This is the calling of the first disciples as narrated by Matthew and it is the same in Mark. It describes the environment in which Jesus lived; it is the environment that surrounds the Sea of Galilee or Lake Tiberias. It is an environment of fishermen. He saw two brothers: Simon – who He later called Peter – and Andrew which is a Greek name because Galilee had lots of Greek speaking people that were influenced by the Greek culture and this is what makes us believe that some apostles spoke some vernacular Greek.
These brothers were casting their net in the lake. All of Jesus’ disciples were fishermen except Matthew that was a chief tax collector. Jesus called them by saying: “Come, Follow me, and I will send you out to fish for people”, i.e. to be the carriers of the gospel (which they understood later). They must have thought that Jesus had a spiritual message, perhaps a chief of a small community that is interested in God’s word and calling people for it. Such small spiritual associations were known among the people of Israel. They immediately “left everything and followed Him”. This means that they left their systematic fishing; it doesn’t necessarily mean that they left their boat on the shore to be taken by any passing person and this is proven when we read that the apostles didn’t cut all their relation with the sea.
The expression “going on from there” means that he was walking on the shore of Lake Tiberias. He passed a small distance and “saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John (John the Evangelist). They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them (using the same way)”. Perhaps the four were from Bethsaida. They immediately “left the boat and their father and followed Him”. Thos two didn’t only leave their jobs but also their father and this is even a greater alienation.
Four people followed and accompanied Him while he roamed in Galilee. Where did they go? To the synagogues; a synagogue is a huge hall in which Jews meet on Saturday to read the Old Testament and preach according to the text that was read. This text shows us that whoever knew the Holy Book can teach, without having to be previously appointed.
“Proclaiming the good news of the kingdom”. What was He saying? The core of his preaching was: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near” (Matthew 4: 17). In addition to that, he was “healing every sickness and disease among the people”.
Who were the sick people that he was healing? The Book says: “people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases”; The Book mentions those who are demon-possessed, those who had seizures (epileptic) and the paralyzed. After this scene, we see that He was healing all diseases with the divine power that He had because He had sympathy towards the physically ill as He had towards sinners. He wanted the mercy of God to appear in every person especially those who were suffering.
Translated by Mark Najjar
Original Text: “دعوة أوّل التلاميذ” –Raiati 25- 17.06.2012
