JESUS: YOUNG REBEL WITH A CAUSE -- JESUS CALLS HIS FIRST DISCIPLES

Christ calling St. Peter and St. Andrew, 1681 Diego Quispe Tito

Matthew 4:18-22, Mark1:16-20, Luke 5:1-11

By the Sea of Galilee (AKA Lake of Gennesaret and Lake Tiberias)

The town of Gennesaret was not far to the west of Capernaum. Both sat on the shores of the Sea of Galilee and this body of water was also called Lake of Gennesaret. In this instance, Matthew and Mark refer to it as the Sea of Galilee, while Luke uses the name Lake of Gennesaret. So there is no contradiction here. There is a statement some, who like to do the “gotcha moments”, may claim is a contradiction, if a minor one. This is that Luke says Jesus saw the fishermen on shore washing their nets while Matthew and Mark say Simon and Andrew were casting a net into the sea, and James and John were in a ship mending a net. Actually all these observations are true, not contradictory at all, when you know the whole story.

This passage is titled, "Jesus Calls His First Disciples". Jesus is pursued by those mobbing him, so he retreats to a boat. We see him do this in other passages of scripture.

He sees a couple ships anchored by the lake and some fishermen washing their nets, after a hard night of fishing. The fishermen are at the waters edge, tossing the nets in the water to clean them. See, just because Matthew said Peter and Andrew were “casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers” didn’t mean they were standing on the deck of the ship fishing. They were standing at the shore washing the nets.

And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship.

These are not strangers to Jesus. He knows these men very well. So Jesus goes up the plank onto Simon’s boat and asked Simon to take him a bit offshore. Why? As we said, Jesus wanted some space between himself and all those people who had been pressing up against him. Simon and Andrew grab their nets and clamber aboard and row out a bit.

Jesus sits down and finishes teaching the crowd.

Now when he had left speaking, he said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.”

(A British definition of “draught” is “the drawing in of a fishing net; the fish taken in one draft). Jesus has finished teaching and now he tells Simon to go out to deeper water and he’ll catch a bunch of fish. Perhaps Jesus is rewarding Simon for his loan of the boat and his time.

And Simon answering said to him, “Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at your word I will let down the net.”

Simon doesn’t see much reason to do this. He moans they have worked all night and caught nothing. He’s just finished washing the nets. He is probably tired and wants to pack up and go home, but he does it anyway. Why? Note he calls Jesus “Master”. Maybe he would call him this out of respect having heard about Jesus’ preaching and considers him something of a rabbi, yet he does what is asked because it is “nevertheless” Jesus’ word. Would he really go to a lot of useless bother for some itinerant rabbi? You see Simon knows Jesus and has certain opinions about him that compel him to do what Jesus says.

And when they had this done, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. And they beckoned to their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.

When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, “Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord,” for he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes, which they had taken.

And he, Jesus, said to them, Come you after me, Follow me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.

And they straightway left, forsook their nets, and followed him.

A miraculous catch happens.(We will find a similar miraculous catch after the resurrection, when Jesus appears before these same fishermen-- Read John 21.) Where before they caught nothing, now so many fish fill their nets that the nets are breaking. They can’t handle it all themselves, so they call their business partners, Zebedee and his sons, James and John, to help. The other boat is rowed over to them and the two teams of fishermen upload the bounty, so much so both boats are in danger of sinking.

As they have filled the holds of the boats and started to the shore, Simon falls on his knees, telling Jesus to go away because he, Simon, is too sinful to be in his presence. He addresses Jesus as Lord.

It is at this point Jesus says to Simon and Andrew, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.”

Notice the difference here than the portrayal of this scene in The History Channel’s, “The Bible.” Jesus did not wade out to Peter’s boat to be pulled aboard where he was alone with Peter and he does not tell Peter to come with him because they will “change the world.” They are not going off to change the world; they going out to save people from it.

And going on from thence, when he had gone a little farther, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and straightway he called them.

And they immediately left the ship and their father Zebedee in the ship with the hired servants, and went after and followed him.

They debark Simon’s boat; leaving everything behind. Simon and Andrew follow Jesus a short distance down the beach. Jesus stops as he looks out at Zebedee’s crew mending their nets aboard their boat. They are mending their nets because that huge catch of fish had torn the nets up. Jesus calls to James and John. The two brothers now stop mending, come to shore and follow Jesus, leaving behind father, servants and their occupation.

