Reflections from Mark

The role of pastor is unique and wonderful and consuming. It can take so much of us, and that’s not a bad thing as it’s what we’ve been called to do, but it can be easy to lose sight of some things as we labor in this calling. Specifically, we can forget that we ourselves are sheep in God’s great kingdom. 

Mark writes in 1:16-20:

Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” And immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.

What a wonderful thing to be called by the Messiah, the one who changed all things, and who moves us from darkness into His kingdom.

There’s a tiny little three letter word in this passage that’s extraordinary for all of us. Jesus “saw” Simon and Andrew, James and John. They were not passed over, but seen, and then brought near. What a humbling through that we are seen by the Son who has existed for all of time. He has seen so many, and yet He sees us, individually in our time, when we live, and when we sleep, and even when we sin… and he draws us near.

To be continued...