The disciples’ callings

Matthew and Mark both report the calling of Simon, called Peter, of Andrew his brother, and then of James and John, the sons of Zebedee, on the shore of the Sea of Galilee (Matthew 4.18-22, Mark 1.16-20).

Jesus sees them going about their work as fishermen. Simon and Andrew are casting a net into the lake, while James and John are mending theirs in a boat with their father (Matthew 4.18-21, Mark 1.16-19). Jesus then addresses this call to them:

The account stresses the speed and strength of their response. Simon and Andrew immediately leave their nets, and James and John leave not only their boat but also their father, to follow Jesus (Matthew 4.20-22, Mark 1.18-20). Matthew and Mark do not dwell on earlier details. Above all they want to show the moment when these men answer a decisive call that turns their lives upside down.

In Matthew, this episode takes place after Jesus’ baptism, after the temptations in the wilderness, after the arrest of John the Baptist and after Jesus settled in Galilee, in the region of Capernaum (Matthew 3.13-17, Matthew 4.1-11, Matthew 4.12-16). Mark follows the same general progression (Mark 1.9-15). The setting is therefore the beginning of Jesus’ Galilean ministry, after an earlier phase linked to John the Baptist.

The Gospel of John provides valuable complementary information. It places a first meeting between Jesus and some disciples in Judea, in the context of the testimony of John the Baptist (John 1.35-51).

John the Baptist sees Jesus passing by and declares:

Two of his disciples hear this word and begin to follow Jesus (John 1.37). One of them is Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter (John 1.40).

Andrew then goes to find Simon and announces to him:

He brings him to Jesus, who gives him the name Cephas, that is, Peter (John 1.42). The next day, Jesus calls Philip, and then Nathanael is in turn brought to him (John 1.43-49). So here we have a first phase of gathering around Jesus, distinct from the scene on the lakeshore.

In this account, the disciples do not yet seem to abandon their trade immediately to follow Jesus everywhere. It is rather a first meeting, a first attachment and a first recognition of his identity. Andrew recognizes in him the Messiah (John 1.41), Philip affirms that he has found the one of whom Moses and the prophets spoke (John 1.45), and Nathanael confesses him as Son of God and King of Israel (John 1.49). Faith therefore begins to be born from this first stage.

John then reports several events that are absent, at this point, from the Synoptics. Jesus goes to Galilee for the noces de Cana — afficher la définition INF122, where he performs the first of his signs (John 2.1-11). Then he goes down to Capernaum with his mother, his brothers and his disciples (John 2.12). Afterwards, he goes back up to Judea, where he stays with his disciples and where they baptize (John 3.22-26, John 4.1-2). Only after this phase does he leave again for Galilee (John 4.3).

These elements show that between the first meeting reported by John and the more radical call on the lakeshore, several events may have taken place. The disciples therefore had time to see Jesus at work, to hear his teaching and to let their attachment to him mature.

We have placed all these events in chronological order in the synopsis,

PER033: The first disciples,

PER034: The meeting with Philip,

PER035: The meeting of Jesus the Messiah with Nathanael,

PER054: The confirmation of the disciples’ calling,

PER066: The calling of another disciple, Matthew,

Indeed, John’s account differs noticeably from those of Matthew, Mark and Luke. Can a contradiction be seen in this?

The role of John the Baptist is essential in this first phase. It is not a minor detail that Jesus’ first disciples come precisely from the circle of John the Baptist (John 1.35-37). John the Baptist was preparing the way of the Lord (Isaiah 40.3, John 1.23). He points to Jesus as greater than himself, and he agrees to step aside before the one who comes after him (John 1.29-34, John 3.27-30).

This explains why some of his disciples pass naturally from John to Jesus. They do not betray their first master; on the contrary, they follow the direction he shows them. When John the Baptist presents Jesus as the Lamb of God, his disciples understand that the one they were waiting for is now here (John 1.36-37).

This fact is important for understanding the continuity between John and Jesus. The first disciples do not come to Jesus unprepared. They had already been trained, through the ministry of John the Baptist, to await the Messiah, to repent and to listen to the prophetic word (Matthew 3.1-6, John 1.6-8).

The simplest way to understand all the texts together is to admit several stages in the calling of the disciples. According to John, there is first a meeting in Judea, shortly after Jesus’ baptism. Some men then begin to follow him, recognize in him the Messiah and attach themselves to his person (John 1.35-51). This first stage can be understood as a first commitment, an initial adherence, or a first step in following Jesus.

Later, after the arrest of John the Baptist, Jesus goes to Galilee and begins his public ministry there more clearly (Matthew 4.12, Mark 1.14, John 4.1-3). It is in this context that the calling reported by Matthew, Mark and Luke occurs. This time, it is no longer only a meeting or even a simple inner adherence. Jesus calls these men to follow him permanently, to leave their main occupations and to enter a closer and more demanding relationship as disciples (Matthew 4.18-22, Luke 5.1-11).

This reading accounts well for all the data. It explains why Simon Peter already knows Jesus when Luke tells of the miraculous catch (Luke 4.38-39, Luke 5.3-5). It also explains why John can report a meeting with Andrew and Simon before the definitive call on the lakeshore (John 1.40-42). These are therefore not contradictory accounts, but distinct events reported according to each evangelist’s own purpose.

This distinction between several stages is not at all artificial. It corresponds well to the way God often acts in people’s lives. There can be a first meeting, a first conviction, a first faith, then a deeper, more demanding call that engages the whole of one’s life. The disciples first heard the testimony of John the Baptist, then they met Jesus, then they saw his signs, before being called to leave everything to follow him fully (John 1.36-41, John 2.11, Luke 5.11).

The account of the Synoptics shows that following Jesus does not consist only in admiring his teaching or recognizing his identity. It also means responding to his call with a concrete commitment. The disciple does not remain a mere observer; he becomes a collaborator. This is indeed what the saying means:

For his part, John puts more emphasis on the progressive discovery of Jesus’ identity. The first disciples come, see where he stays, remain with him, and then confess that he is the Messiah (John 1.38-41). The Synoptics, for their part, emphasize above all the authority of his call and the radical nature of the response. The two perspectives complement each other admirably.