From Tim Keller's book King's Cross on the Gospel of Mark. The following are some of his comments on Mark 1.16-20, Jesus calling the first disciples:
When Jesus says to Simon and Andrew, "Come, follow me," at once they leave their vocation as fishermen and follow him. When he calls James and John, they leave behind their friends, right there in the boat....What Jesus is saying s disruptive. In traditional cultures, you get your identity from your family. And so when Jesus says, "I want priority over your family," that's drastic. In our individualistic culture, on the other hand, saying good-bye to our parents isn't a big deal, but for Jesus to say, "I want priority over your career"- that's drastic. Jesus is saying, "knowing me, loving me, resembling me, serving me must become the supreme passion of your life. Everything else comes second."
......Many would say, "Why can't we be in the middle? Moderation in all things. Not too zealous, and not too uncommitted. Being right in the middle would be just right."
......Does Jesus say "Moderation in all things?" In Luke's Gospel, he says to a large crowd, "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters- yes, even his own life- he cannot be my disciple" (Lk 14.26). Sound moderate? Jesus says, "If anyone comes to me." He doesn't say to the crowd, "Look, most of you can be moderate, but I do need a few good men and women who really want to go all the way with this discipleship." He says "anyone." .....That's what it means to follow Jesus.
....."Hate"? Jesus is not calling us to hate actively; he's calling us to hate comparatively. He says, "I want you to follow me so fully, so intensely, so enduringly that all other attachments in your life look like hate by comparison."
I'm struck by how different the church would look if there were no 'moderate disciples' filling the pews; if everyone went 'all the way with this discipleship'; if 'knowing, loving and resembling' Jesus became the 'supreme passion' in the life of every disciple.
When Jesus says to Simon and Andrew, "Come, follow me," at once they leave their vocation as fishermen and follow him. When he calls James and John, they leave behind their friends, right there in the boat....What Jesus is saying s disruptive. In traditional cultures, you get your identity from your family. And so when Jesus says, "I want priority over your family," that's drastic. In our individualistic culture, on the other hand, saying good-bye to our parents isn't a big deal, but for Jesus to say, "I want priority over your career"- that's drastic. Jesus is saying, "knowing me, loving me, resembling me, serving me must become the supreme passion of your life. Everything else comes second."
......Many would say, "Why can't we be in the middle? Moderation in all things. Not too zealous, and not too uncommitted. Being right in the middle would be just right."
......Does Jesus say "Moderation in all things?" In Luke's Gospel, he says to a large crowd, "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters- yes, even his own life- he cannot be my disciple" (Lk 14.26). Sound moderate? Jesus says, "If anyone comes to me." He doesn't say to the crowd, "Look, most of you can be moderate, but I do need a few good men and women who really want to go all the way with this discipleship." He says "anyone." .....That's what it means to follow Jesus.
....."Hate"? Jesus is not calling us to hate actively; he's calling us to hate comparatively. He says, "I want you to follow me so fully, so intensely, so enduringly that all other attachments in your life look like hate by comparison."
I'm struck by how different the church would look if there were no 'moderate disciples' filling the pews; if everyone went 'all the way with this discipleship'; if 'knowing, loving and resembling' Jesus became the 'supreme passion' in the life of every disciple.
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