In our Gospel today we hear about Jesus’ call of Andrew, Simon, James, and John to become His Disciple and follow him, just as he calls you and I as well.  And although it most likely is a story familiar to all of us, if we take time to ponder it, there is a lot we can learn.  Each time we hear it, it should convict us to a radical lifestyle change- just as it did for the disciples Andrew, Simon, James, and John.  However, in order to understand the full weight of the ‘calling’ which we hear in today’s Gospel from Mark, we need to remind ourselves of the Gospel last week from John.

You might recall in our Gospel last week, John the Baptist (Jesus’s cousin, not the same John whom Jesus called) was standing with 2 of his disciples, that is 2 of the people who were listening to John’s message and following him (one of whom we learn is Andrew, Simon’s brother).  And remember it was John the Baptist who said to the people, “Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand.  And that there is One coming after me, the Messiah is coming after me, whom I am not worthy to untie his sandals”. (Pause) Suddenly it happened- the great encounter.  Our Gospel last week said that, John saw Jesus passing by, and said “Behold the Lamb of God”.  Jesus initiated the encounter by turning and asking them, “Who are you looking for”.  And the 2 disciples being good Jews called Jesus ‘Rabbi’.  A rabbi, of course, was the religious leader  a person with authority. And so to give that title to Jesus, whom they had just met, was a sign of great respect and authority, signifying that they want to know who Jesus is and were willing to follow him- to see if He was indeed the promised Messiah whom they had been waiting for.  Last week’s Gospel concludes by saying that Andrew then went to tell his brother Simon that they had found the Messiah.  And upon meeting Simon, Jesus changes his name to Peter- revealing the change that would take place to become a Disciple. 

With the context of last week’s Gospel in mind, let us look closer at today’s Gospel from Mark and learn what it means to be a disciple.  Our Gospel begins, “after John the Baptist had been arrested, Jesus came and proclaimed ‘This is the time of fulfillment.  The kingdom of God is at hand.  Repent, and believe in the gospel’”.  Notice that just as John the Baptist had prophesied that the Messiah would come after him Jesus does indeed come after John, when John was arrested.  And just as John prophesied people must repent and prepare themselves for the coming of the Messiah, So Jesus declares that the time of fulfillment had come, that He is the Messiah, and so they must repent and believe in what He will teach and preach.   So when Jesus comes onto the scene, after John was arrested; as well as the way Jesus echo’s the words of John the Baptist- all is to reveal to the people that Jesus is indeed the Messiah- and so we must listen, learn from, and follow Him.

Our Gospel today continues with Jesus calling Andrew and Simon Peter, and then James and John, to become his disciples and follow him.  Sometimes for us when we think of following someone or something, we might think about we follow our favorite sports teams, like to follow the Phoenix Suns might mean to look up the scores from the  other night, and maybe even watch the game.  Or if one were to follow their favorite singer or actor, that might mean to read some things about him or her and maybe try and get a feel for who that person is by following their tweets.  Just like some people think that to follow Jesus means to maybe sit in the pews and hear about and maybe read some things about him.  Too often, to us, to follow means to just know some things about someone or something.  But not in the time of Christ, not for the good Jewish boys who were to become a disciple of a Rabbi.  Following someone was a larger requirement.  Remember that Andrew and the other disciple gave Jesus the title of Rabbi, or religious authority.  For a young Jewish boy who was to become a disciple of a Rabbi, meant that the little boy would leave his father and mother, leave behind his comfortable lifestyle, and literally, for years, follow that Rabbi day and night.  He would eat when he ate, sleep when he slept.  He would listen to everything the Rabbi said, he would take copious notes and observations.  He would constantly ask the Rabbi questions, he would observe all his mannerisms.  And the whole purpose of doing so was so that he could really know the Rabbi, so the disciple could learn to think the way he thinks, to see things from his perspective, and really become like, or become an extension of the Rabbi.  So that when the Rabbi had to move on or died, there would be someone to come after him, someone to continue his line of thought, continue his teaching.  So there would be a disciple to continue the Master’s legacy and purpose.  You might think that to leave father and mother and everything behind is a big sacrifice and a lot to give up to become someone’s disciple- it certainly is a great demand, but also know that to follow a Rabbi was a great honor- for only those who were deemed worthy and capable to handle such a responsibility was called.  So now that Jesus comes and calls Andrew, Simon, James, and John to become his disciple and follow him, they know what that means.  It means that they leave behind their comfortable lifestyle, leave behind living for themselves as a fisherman, and even leave their father and mother, and say ‘yes’ for a higher calling, to fulfill a greater honor- to become a disciple.  And for them, as it is for us, this honor is not just to learn from and become like some Rabbi, but it is to become a disciple of the Son of God, of the Messiah.  Imagine their excitement.  The Messiah whom they as good Jews were waiting for and seeking, now He had come, and He was calling them to follow and become His disciple.  What an honor, what a such high dignity.  There is no greater calling,  and so the greatest tragedy and loss would be not to say ‘yes’ to become a disciple of Jesus.

And notice that to become a disciple, literally meant to become like the Master.  To be a disciple of Christ, to be Christians, means that we become like Christ.  That we take time to read and study the Scriptures, where God reveals himself.  That we take time in prayer, in Adoration, and surrender our daily lives- asking Him to lead us so that we know how we should act, what we should say and the way we should say it.  It means that we leave our human comforts, our human way of thinking, our human desires, to leave all behind and follow Jesus.  To become a disciple, which our Gospel last week alluded to when Jesus changed Simon’s name to Peter, means to have a new identity; that we not see ourselves in our former earthly troubles, in our worldly sins and shame, but that fully put on Christ- and like Saul become Paul, become a new creation in Christ.

And notice also that after years of learning from and seeing everything from His perspective.  After following and truly knowing Jesus and becoming like Christ, to become a disciple of Jesus then means that we too come after Him, that we continue his teaching, that we continue his purpose and legacy.  We know that  the mission and purpose of Jesus Christ was to  save sinners, unite the Father’s people, and lead them to eternal life.  And so if we are Christ’s disciple, then like the prophet Jonah in our 1st reading who finally obeyed God and called his people to repentance, so we must evangelize.  That is we must proclaim the good news, salvation, and freedom that comes in really knowing Jesus Christ.  That we will reveal the great dignity and purpose others are missing in not knowing and becoming a disciple of Christ as well.  May we, like Andrew, Peter, James, and John, begin to live less for ourselves and become a fisher of men, that is a disciple of Christ.