Let’s ask a couple questions. Why did Jesus only call these four guys from those on the boats? Why didn’t he include Zebedee or any of the servants? Why did Simon, Andrew, James and John follow so quickly?

I don’t think there was anything spur of the moment about this. It wasn’t a sudden impulse. The four men were probably waiting for this call. Although this is titled, “Jesus Calls His first Disciples”, that title is a bit deceiving. This isn’t where he made his first Disciples, simply where he has called them to action.

These four fishermen were devout Jews and seekers of the Messiah even before they ever heard of Jesus. Remember, we met them about a year before this calling. They had been following John the Baptist in Bethany. It was there they first saw, followed and spent a day with Jesus. Phillip and Nathanael Bartholomew also joined them there. These men were from the same area as Jesus. They traveled back home in his company and stopped at a wedding in the town where Nathanael lived. There at Cana they had witnessed his changing of water to wine during a wedding celebration. Later they had traveled with Jesus to a Passover Feast in Jerusalem where he turned over the tables and chased the moneychangers from the Temple. They had been in the desert with him, baptized others with him, traveled through Samaria with him and lived near him in Capernaum. They had probably heard him preach many times by now, spend evenings with him listening to his lessons and so awaited him to bid them to be missionaries. Now that moment had come. Of course they immediately followed.

 “Jesus Calls His First Disciples” in many Bibles. In popular culture portrayals of this instance we never get the entire action and so we have a common misunderstanding about this Calling.

The image we may have from films is Jesus comes walking along the seashore and sees these fishermen at work. He calls to them, “Follow me” and they immediately drop everything and go with this charismatic stranger. Jesus was hardly a stranger to these men and this was far from some impulsive spur of the moment behavior.

And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret and saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets.

And Jesus, now as he walked by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brethren. Walking he saw Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.

Jesus had settled in Capernaum after those in Nazareth tried to kill him. Here he began to preach and gained fame. We are not told how much time passed since he first began this preaching, but by now he had become known enough that people were “pressed upon him to hear the Word”. So Jesus isn’t strolling along the shore alone at all. He is standing by the lake and he is looking about for some space between him 

FIGS AND WASPS AND FOOLISH GENIUS PART 3: FIGS, REPENTANCE AND JUDGMENT

Figs, Repentance and Judgment

“Then there is the curious story of the fig tree, which always rather puzzled me. You remember what happened about the fig tree. ‘He was hungry; and seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, He came if haply He might find anything thereon; and when He came to it He found nothing but leaves, for the time of figs was not yet. And Jesus answered and said unto it: 'No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever' . . . and Peter . . . saith unto Him: 'Master, behold the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away.' This is a very curious story, because it was not the right time of year for figs, and you really could not blame the tree. I cannot myself feel that either in the matter of wisdom or in the matter of virtue Christ stands quite as high as some other people known to history. I think I should put Buddha and Socrates above Him in those respects.” -- Bertrand Russell, 1927

The Story of Jesus and the Fig Tree to which Russell was alluding:

 The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. Then he said to the tree, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." And his disciples heard him say it.

 On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. And as he taught them, he said, "Is it not written: " 'My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations'? But you have made it 'a den of robbers.'" The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.  

When evening came, they went out of the city.

 In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. Peter remembered and said to Jesus, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!" Mark 11:12-19 

Why did He do this?

Just a little bit of anger, perhaps, Jesus blowing off steam because of what was going on in the Temple courtyard?  Jesus sometimes showed anger. He showed frustration, weariness, disappointment, sorrow, pity, and all the human emotions as well. There is nothing wrong with having emotions and there is nothing wrong with righteous anger.  But if this was righteous anger, why take it out on the poor fig tree?

Well, being totally human, Jesus did display emotions, but being totally God, I don't believe he did anything without the purpose of instruction. This is strictly my opinion and interpretation, but I think the cursing of the Fig Tree had everything to do with repentance and judgment, and was also prophesy about both the immediate and distant future.

If we go back into Luke, starting at Chapter 11, verse 37, we find Jesus with a group of Pharisees. He really lays it on them about their hypocrisy, pronouncing six woes. When Jesus gets up and leaves them, they begin to try to catch him in some mistake by asking all kinds of questions; meanwhile, a huge crowd has gathered to hear what He had to say. 

