Epiphany 3
Preaching
Preaching Mark's Gospel
A Narrative Approach
The first two verses of this pericope have been commented on in chapter 3. The action here is in Galilee. In v. 16 Jesus calls his first disciples as he passes along the Sea of Galilee. There are several references to the Sea of Galilee in these early chapters of Mark: 2:13; 3:7; 4:1. Tolbert believes that these locational references would have indicated the presence of a division of thought for the first hearers of the Gospel.1
In her way of structuring the Gospel, Tolbert outlines the material from 1:16„3:6 with special reference to Jesus' call of the disciples. Following the call of Simon and Andrew, James and John in this pericope, there are four healing stories. Following the call of Levi, the son of Alphaeus, in 2:13-14, there are four controversy stories. The Pharisees are party to these controversies. Remember, too, Kingsbury's point that the pericopes in Mark 1 set forth the four aspects of Jesus' ministry: preaching, calling disciples, teaching and healing and exorcism. Following either Tolbert or Kingsbury we see that this initial calling of disciples is part of a larger story in Mark's Gospel. This is not an isolated pericope! This text has intertextual connections with other material in Mark's Gospel.
An important reality about today's text is the manner in which Jesus calls his disciples. The initiative in calling disciples here, as always, is solely in Jesus' hands. People don't volunteer for discipleship. They are invited. They are called. Jesus graciously invited Peter and Simon, and James and John to follow. The initiating grace of Jesus' call to discipleship should mark the way we talk about that call in the context of the Gospels or in our contemporary context.
Simon and Andrew are the first disciples to be called. Simon! Those of us who know this story know that things will not turn out so well for Simon. He has his high moments. Jesus gives him the surname: Peter/Rock (Mark 3:15). It was Simon who gave reply for the disciples when Jesus asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon answered: "You are the Messiah" (Mark 8:29-30). In the days of Jesus' passion, however, Simon denied his Lord. "I do not know or understand what you are talking about," Peter said to the question of the servant-girls (Mark 14:68). Three times Peter denied his Lord. And yet in the story of the first Easter the angel commands the women to tell Peter that Jesus has gone before them into Galilee (Mark 16:7). There is hope for Peter. There is hope for us, as well, even after we have been faithless disciples.
This introduction of the theme of failure on the part of Peter raises the larger issue of the failure of the disciples in general in Mark's telling of the story. These failures seem to come in threes. Peter denied his Lord three times. There are three boat scenes in Mark's Gospel where Jesus encounters the disciples. (See Mark 4:35-41; 6:45-51; 8:14-21.) Each scene etches a sense of failure on the part of the disciples. They are afraid. They don't understand who Jesus is when he calms the storm. "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?" They were astounded at his walk-ing on the sea. When they saw him come walking to them on the sea they were terrified. Mark tells us that "ƒ they were utterly astounded, for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened" (Mark 6:52). When we reach the third boat scene Jesus is indignant with his disciples. "Do you still not perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes, and fail to see? Do you have ears, and fail to hear?" (Mark 8:17-18).
There is another set of three scenes centered in Jesus' revealing to the disciples that "ƒ the Son of Man must undergo great suffering ƒ" (Mark 8:31-38; 9:30-37; 10:32-45). In each of these scenes Jesus reveals to the disciples that he must endure the cross. In each case they refuse to think of the cross. They are too busy thinking of glory, their own glory! (See chapter 21.)
There is much evidence to support Tolbert's hypothesis that the disciples are the kind of hearers of the word of Jesus who are rocky ground. Remember the surname Jesus gave to Peter! He called him "rock." "And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: when they hear the word, they immediately receive it with joy. But they have no root, and endure only for a while; then, when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away" (Mark 4:6-17).
Homiletical Directions
The call of the disciples introduces us to a handful of followers of Jesus whom Mark will track for us throughout the Gospel. We could certainly tell some of those "stories of three" in this week's sermon. On the other hand, it might be a bit premature to lay bare the not so pretty tale of the twelve. We can tell these stories later after we have heard a bit more about these chosen ones.
