Mark 1 v 16 - 17
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. ‘Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will send you out to fish for people.’
A fascinating scenario in so many ways. The fishermen were going about their job, suddenly willing to leave everything.
Questions abound.
Surely this can’t have been their first encounter with Jesus? From whom had they heard about him? Had they listened to him speaking on a local hillside? Was there any reticence or discussion? Were they taken by surprise or did they feel honoured to be asked? Were the events as simple and straightforward as the text implies?
However it played out, I notice that their call from Jesus was delivered in their particular context. He used an image that made sense to them; vocabulary which had a day to day parallel, potentially even hitting a nerve in their thinking which a non-fisherman might not have experienced… ‘you will fish for people’.
Certainly the narrative of the gospels doesn’t find Jesus using the same language with Matthew. After all, he wasn’t a fisherman:
‘As Jesus went on…, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.’ (Matthew 9 v 9)
Jesus chose to use something appropriate to the person to whom he was speaking – as he so often did.
I ask myself the question and invite you to do the same…
What vocabulary or image would Jesus use if he wanted to catch my attention today?
I have a suspicion that fishing wouldn’t be involved. What imagery would he use to call me to follow, or continue to follow, him? Would he connect with my profession? My personality? My gifting? Would he even use words?
And how do I respond?