Mark 1:16-20--Jesus Calls the First Disciples

Mark 1:16-20
English Standard Version

Jesus Calls the First Disciples
16 Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 17 And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” 18 And immediately they left their nets and followed him. 19 And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. 20 And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.

---

Simon (who we know later as Peter) and his brother Andrew were not long fishermen, but they were disciples of John the Baptist (along with a few other disciples that Jesus was going to call).  The events of this calling are more personal than the way the event is told in Matthew or Luke where there was a miraculous catch and Jesus gives the call and they leave everything and follow Him.  All of that happens apparently without being said by Peter here, because what Peter remembers is that Jesus walks up to Peter and Andrew while they are cleaning and mending the nets and gives them a personal call, and they leave their nets (their fishing business) behind and follow after Jesus.  Then it seems that Jesus went a little farther and saw James and John the sons of Zebedee while they were on their boat mending their nets.  He immediately called them and they left their father in the boat with his hired men (they were from a wealthy family where it seems Peter and Andrew were more what we'd call middle-class) and followed after Jesus.

We've just seen one-third of the disciples being called when Jesus called these two sets of brothers, and it will be these four that are closest to Jesus at first, but that circle will narrow to three--Peter, James and John later.  Andrew's main role seems to be bringing other people to Jesus and he is rarely mentioned in any other capacity.