Jesus Gathers His Men
Mark 1: 14-20
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The New
Testament Witness of the Apostle
Peter |
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As we mentioned in the Children's sermon, there are two invitations here in this passage. The first invitation is a general invitation to come into the Kingdom of God being instituted by Jesus Christ. The second invitation is specifically for those who would lead the citizens of that Kingdom. To the first of the disciples who would eventually be the Apostolic Fathers of the Church upon Christ's return to heaven
Time was in the hills and vales of the Scottish Highlands that the Laird's and Chiefs of families, clans and tribes would gather around themselves a certain number of retainers. These retainers would often serve as hired hands, but also they would provide a small military force for the landowner so that he could defend his extended family, their chattels and property. A local militia - if you will. And if that phrase sends a chill up and down your spine in our day and age, more so should it have in the dark cutthroat history of the Highland Clans and their murderous forays into neighboring dales and towns to supplement the hard scrabble wealth of their mountainous soil.
Private militia armies have always been the scourge of peace,
prosperity and civil relations.
Thus, in the long term any brigand, prophet or messiah who gathered a group in ancient Roman controlled Palestine would in the long run be a threat to the social order. Much later in the life of Christ, we see the unsettled leadership worried about the influence of this country carpenter and the crowds who flocked to see, hear and touch Him.
But for now, that is several years in the future and Mark simply reports that like every other teacher or political leader of time immemorial - Jesus calls to Himself a handful of followers. Four are mentioned here, we know that there will be twelve disciples and as many as five hundred hangers on. Only with the death and resurrection of Jesus does the small congregation swell to the size of a mega-church with several thousand added at Pentecost.
Now Jesus starts his recruitment in the Galilean fishing fleet. Here are middle class owners of their own businesses if you will. Not wealthy, but neither so poor that they cannot afford to leave their family business in trusted hands. How much of our political, military, judicial and even spiritual work was once done by those whom providence had allowed a certain leisure time to spend beyond the mere gathering of wealth to meet the immediate needs of their families.
Sadly to say in our day - the corporate and bureaucratic world has turned as many as possible into day laborers who find it difficult to give time to politics, church or even charitable work. So difficult it is for an ordinary person to participate that many of the political party functions are filled and controlled by professional unionists or business leaders whose organizations send them out to control such important areas of life. In the late 80's 98% of the delegates at the Democratic convention were government or union leaders. Contrast that fact with the professional and business people at the Republican convention where only three people could be found who belonged to a Union! But throughout history and even for now, the most important work is done by the non-professional volunteer, who takes precious time out of his or her life to do the works of worldly and spiritual kingdoms.
Unfortunately in our time - the devil's organizations have access to tax money, whereas the Lord's organizations must compete with much less. I have often thought that if the liberals actually had to raise their own money instead of milk it from foundations, government grants and union dues - they would be much less powerful and influential. Hitler very early on realized the need to subsidize his Party so that he could keep his brown shirted retainers clothed and with drinking money. At a very critical time in the thirties there was a sudden infusion of three million dollars from(we believe) an American businessman who was afraid of communism. That infusion transformed the Nazi organization and allowed them to eventually get their hands into the public till. And once all public employees had to pay Nazi dues - the Party never had to worry again. Providentially 30,000 of the German public employees resigned rather than pay even one Mark to such a wicked organization. It was from these people of conscious that the post war German government was formed.
Please understand, I am not comparing the Nazi Party to the Christian Church, I am only describing how organizations grow and gain control. Once the Roman Emperor Constantine legitimized the church and subsidized it through forcible enlargement - the very nature of the Church changed, and not necessarily for the good! While we well know that the Church is a spiritual organization - we must also appreciate that the church is also a gathering of God's people organized to spread the Good News of the Gospel.
One of the few things that I admire about the Promise Keeper's organization was the fact that the leader finally realized that his organization was becoming too material and spending far too much money. Thus, the reorganization of that movement within the last couple of years. Certainly raw financial and political power was suddenly dissipated and the measurable impact of the group has waned considerably. It still remains to be seen if any spiritual roots are sufficient to continue the movement? Certainly, we know that Jesus and His disciples never rented any Roman Colosseum for their mass public meetings. These were held away from the centers of power out in the remote deserted areas of Judea.
And yet, for all its unsophistication, its breaking of all the rules to gain wealth, power and influence - the Kingdom of the Spirit has certainly triumphed. Four common everyday businessmen. Fishers, punningly invited to seek a new crop to be harvested for the Kingdom of God. What reasonable person could see the beginnings of the church in such humble conditions.
"Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men."
In these first four, there are Peter, Andrew, John and James. Three of them are among the best read "authors" of all time. Late in life their understanding of who Jesus was - came into written form in Gospels and Letters. At least one of the four, died a martyr's death. When they were called, they had no clue where they were headed.
When I was in high school a pompous guidance counselor advised me not to waste money going to college. Get back to the farm, or at best become a fish and game warden. He was not the only one who made it a point of going out of their way to press me back into day labor and minimal wage to keep me from doing the work to which I have been called.
Providentially, the Lord has brought me so very far and through every kind of opposition. And in another three years, I will finally have a retirement income to give me the freedom to do His work full time. My favorite Apostle is not in this group, and like Paul I have been untimely called. And as I read through the New Testament, there are things about Paul that I can really appreciate. Remember those places where Paul wonders why he cannot take his wife with him in his travels? Why he has to work to keep body and soul together while he labors for Christ's Church? I especially like the report where people say that Paul reads so much better than he preaches!
The work of the kingdom is still in need of voluntary workers. And in an age when the real Professional Churchmen & Churchfeminazi's are dedicated to undoing the foundations of Christ's Church, it is no wonder that God still calls His own to serve Him.
And a calling it still is. I once read in a professional advice book that people who like to read should consider the ministry. After all, the book advised, most of the week could be spent in reading with only an hour's visible work each week. Then there were the psychobabblers who claim to have the proper tests to determine who is suitable for the Lord's work. I remember reading another book on ministry, a good one at least, where the author made a parody of the professional articulation of who was capable for ministry.
Come, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men." We have in this tiny congregation a good solid core of biblical elders, it is the beginning of something important in Christ's Kingdom. And just as we have much to learn from the revealed wisdom of Peter through Mark, so have we a ways to go in our common service to our Lord and Master. Let us serve Him gladly and trust Him for the harvest as He brings people to Himself. Amen.
Resources Used
Cole, Alan.
Tyndale New Testament Commentaries: Mark.
Keener, Craig S.
The IVP Bible Background Commentary:
New Testament.Morrison, A.W.
Calvin's New Testament Commentaries:
A Harmony of the Gospels.The New Geneva Study Bible (NKJV)
"Bringing the Light of the Reformation to Scripture"
(Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1995)Mrk01c
24 October 99
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