Rock-a-Bye-Baby

As a whole, Mark 1 shows the active beginnings of Jesus's ministry as He preaches, calls disciples from their established ways of living, and heals people of various ailments. His actions are anything but typical. In fact, one could even label them as jarring and outrageous. Jesus's actions disturb normalcy and call for a way of living that none could fully prepare for. I mean, look at how He called His disciples! I imagine Him quietly walking alongside the Sea of Galilee, sandals in hand, the sun-scorched sand warming His well-worn feet. His ministry had begun, His name was growing in fame, and He was beginning to be hotly pursued by the religious leaders that heard about Him. Even His family was paying for the connection they had with Jesus! Everything about Jesus disrupted

But what did they have before? So most of His disciples went fishing for a living. Big deal! They didn't even catch that many fish! Life before Jesus was predictable, monotonous, and completely banal. It lacked originality, fervor, and fire. People were free to live their lives as mundane as their daily tasks required and too often chose to allow those things to be the weight that kept them from flying freely. Burdened by their very selves, they chose a life that lacked the incandescent brilliance that is Light itself.

Then Jesus spoke.

"Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men," He said with a strange combination of fire and water in His eyes. How did these men respond? Were they already frustrated with the way their lives were going? Were they sick of getting all the boats and nets ready only to catch a few fish each day? We're they ready for something new and just waiting for somebody to give them an opportunity to live for once in their lives? Each time Jesus invited someone to follow Him and give everything they've ever known in exchange for a life of meaning, purpose, and excellence, He was answered with an immediate and resounding, "YES! So with one response to the Messiah's call, the lives of a handful of men went from painfully average to extraordinary.

The excitement of being a Christ-follower has nothing to do with the adventure or thrill that comes along with it but everything to do with the One we can choose to follow. In the same way the joy of being in relationship with my boyfriend is not determined by the fun things I get to do with him or even the blessings of bliss and excitement that come along with it but rather my blessing comes from being with him for who he is, not for what he does or how he makes me feel. It was the same way with the disciples! The joy of following the Lord was not in the crazy miracles they saw so often or the power they received by knowing Him but rather the person of Jesus Christ Himself and the blessing of being with Him. Even if Jesus never performed a single miracle or healed any ailments of any person, He alone still would have been reason enough to immediately follow because of the richness of Who He is.

And as our will loosens and our submission increases, our ability to follow Christ in the fullness of who He is also increases. The disciples could not have said they were followers of Jesus if they dragged their boats and nets along with them or went back every so often to check the nets in anticipation for the next big catch of the day. You cannot pledge alliegence to two people at once without neglecting one or the other. These people were presented with a choice and it is no different with us. Either we follow Him or we don't.

They were average people, just like you and me, who did what they were supposed to do. They couldn't claim any fame or wealth except what their hands meagerly and inconsistently produced. What if the disciples hadn't been eager for a change and quick to answer Jesus with that bold and triumphant, "I'll go!"? What if they were more like us, far too comfortable to step out in faith as we ought? What if they, much like us, had they gotten so used to failure, stagnancy, and motionlessness that their hearts had grown cold to any desire to fully live again or for the first time? Or what if they had been afraid to live freely like we are so often? What if Jesus's offer of life with Him choked them with fear and caused them to retreat back to their established lives of safety, predictability, and lack-luster routine?

And so we sit in our boats, gently rocking to the waves we know so well. The sun is warm, the breeze is nice, and the view is pretty. It'd be easy to lay back, enjoy the elements, and live each day just like this one. But then Jesus speaks, breaking our stubborn patterns of ignorance and inviting us to exchange normalcy for the abundance of Life itself. And just like the disciples did, we each have to make a decision. We can go about as we always do and will do until we decide not to or we can step out, make some waves, and fully follow the One who is calling us. Either we choose death or Life. The choice is ours to make, and our Savior stands on shore, waiting for our answer.

Wanna rock the boat?