Responding to the Call of Jesus, Part 2
Scripture — Mark 1:16-17 (NRSV)
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. And Jesus said to them, “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.”
Focus
Jesus does not call us merely to believe that he is the Savior. Rather, he calls us to put our trust in him as our Savior, to confess our sin, and receive forgiveness through his grace. Also, Jesus does not call us merely to believe that he is the Lord. Rather, he calls us to acknowledge him as our Lord, which we do by submitting our entire life to him.
This devotion is part of the series: Following Jesus in the Gospel of Mark.
Devotion
In last Wednesday’s Life for Leaders devotion, I emphasized the cultural oddity of Jesus’s calling his own followers, rather than waiting for potential followers to approach him. By initiating the relationship with his disciples, Jesus revealed his authority and gracious initiative.
In the first chapter of the Gospel of Mark, when Jesus came upon Simon (whom we know better as Peter) and Andrew, his brother, he called to them, “Follow me.” Notice that Jesus did not say, “Believe in me.” Of course, Simon and Andrew wouldn’t have followed Jesus unless they believed that he was worthy of following. But we must note carefully that Jesus invited Simon and Andrew to take action, to do something in response to his invitation, and not merely to believe in him and go back to fishing.
I am not at all minimizing the importance of believing the right things about Jesus. Believing that he, as the unique Son of God, is Lord and Savior is essential for entering into a saving, transforming relationship with Jesus. But all too often Christians have emphasized believing without recognizing the necessary connection between believing and acting. True faith in Jesus necessarily leads to truly following him in words and deeds.
Moreover, Jesus does not call us merely to believe that he is the Savior. Rather, he calls us to put our trust in him as our Savior, to confess our sin, and receive forgiveness through his grace.
Also, Jesus does not call us merely to believe that he is the Lord. Rather, he calls us to acknowledge him as our Lord, which we do by submitting our entire life to him.
Finally, Jesus does not call us merely to observe how he once summoned Simon and Andrew to follow him. Rather, he calls us to follow him today. Of course, we do not have the opportunity to follow Jesus in a literal way, as did the first disciples. We cannot walk in the actual footsteps of the human Jesus. But we do have the privilege of following Jesus in all that we do, in our work, our leadership, our family, our citizenship, our church participation, and so much more.
Reflect
In your own life, how is belief in Jesus related to following Jesus actively?
Can you think of ways that believing in Jesus has changed your behavior?
How might you actively follow Jesus in every sector of your life, including your work?
Act
As you do your work today (whether paid or unpaid), be aware of how being a follower of Jesus might affect how you work.
Pray
Lord Jesus, thank you for the summons to follow you. Thank you for calling us in this way, even as you once called Simon and Andrew. Help us, Lord, to believe the right things about you. Moreover, help us to live in response to the truth of who you are and what you proclaim. May we follow you today in all that we do. Amen.
Find all Life for Leaders devotions here. Explore what the Bible has to say about work at the unique website of our partners, the Theology of Work Project. Reflection on today’s Life for Leaders theme can be found here: Mark 1:16–20. Fishing for People.
Mark D. Roberts
Senior Fellow
Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a Senior Fellow for Fuller’s Max De Pree Center for Leadership, where he focuses on the spiritual development and thriving of leaders. He is the principal writer of the daily devotional, Life for Leaders, and t...