Jesus was now ready to embark on his public work. Mark omits the early Judean ministry that occupied a brief period following the baptism (see John 2:13-23;John 3;John 4:1-3).
He does indicate that Jesus left Judea when he heard that John the Baptist had been imprisoned (Mark 1:14). It is believed by some that the opposition to John was a beginning of opposition to the One whom John had publicly introduced. Not willing at the moment to clash openly with the religious leaders in Jerusalem, Jesus quietly withdrew to the regions around Galilee. The time had not yet come for the issue to be clearly drawn between him and the rulers of the Jews. When the time did come, he would meet it with courage and with power.
Jesus introduced his ministry of preaching with the words, "The time has come, the kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!" (Mark 1:15) He was thus announcing that by the preaching of the gospel and by Christ's ministry among men, God would exercise his reign in the hearts of men. Men would open their hearts to the reign of God by repentance and faithful obedience in baptism.
At the very beginning of his public ministry, Jesus gathered around him an inner group of followers on whom he would direct his special concern and to whom he would commit, in a special way, the task that he would do through human channels following his death and resurrection. The first disciples were simple men, engaged int he simple task of catching fish in the clear blue waters of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus called men who were busy with their own work that they might become busy with his work.
Simon was a born leader. Someone has said of Simon Peter that he was always striking twelve o'clock - sometimes the twelve of midnight, as when he shamefully denied his Lord, and sometimes the twelve of noonday, as when he boldly confessed that Jesus was indeed the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Andrew, Simon's brother, was an entirely different sort of man. His great gift was that of bringing others to Jesus - first his own brother, then the lad with loaves and fishes, then the inquiring Greeks. He was a master of the art of bringing others to his Lord.
John was a man of spiritual insight. Though he was a man of passion, a son of thunder, he was to become known as the beloved disciple.
James was a man of real courage and devition. He was to be the first of the twelve apostles to become martyr to the cause of Christ.
These first four disciples were different in temperament, in gifts, and in fitness for the various roles that they would be called on to fulfill. It is even so in this our day. God takes us as we are, with the gifts that we have, and transforms us by his grace and asks each of us to use his individual abilities in the service of the kingdom, his church.
God asks only that we respond to his call to our hears and minds with the same forthrightness as these first four responded to Christ's call to them, when without delay he called them, and thy left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him (Mark 1:20).
May we not push the comparison further?
As Jesus called these disciples, he promised, "Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." (Mark 1:17)
- For Peter, God's plan involved publich preaching, as at the feast of Pentecost when thousands were converted.
- For Andrew, it involved the personal ministries already mentioned.
- For James, the call was ultimately administrative leadership in Jerusalem.
- For John, it involved a long ministry at the city of Ephesus.
Varied as their services were, all four disciples were promised, equally, the designation "fishers of men". Shouldn't we be candidates for the same degree in whatever capacity we are called on to serve?
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