Written for an audience outside of Palestine, probably a small band of Christians gathered in Rome, Mark's Gospel is meant to capture our imagination, to pick us up and enthrall us with the story and person of Jesus. And here, today, we enter the story in the early going of the first chapter.

Jesus has just returned from forty days' temptation in the wilderness, after his baptism by John. John has been arrested, and Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit, strengthened by the care of angels, and totally clear about his mission, begins his ministry. How does he begin? The narrative tells us that he does not do anything without first establishing a community.

Before he begins to help anyone, Jesus calls Simon and Andrew, James and John, to join with him. This is an essential step, for Jesus is not a solo act. The ministry of Jesus necessarily involves a community. The Good News of God that is about to break-in upon the world finds its roots in community, it includes disciples, and those disciples we now call, "the Church." Archbishop William Temple once said that the church is the only institution that exists for the sale of those who do not yet belong to it. That is the Good News-that the kingdom of God is at hand, and that it is open to all.

Let us look at a few things about these first few whom Jesus called into community before beginning his direct ministry to others: First of all, they apparently had no specific preparation. According to Mark, they haven't even heard of Jesus prior to his appearing at the foot of their fishing dock, muttering something mystical about following him and fishing for people. This is good for us to realize.

Too often, many of us choose not to be more active in following Jesus because we feel we are not cut out for it-"I don't have what it takes," we might say or think. But Jesus doesn't seek to qualify us-Jesus simply says, "Follow me." All of us have the ability too do that; having the will to do it is entirely another matter, and something over which we have complete control.

Secondly, we see that Jesus calls his followers in the midst of their everyday lives, where they truly live. Notice it wasn't at a Tent Meeting Revival that Jesus called Simon, Andrew James and John to come forward and dedicate their life to God. Jesus met them on their turf, in their real life, in their day-to-day routine. This is where Jesus wants us to live out our following him-in the life we truly live, not just at church on Sunday morning or evening, or on Wednesday night. Jesus wants us to follow him in our daily living, in our authentic lives.

Lastly, we must see that it is Jesus himself who calls us, the Word of God who created all things; it is this Word of God himself who calls us. And whatever we become, we will be the work of Jesus the Word, creating again, this time with the very fabric of our lives.

A few moments ago we prayed "Give us grace, O Lord, to answer readily the call of our Savior Jesus Christ." This collect presumes that Jesus extends his call to all of us. For what purpose? To "proclaim to all people the Good News of his salvation, that we and the whole world may perceive the glory of his marvelous works." Jesus personally calls us to follow him. But does that mean we too must become "fishers for people"?

Through years of bible study and listening to preaching in far too many churches to count, I think a little too much gravity has been given to the phrase, "I will make you fish for people," or some variation of it depending on the bible translation that one uses. At its worst, this phrase gets turned into some sort of justification for evangelistic scalp hunting, where people compare their numbers of souls converted as a measure of living into this call of the Gospel. Take a closer look: I do not see Jesus counting souls won anywhere in the gospels, though he seems to think that the number of times we should forgive others is quite large, if not infinite.

Neither should this text "Follow me, and I make you fish for people" be seen as an admonition to leave whatever line of work one is doing and become an evangelist. "Euanggelion" literally means "good news," not hell-fire and brimstone. Jesus called these four to follow him; fishing is what they happened to do.

I like to take a different approach to the phrase "I will make you fish for people." In a way, Jesus makes a little joke here; he's taking the occupation of these four and using a play on words turns it into an invitation to do something more, with the implication that the more is of much greater consequence. Jesus honors who they are, right where they are, and invites them to consider going a little deeper. It is the same with us, when Jesus calls us.

Bring who you are, and what you do, and follow me. Together, with all that you already possess, we can do something you never thought you could do-we can change the lives of people. And isn't the Good News of Jesus the news that he can change and transform our lives?

(By the way, I have seen personally how some of the skills of "what people do" make a profound impact both in the life of the community of followers of Jesus, and in the lives of persons in need of God's grace-so don't be surprise if the gifts and skills you possess do come into God's use for the spread of the Kingdom.)

Yes, beginning with changing the way we see ourselves, Jesus changes our lives when we join up with him and his community, and together we indeed fish for people, we share with others the "euanggelion." For when we share with others about our relationship with God, about our relationship in a community of followers of Jesus, we are sharing Good News, we become evangelists.

And like Jesus, we invite others to "come and see," to come follow him, to become a part of this community of believers who travel this pilgrim road of life alongside of you, companions on the way. Jesus calls people, men and women, individually, and shapes them into a pilgrim community. From the beginning, Jesus shows us that his disciples, and all those who follow him, will be co-workers in bringing about the Kingdom of God.

So along with Jesus, we become those who reach out and touch those considered untouchable-the lepers of our day and age; we become those who bring comfort and healing, who restore vision to those who have none. We become those who proclaim liberation and release; we feed the hungry, we clothe the naked, we give water to the thirsty; we provide heat for the cold; we renew hope in the hopeless; by reaching out to others in an active way, we join in the ministry of Jesus.

The Good news of the in-breaking Kingdom of God is that it includes disciples-those who now do the work of Christ in the world. That's you and me, and whomever we invite to join us-who wouldn't want others to experience this community and be a part of this life giving work of God in the world?

As we will see through this year's journey in Mark's Gospel, the need in the world is tremendous, the measure of unbelief is staggering, and forces of evil in the hearts of people still oppose this love, this unbelievable love found in Jesus of Nazareth.

Only through the support of others can we make it through this difficult and sometimes dangerous journey; so first off, before doing anything else, Jesus calls together a community. Only then did he proceed to do the miraculous work of God in a world filled with unmet needs.

Well, here we stand today, one of the millions of communities of followers formed by Jesus in the meantime, and living in mean times; by his grace, and for his sake, let us continue his work, serving others in his name, and inviting others to join us in the same.

The Rev'd Timothy M. Dombek
ST. JAMES EPISCOPAL CHURCH
301 Piney Mountain Road
Greenville, SC 29609-3035
(864) 244-6358
timothy@stjamesgreenville.org

Copyright © 2003 Timothy M. Dombek All Rights Reserved.