The First Disciples

One Reply to “The First Disciples”

1. Jesus calls his disciples, just a handful of rather ordinary men, something that gives us all hope! As I read this morning, the thought occurred to me, did Peter, Andrew, James and John hear Jesus preach? Did Jesus look into the crowd and make eye contact with these men as he preached “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near” (Matthew 4:17)? Perhaps the dots are connected in John 1:40,

   Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon (Peter) and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). John 1:40-41

   Another insight comes from Luke. The calling of the disciples in Luke’s gospel follows teaching, healing and casting out demons after Jesus left Nazareth. The crowds were gathering, so Jesus went to the water’s edge on Lake Gennesaret and “taught the people from the boat” (Luke 5:3). The boat belonged to Simon (Peter). This first encounter with Jesus, Simon is taught how to fish! Simon’s response to the great catch of fish is one that should be ours daily,

   When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people” So the pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him. Luke 5:8-11

   I’ve heard the story of the calling of the disciples many times. Most of the time the preacher summarizes the calling as a random event when Jesus was walking along the shore and picks out his disciples. Reflecting on the accounts in parallel provides a multidimensional perspective, one that makes more sense in my mind.  “When Simon Peter saw this…” is a clue. Perhaps they already heard some of the other stories circulating. After all, by the time he got into the boat to preach, there was a crowd beginning to gather.

   John’s account is a bit different and includes some details beyond the comments above. (See http://teracomp.net/john-1/ for some other notes).

   Jesus’ ministry is about to explode! People are talking and news spreads quickly. What a wondrous time it must have been, a time when people knew each other, their families and friends, those who were welcome and those who walked on the other side of the road. Relationships were built one day at a time because they walked everywhere. No hustle and bustle of city streets, at least not here along the coast and in the fields. Life was very different then. Building a community of believers now takes different skills and considerations, but it is the same challenge, people want to be part of something they can believe in.

   It’s refreshing to take a moment and imagine Jesus’ first words and actions, the stirring of people, the whispers and rumors. All the while, the kingdom’s advance was ignited, like a roller coaster climbing to the top of the first drop. Here we go!

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