The Call

 

In the Gospel of Mark chapter 1, verse 20 (ESV), we read,

And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.

What could have compelled four fishermen, Andrew, Simon, James and John, the first called (see v 16-19), to leave their livelihoods to follow a complete stranger?

Receiving the call from Jesus was no ordinary call; it was the call that caused them, without hesitation, to walk away from the life they knew and follow Him.

You see, the call is less of an invitation and more of a summons in which divine authority is imbedded.

The call is not determined by race, ethnicity, gender, social standing or financial status. For years, these fishermen were portrayed as poor, but they were men of means who ran their own businesses. For that matter, we see in Luke 5:7-10 that James and John worked together with Simon.

Notice that Mark 1:20 lets us know that Zebedee was not only the owner of a boat, but he had employees. We aren’t told the number of employees or the size of the boat, but it’s fair to deduce that to accommodate father, sons and servants, this was not a rowboat.

Having already been well-established, must have made their decision to answer “yes” to the call into the unknown, seem like lunacy. At that time, they, unlike us now, hadn’t a clue about this new way of life to which they were called. They were headed blind in a direction away from loved ones, possessions and the lives they’d built.

Beloved, even today, the call demands the same response. The call of Jesus is a call to act immediately, one way or the other (see Mark 10:17-27). We can choose to follow, or we can resist, however, we are strongly advised in Hebrews 3:15 (ERV), If you hear God’s voice today, don’t be stubborn. The Kingdom is not waiting on you.

The call came and the fishermen responded without delay; what about you?

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “The Call” © 2026 October 31, 2026