This text is appointed in the Epiphany Season of the Church's year. Mission is a dominant theme of this season of the Church's life. The text before us supplies us with a call to mission. "Follow me and I will make you fish for people" (Mark 1:17). One of the ways of putting stories together in sermonic form is by alternation. Alternatively we tell the Bible's story and make appropriate comments, tell another Bible story and make a comment, and so on. We alternate between telling the stories of the Bible and commenting on these stories for our lives today. The story gives structure to our sermon. At points along the way we offer a teaching commentary on the story.
One possible way to do this is to follow the story of Peter through Mark's Gospel. Story One would simply tell of the call of Peter to follow as we have it in our text today. Our comment on this story might be to note that it is not only Peter and Andrew, James and John who are called to follow Jesus. We are called to follow Jesus in our day as well. The gracious invitation falls upon our ears. Our comment on this first story might simply be to make sure that each one who hears our sermon hears Jesus' words as their call to mission. Each hearer is confronted by the words of Jesus: "Follow me and I will make you fish for people."
We alternate now and go back to the story of Peter. In Mark 6:7-13 Jesus sends Peter and the disciples on a "fishing" expedition. Jesus sent the disciples into mission. In so doing he gave them authority over unclean spirits. The disciples preached so that their listeners repented; they healed the sick with the anointing of oil. We don't hear anything specific about Peter here, but we assume he is being shaped by his call and his discipleship. In Mark 8:27-30 when Jesus asks the disciples who they think he is, Peter makes his confession. "You are the Messiah," Peter proclaims.
Our comment on this second story of Peter can indicate the kinds of mission Jesus has in mind when he calls us to follow. Jesus calls. He also sends! We can lay out for our hearers an understanding of what it means to follow Jesus today.
Alternating back to the story of Peter, we tell a third story, the story of Peter's denial (Mark 14:53-72). Our comment on this story might be a reminder of our many failures in mission. The way Mark tells the story, following and failing seem to go hand in hand. That's just as true today as it was in the day of Mark.
As a final story we can tell the Easter text with a focus on the role of Peter (Mark 16:1-8). The last we heard from Peter was that he denied his Lord three times just as Jesus had predicted. But Peter's failure is not to be the last word! There is still hope for Peter. There is still hope for us. "ƒ go tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you" (Mark 16:7). Our final comment on these stories of Peter is a hopeful word! Jesus' call to mission has not ended with our failures. In the light of Easter the power of new life is released into our very bodies in order that we might be empowered by the One who has called us to faithful following. Easter is the power of mission!
____________
1. Mary Ann Tolbert, Sowing The Gospel (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1989), p. 131.
In her way of structuring the Gospel, Tolbert outlines the material from 1:16„3:6 with special reference to Jesus' call of the disciples. Following the call of Simon and Andrew, James and John in this pericope, there are four healing stories. Following the call of Levi, the son of Alphaeus, in 2:13-14, there are four controversy stories. The Pharisees are party to these controversies. Remember, too, Kingsbury's point that the pericopes in Mark 1 set forth the four aspects of Jesus' ministry: preaching, calling disciples, teaching and healing and exorcism. Following either Tolbert or Kingsbury we see that this initial calling of disciples is part of a larger story in Mark's Gospel. This is not an isolated pericope! This text has intertextual connections with other material in Mark's Gospel.
An important reality about today's text is the manner in which Jesus calls his disciples. The initiative in calling disciples here, as always, is solely in Jesus' hands. People don't volunteer for discipleship. They are invited. They are called. Jesus graciously invited Peter and Simon, and James and John to follow. The initiating grace of Jesus' call to discipleship should mark the way we talk about that call in the context of the Gospels or in our contemporary context.
Simon and Andrew are the first disciples to be called. Simon! Those of us who know this story know that things will not turn out so well for Simon. He has his high moments. Jesus gives him the surname: Peter/Rock (Mark 3:15). It was Simon who gave reply for the disciples when Jesus asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon answered: "You are the Messiah" (Mark 8:29-30). In the days of Jesus' passion, however, Simon denied his Lord. "I do not know or understand what you are talking about," Peter said to the question of the servant-girls (Mark 14:68). Three times Peter denied his Lord. And yet in the story of the first Easter the angel commands the women to tell Peter that Jesus has gone before them into Galilee (Mark 16:7). There is hope for Peter. There is hope for us, as well, even after we have been faithless disciples.
