Immediately

Mark’s Gospel is the one that is famous for the frequent use of the word "immediately." Mark’s Gospel is the shortest, and over and over again Jesus’ actions are propelled forward with a frantic urgency as he fulfills his mission. The word "immediately" occurs 35 times in Mark’s brief Gospel. It occurs at least twice in Matthew’s as well. We just heard them. Matthew does not use the word as often, so we should take note when he does. In this morning’s Gospel passage, it is the disciples who act with immediacy. Actually, it’s just ordinary individuals who "immediately" become disciples. Fishermen, who immediately left their nets, their livelihoods, their families to follow Jesus. Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother. James, son of Zebedee, and his brother John. When Jesus said to them, "Follow me," they did. Immediately.

It’s incredible. Almost unbelievable. And it’s that word "immediately" that really presents the challenge. It’s possible, of course, to explain our way around it. Some people have suggested that Peter and Andrew, James and John, must have known Jesus already, before the specific events of this morning’s gospel passage. Maybe they had heard him preach on his last swing through Galilee. Maybe their cousins or neighbors had witnessed a miracle or two and had talked about it in the village. Maybe they had previously had family discussions over the dinner table about Jesus’ identity and authority. Maybe.

Another school of thought in Biblical study points out that, after all, the disciples’ actions were not irrevocable at the time. Maybe their "immediate" decision was only to follow Jesus down the road a bit until he stopped for the night. Maybe they were thinking they could always head right back home if Jesus didn’t really live up to their hopes or expectations. Maybe, at the time, their decisions to follow Jesus were very small decisions, not as momentous as they seem to us in hindsight. Maybe.

Or maybe in that first meeting when the voice of Jesus spoke into their hearts and souls, and said, "Follow me," Simon and Andrew, James and John immediately left their nets and followed him.

Frederick Buechner has written a sermon on Jesus’ call to "Follow me." Listen to some of what he says:

"If we think that it sounds a little improbable—if we are inclined to question whether the disciples would have made such an overwhelming decision so instantaneously and on the basis of what looks like such meager incentive—then we are forgetting that this is the way human beings almost always make their overwhelming decisions.

"It is the comparatively minor decisions that take all the time and fuss. Do we take our vacation in the summer or the fall? Do we ask the Smiths, or do we ask the Browns? On [decisions] like these we do not go one way or another until we have taken plenty of time to weigh all the pros and cons on both sides, and then we ask our wives what they think, and then we toss a coin a few times…

"But on the really crucial decision of life—Do I love her enough to marry her? Is it worth dying for? Can I give my life to this?—when it comes to decisions like these, it is not just the pro-and-con listing part of me or the coin-tossing and advice-seeking parts that are involved. It is all of me, heart, mind, will, and when the moment comes and I find myself moving out for good and all… there is a kind of relentless spontaneity about it, a kind of terrific sense of conviction…. You choose each other, your way and you. And if the choice is right, you get the feeling, not that you acted on blind impulse without any preparation, but that this is the moment that somehow your whole life has been preparing you for. And the voice that you heard over your shoulder was not so much the cause of your decision as the occasion for it. The bow had already been drawn tight, the arrow already set in place and aimed for Lord knows how long. The voice just made it possible to let it fly, to give it wings." [Frederick Buechner: Magnificent Defeat]

"‘Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.’ Immediately they left their nets and followed him."

These Sundays after the Epiphany are about recognizing God’s presence and love. At the great feast of Christmas we commemorated the incarnation. God became flesh. God brought God’s own presence into this every day, earthy world of wood and water, of dirt and donkeys, of flesh and blood. God was born in that manger in Bethlehem. Epiphany is about recognizing that he was there and about recognizing that he is here in our earthy, every day world.

And, of course, God was there on the shores of the Sea of Galilee when Jesus spoke to Simon and Andrew and James and John and said, "Follow me." And we read and hear this story during Epiphany season because the most important part of the story is that they recognized God in Jesus. Immediately, they recognized that Jesus’ way was God’s way. Immediately, they recognized that the love that was in Jesus’ words, his eyes, his touch, was God’s own love. Immediately, they recognized that Jesus loved them with the wondrous, overwhelming love of God. And that made all the difference in the world.

When the voice of someone who loves you says to you, "Follow me," you follow. Immediately. Because you know they want to show you something very important: like the unbelievable miracle and grace of the Northern Lights, or the stumbling stagger of your child’s first steps, or just some particular species of warbler that they happen to know you have never seen before. Or they want to show you that the Kingdom of God draws near to you.

When the voice of someone who loves you says, "Follow me," you follow immediately. Simply because you want to be with them. To live in that love. You know that your life will somehow be richer, fuller, more alive if you share it in love, especially God’s love.

And when you find yourself in the midst of confusion or despair or when you stand on the brink of a personal precipice and someone who loves you says, "Follow me," you follow. Because you know that out of their love, they have come to you to share and to guide you safely on your journey forward.

Jesus brought the wondrous and deep love of God to Simon and Andrew. To James and John. And when he said to them in love, "Follow me," immediately they left their nets to follow him.

A relentless spontaneity, Buechner says, a terrific sense of conviction. The really big, really important decisions in life overwhelm us with unarguable appropriateness. The recognition and response to God’s love is such a decision.

It is worthwhile to differentiate between these really crucial decisions and the comparatively minor ones that do seem to consume so much of our time and attention. For example, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were brothers. I’ve always imagined they were close in age. And Scripture tells us they had fiery spirits. What do you imagine they were talking about just before Jesus arrived? I imagine that they were arguing like brothers do, that each one knew exactly how the nets should have been baited, what bait should have been used, and exactly where the best spot for fishing would be. But they didn’t agree, of course. Back and forth. On and on. Passions rising. An important discussion, and these were decisions that, as fishermen and brothers, they would ultimately need to resolve. But still comparatively minor, not crucial decisions.

I have known vestries (not here, of course) to spend months debating heatedly which computer system would be best for the parish office. Everyone is an expert; everyone has strong opinions. Or committees have struggled for years with the precise wording of a mission statement. These are important decisions within the life of a community, but they are not the crucial decision.

Will you? Will we, follow Jesus?

Jesus comes to us today, this Epiphany season. He comes to us individually and as a parish community. Speaking the profound depth of God’s love to us, he says, "Follow me." It is not a command, but an invitation. An invitation to share and be guided by God’s love in our lives. To live surrounded by the wonder of God’s loving presence. We are invited to respond. Immediately.

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