Reflection Questions
Reflection Questions for 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
January 26, 2003
by Paul Gallagher, OFM

Mark 1: 14-20

Background: Last Sunday the gospel text was taken from John's gospel where John the Baptist receives a minimal amount of attention. Mark however describes John preaching and John baptizing Jesus (Mark 1:4-11). In the gospel text for this Sunday Mark tells his reader that Jesus began to preach after John had been arrested. Jesus' first proclamation (Mark 1:15) is almost a restatement of what John was preaching. A time of fulfillment is coming. People should prepare by repenting. Matthew says that John the Baptist "appeared preaching in the desert of Judea and saying, 'Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!'" (Matthew 3:2) This close parallel between John the Baptist message the early preaching of Jesus suggest to some scripture Scholars that Jesus may have been a disciple of John for a short time.

In the second part of the text Mark describes Jesus invitation to Simon, Andrew, James and John to become disciples. Again Mark's text is different than John's description from last week. While the call of these disciples is described there is also a great deal that is left unsaid. How these four men could pick up and leave their livelihood and in the case of James and John even their father and hired hands is not explained. Nor does Mark tell his reader whether their dad, Zebedee, or the hired men become disciples. The reader at this point does not have a very clear idea of what was so compelling about Jesus' message or his actions that would explain why anyone would chose to become one of his disciples. In the absence of other explanations Mark seems to be suggesting that the first disciples became disciples because of who Jesus was, in and of himself. It is Jesus himself who is the message of God's love for us.

Reflection Questions:
  1. How do you feel about the possibility that Jesus might have been a disciple of John the Baptist for a short period in his life?
  2. Do you think Jesus invited Zebedee and the hired men to become disciples?
  3. Peter, Andrew, James and John all leave behind important parts of who they were in order to become a follower of Jesus? Have you known people who have left significant parts of who they were to be a disciple? Looking back are there things that you have left to become a disciple?
  4. What social classes do your think Andrew, Peter, John and James was from? What of this would have made them good choices for being disciples?
  5. What is it that makes you a good choice to be a disciple? What makes you a poor choice?
  6. Has your effort to be a disciple of Jesus lead you in some unsuspecting situations or places in your life?

(Comments to Paul at frpaul@franoutreach.org.)

Serving the University of Houston, Main Campus