came." [Mk 1:38] Sincerely in the hearts of Jesus and Mary. Your pastor, Reverend Richard Barker. +++