Reflections on Mark's Gospel - Mark 1:18

The Response

It is easy to skip over the response of James and John. Mark covers it in 8 Gk words - translated into 8-10 English words.

This verse reflects two key characteristics of Mark's writing: his brevity and his use of the word ευθεως ("immediately" or "at once").

But don't miss the significance. If the call was centred on Jesus, it involved him changing them and it was a call to mission, the response is immediate and uncompromising.

These fishermen were in the middle of their work. Mar_1:16 says they were casting a net. Mar_1:18 says they left their nets.

Did they just drop it? Or did they put it somewhere safe until later that afternoon? Was there a place where the nets were usually left when they weren't being used? Or did the fishermen take their nets home usually? The text doesn't answer these questions. But the impression given by Mark's account is that their response was immediate and total.

Contrast this with others that Jesus called who offered excuses to delay. "Let me bury my father". "Show me where we are going" (Mat_8:19-22).

The picture Mark creates is one of total and immediate responsiveness to Jesus call.

And in case you missed it, he repeats it again in the story of James and John.

The question raised by the example of Simon and Andrew is, "what is the response expected from me?" If you are encountering Jesus, through Mark's gospel, and you find that his life and teaching challenge your previously held ideas or lifestyle, what do you do about it?