After John had been arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God: “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”
As he passed by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea; they were fishermen. Jesus said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Then they abandoned their nets and followed him. He walked along a little farther and saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They too were in a boat mending their nets. Then he called them. So they left their father Zebedee in the boat along with the hired men and followed him. Then they came to Capernaum, and on the sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught.
Gospel Trivia:
The significance of this passage lies in understanding a little Greek:
- The Greek word translated to "come after me" or, in some translation, "come follow me" is the term used for converting a disciple to a certain thinking or lifestyle. Thus, this call is not just to follow Jesus towards a destination, but to follow his teachings and way of life as a disciple would follow a rabbi.
- The Greek phrase translated to "I will make you" implies a slow and protracted process -- a real training program.
- "Fishers of men" is not just a play of words but traces its origin to the Old Testament, where God is the fisher of men. It is God who gathers humanity back to him. Jesus teaches that this can be done through repentance, conversion, love and forgiveness.
This is Mark's message: a disciple's response is immediate and total and the role of the disciple is to "gather up" humanity to Jesus. Secondly, he/she who is chosen goes through "long-term training," suggesting that the disciples adopts the teachings as a way of life.
Reference:
*Nil Guillemette, SJ, A Kingdom for All (Manila: St. Paul Publications, 1988), pp. 15-16.
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