Before They Dropped Their Nets

Early Exposure of Some Disciples to the News About Jesus

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According to Mark’s Gospel, Jesus was passing along the Sea of Galilee when he saw Simon and Simon’s brother Andrew casting a net into the sea (Mark 1:16). Jesus told them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men” (1:17). Then “immediately they left their nets and followed him” (1:18).

I used to imagine that this was the first time they’d heard or seen Jesus. Here were Simon (Peter) and Andrew fishing, a man approaches them and tells them to follow him, and they drop their nets instinctively to do so. How wondrous! Right?

Well, following Jesus certainly is wondrous and wonderful. But the situation with these disciples is a bit more complicated. The scene in Mark 1 wasn’t their first encounter with Jesus.