GOOD DECISIONS

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After living in relative obscurity for around 30 years, Jesus launched his public ministry with a bang. Heralded by John the Baptist, validated by the Holy Spirit that came down in the form of a dove with the parting of the heavens and following a tempestuous ordeal in the desert, He spoke with authority and acted in the realm of the miraculous. His calling of the first disciples is very interesting and the manner in which they responded to Him raises the question as to whether they were taking a smart business decision.

¹⁶ As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. ¹⁷ “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” ¹⁸ At once they left their nets and followed him.

¹⁹ When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. ²⁰ Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him. (Mark 1)

There are many aspects of this call that makes it look like a bad idea. First, the prospect of following a relatively unknown person is intimidating.Jesus was not publicly well known and their experience of him was likely very limited. Jesus was also not calling them to an equal partnership, rather to a relationship where they would be his disciples. Can you imagine a dominant person like Peter, with leadership qualities himself, agreeing to take on a submissive role?

Next,Jesus calls them to change their profession. Having known nothing but fishing their entire lives, they were being asked to become evangelists- fishers of men. They would still ‘fish’ but for men, but the analogy apart, it was something very different. Would they be able to learn the skills required to take on this job and be successful? And would it be worth it?

Finally,they were to leave behind the securities they had built for themselves. Following Christ required them to trust him for their lives. The call was unequivocal- their security would be Christ alone. Peter and Simon left their nets behind as they embraced the call. They might have thought about packing their nets along, just in case they needed food for their endeavor, but the narrative does not suggest that. John and Simon leave behind their father and their hired men as they accept Jesus’ call. Surely fishing was in the family and they were doing well when Jesus asked them to leave behind their booming business. 

Despite all these facts, when Jesus called them, the response to follow was instantaneous and complete. People do take decisions to follow charismatic personalities, but the extent of commitment demonstrated here is too astounding to make charisma the sole reason. Through the ages, for Christians, following Christ has mostly been a bad business decision, but millions still make that commitment even unto death, forsaking all in the process. The only way to account for this inexplicable phenomenon is to recognize that Jesus is God and has perfect communion with God. The Bible teaches us that the physical world as we see it has spiritual foundations. The spiritual wholeness that Jesus possesses gives him an authority in the physical realm that makes things irrevocable when He speaks. 

And so when He calls, you listen, obey and submit. The disciples lost much, even their lives, but who doesn’t lose their lives at the end? And among all their unknown peers, these men live on, etched into immortality.

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