Breaking the Word

GOSPEL  READING  Jn 1:35-42

This passage gives the story of the vocation of the first disciples according to the gospel of John. In the synoptic gospels Jesus himself went around and called the disciples where as here it is not Jesus who is going around calling the disciples rather they are sent to Jesus or they follow because of the witness of the other. Here we see a different way of calling the disciples.

In the gospel of John we see the following stages through which they are called to be his disciples. They are: 1) witness by someone about Jesus (here John the Baptist bears witness Andrew and John; and later Andrew to his brother Peter); 2) they listen; 3) follow him and search (where do you live); 4) come and see; 5) stay with him. These stages add up to the “calling story”.

GOSPEL  READING  Mk 2:13-17

Calling of Levi to be his disciples is one of the interesting stories in the gospels. Jesus calls many but only the stories of five are given in the gospels. In the synoptic gospels we read the stories of the calling of Peter, Andrew, James, and John. But the stories of the other disciples are not given. May these five were active in the church from which or for which these gospel were written.

Even in the ‘calling stories’ Jesus communicates the target of his mission. He sat at table with the sinners and the tax collectors. Naturally the Pharisees were not at table with him. They would not and that is the reason that they question him. They were just observing what Jesus was doing. Jesus was  sure of what he was doing and he did that openly.