Mark 1:14-20
14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.” 16 As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. 17 And Jesus said to them, “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.” 18 And immediately they left their nets and followed him.
19 As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets. 20 Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him.
Immediately, He called them!
Immediately after His Baptism, Jesus starts His Divine ministry. The first event this Gospel tells us about is defeating the evil spirit by the power of the Holy Spirit, and through prayers and fasting. "And immediately the Spirit drove him out into the wilderness" Mark 1:9-12.
From the very beginning Jesus is forming a team of disciples to whom He will entrust His Church Ministry on earth.
He started His healing, teaching and preaching about the Kingdom of God in the region of Galilee. He came to the Sea of Galilee by walking along the Via Maris "Way of the Sea" road. He saw two brothers collecting their nets, which means it was at dawn. He called them to follow Him. "Immediately they left everything and followed Him" v. 17-18.
He Continued His walk and saw two other brothers with their father. They too were collecting their nets at the end of their fishing in the early morning. "Immediately He called them, and they followed Him," relying on their father to handle the job v. 19-20.
Mark likes to tell us how Jesus acts immediately, and how people react immediately to His address.
We have celebrated Epiphany and have been reminded of both Jesus' Baptism and our own. This Sunday we are invited to reflect upon our reactions to Jesus' calls. Baptized, we are members of the sacred body of Christ.
We have a mission wherever we are and whatever we do. How long does it take to hear Jesus' voice and how often do we respond to His will of love and trust?
Do we consider how He wants us to be His disciples?
Do I realize how much He wants to transform me to become a fisher of humans - to love and live according to Jesus' heart and will in our world today?
Think about our "immediate" response to Jesus. How often do we listen to Him talking to us? Walking with us? On our job? When taking care of our responsibilities? It's time to evaluate the fruits of our work.
Take some time to rest and relax. Jesus is present with us. Let us share the joy of His presence with others. From the fisherman to the fisher of men, he made each of the disciples think about God's Kingdom. We are invited to join in the same ministry today.