Before Jesus addresses the crowd, He speaks with His disciples about the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and tells them to be on their guard about this. He then begin teaching the crowd. He covers several things, including acknowledging Him before the Angels of God, then about the rich man who stored up treasure, but died that very night, followed by his telling us not to worry about our food and clothing, but to store up our treasure in Heaven. He then gives a long passage about being watchful and always ready for His coming, how He has come to bring Fire to the earth and then admonishes those present about being unable to see the signs of His coming.

Some then ask Him about a group of Galileans whose blood was mixed by Pilate with their sacrifices. Jesus answered this way: "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish."

He follows this with a parable of a Fig Tree:

"A man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, 'For three years now I've been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven't found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?'

 " 'Sir,' the man replied, 'leave it alone for one more year, and I'll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.' "

Notice two things about the placement of this parable. It follows a warning about always being ready for Jesus' coming ("Be dressed ready for service") and it comes after an admonishment to repent or perish. And it has also followed Him telling those who should know, that they cannot interpret the signs of the time. Keep these thoughts in mind.

This is not the only parable Jesus told about a Fig Tree.  In Mark 13, Matthew 24 and Luke 21 we have a long discourse on the signs of the end times. The disciples have asked him how to know when the end will come and Jesus gives them an answer. He is talking about His second coming in this passage and at the conclusion He says this

"At that time, the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. At that time, They, men, will see the Son of Man coming in on the clouds of the sky, with great power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens, from one end of the heavens to the other. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."

 He told them this parable: "Look at the fig tree and all the trees. When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things happening, you know that it, the kingdom of God, is near, right at the door. I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

 "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. It's like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.

"Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: 'Watch!' " 

Lets try to understand the withering of that fig tree now. Jesus has told us a story of a Fig Tree that didn't bear fruit and so was useless and should be cut down. A servant asks to tend the tree a bit longer and then if it doesn't bear fruit, let it be cut down. He has tied this story both to the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and religious people of the time, and to repenting or perishing. He has also indicated they should be always watching for His coming.  The Fig tree often represents Israel in Scripture. Jesus has found the religious leaders failing to abide by the Word of God and lead the people correctly. He has warned them over and over they must repent and they must bear fruit. Time was growing short when He told this parable, but He did give them more time and He and the disciples went out fertilizing and watering for a while longer, but to no avail.

I find a couple of interesting references within the parable warning: "When the rooster crows" and "Do not let him find you sleeping...Watch!"  

In the week to come he will have one Apostle betray him, of course, but one of his supposedly staunches will deny even knowing him and when will he do this? Three times before the rooster crows Peter will fail to be a fruitful tree. 

He warned in the parable, "Do not let him find you sleeping...watch!"; yet when he asked James, John and Peter to watch in Gensemee while he went and prayed, what did he find? Those three asleep, not watching and this also occured three times.

Now it has come to the final week. Jesus has come to Jerusalem and been hailed by the people as a king, they waving palm fronds and cheering. But in the Holy City, in the Holy temple He finds merchants and moneylenders and desecration of God's house. There are attractive leaves to lure the crowds, but no real fruit to give them. They are, in fact, about to reject Him, just as He was rejected by the fig tree when he expected fruit on it. And now He is about to reject them and Israel will wither and the temple will be torn down stone by stone as He said.

Yes, as He told the disciples after He withered the tree, if they had faith they could do that and also tell a mountain to move and it would. The disciples were about to be sent out to move mountains. They were to spread the truth of Christ across the world and move the responsibility of producing fruit from Israel to the Church. This is an awesome responsibility.

The Church, we Christians, have the responsibility to bear fruit until the end of time. In His other parable, told after the withering of that Fig Tree, coming after a list of events pre-staging his second coming, He admonishes us to watch and be ready and to know these signs. One of the signs is the leafing of the Fig Tree, for then summer is near, and I believe this fig tree represents Israel as well. It is the rebirth of that nation and when we see that rebirth (which we have) we will know the coming of His Kingdom is not far.

I don't think we can dismiss the Withering Fig Tree as a puzzling curiosity. I think it was a sign that Israel had failed in its purpose to God and a warning that we as the church had better not fail in ours, and that we as individuals need to repent and bear fruit or we will perish.

Is their anything else in scripture that supports the Fig Tree as a sign of prophesy and in the ways I have just described. I believe so and I will talk about them.

NEXT: WITHERED AND RESTORED