Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him.” vs. 20
Mark 1:19-20
Mark frequently uses the word “immediately” as he describes the beginning of Jesus’ ministry in Galilee. Jesus felt a sense of urgency in his work; it’s as though he didn’t have much time to waste as he called his disciples. And what amazes us is how quickly they responded! They may have been familiar with him, we don’t know that, but there’s no hesitancy in following him. They didn’t need a day or two to think it over, and he didn’t even ask them to pray about their decision. Later on we discover from Luke that there were some who hesitated–one man asked to be able to bury his father, another wanted to say good-bye to his family–but Jesus wasn’t empathetic. This was important work, and he didn’t want followers who weren’t totally committed. We might wonder how we would respond in similar circumstances. Obviously times have changed, and Mark’s snapshot may have left out some prolonged farewells. But we also know that sometimes our best decisions have been those made on the spur of the moment. Some of us have changed careers in the blink of an eye–and when it’s something important we know that there’s no point in delaying. Our heart says “Go for it!” And so we do! And our lives are never the same!
Thought for the Day: My biggest spur-of-the-minute decision.
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