This introduction of the theme of failure on the part of Peter raises the larger issue of the failure of the disciples in general in Mark's telling of the story. These failures seem to come in threes. Peter denied his Lord three times. There are three boat scenes in Mark's Gospel where Jesus encounters the disciples. (See Mark 4:35-41; 6:45-51; 8:14-21.) Each scene etches a sense of failure on the part of the disciples. They are afraid. They don't understand who Jesus is when he calms the storm. "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?" They were astounded at his walk-ing on the sea. When they saw him come walking to them on the sea they were terrified. Mark tells us that "ƒ they were utterly astounded, for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened" (Mark 6:52). When we reach the third boat scene Jesus is indignant with his disciples. "Do you still not perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes, and fail to see? Do you have ears, and fail to hear?" (Mark 8:17-18).
There is another set of three scenes centered in Jesus' revealing to the disciples that "ƒ the Son of Man must undergo great suffering ƒ" (Mark 8:31-38; 9:30-37; 10:32-45). In each of these scenes Jesus reveals to the disciples that he must endure the cross. In each case they refuse to think of the cross. They are too busy thinking of glory, their own glory! (See chapter 21.)
There is much evidence to support Tolbert's hypothesis that the disciples are the kind of hearers of the word of Jesus who are rocky ground. Remember the surname Jesus gave to Peter! He called him "rock." "And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: when they hear the word, they immediately receive it with joy. But they have no root, and endure only for a while; then, when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away" (Mark 4:6-17).
Homiletical Directions
The call of the disciples introduces us to a handful of followers of Jesus whom Mark will track for us throughout the Gospel. We could certainly tell some of those "stories of three" in this week's sermon. On the other hand, it might be a bit premature to lay bare the not so pretty tale of the twelve. We can tell these stories later after we have heard a bit more about these chosen ones.
This text is appointed in the Epiphany Season of the Church's year. Mission is a dominant theme of this season of the Church's life. The text before us supplies us with a call to mission. "Follow me and I will make you fish for people" (Mark 1:17). One of the ways of putting stories together in sermonic form is by alternation. Alternatively we tell the Bible's story and make appropriate comments, tell another Bible story and make a comment, and so on. We alternate between telling the stories of the Bible and commenting on these stories for our lives today. The story gives structure to our sermon. At points along the way we offer a teaching commentary on the story.
One possible way to do this is to follow the story of Peter through Mark's Gospel. Story One would simply tell of the call of Peter to follow as we have it in our text today. Our comment on this story might be to note that it is not only Peter and Andrew, James and John who are called to follow Jesus. We are called to follow Jesus in our day as well. The gracious invitation falls upon our ears. Our comment on this first story might simply be to make sure that each one who hears our sermon hears Jesus' words as their call to mission. Each hearer is confronted by the words of Jesus: "Follow me and I will make you fish for people."
We alternate now and go back to the story of Peter. In Mark 6:7-13 Jesus sends Peter and the disciples on a "fishing" expedition. Jesus sent the disciples into mission. In so doing he gave them authority over unclean spirits. The disciples preached so that their listeners repented; they healed the sick with the anointing of oil. We don't hear anything specific about Peter here, but we assume he is being shaped by his call and his discipleship. In Mark 8:27-30 when Jesus asks the disciples who they think he is, Peter makes his confession. "You are the Messiah," Peter proclaims.
Our comment on this second story of Peter can indicate the kinds of mission Jesus has in mind when he calls us to follow. Jesus calls. He also sends! We can lay out for our hearers an understanding of what it means to follow Jesus today.
Alternating back to the story of Peter, we tell a third story, the story of Peter's denial (Mark 14:53-72). Our comment on this story might be a reminder of our many failures in mission. The way Mark tells the story, following and failing seem to go hand in hand. That's just as true today as it was in the day of Mark.
As a final story we can tell the Easter text with a focus on the role of Peter (Mark 16:1-8). The last we heard from Peter was that he denied his Lord three times just as Jesus had predicted. But Peter's failure is not to be the last word! There is still hope for Peter. There is still hope for us. "ƒ go tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you" (Mark 16:7). Our final comment on these stories of Peter is a hopeful word! Jesus' call to mission has not ended with our failures. In the light of Easter the power of new life is released into our very bodies in order that we might be empowered by the One who has called us to faithful following. Easter is the power of mission!
____________
1. Mary Ann Tolbert, Sowing The Gospel (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1989), p. 131.
