Jesus Calls the First Disciples- Matthew 4:18-22

Jesus Calls the First Disciples

¹⁸ As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. ¹⁹ And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.” ²⁰ Immediately they left their nets and followed him. ²¹ As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. ²² Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him.

New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

What to do with this educator’s commentary

This commentary invites you as a teacher to engage with and interpret the passage. Allow the text to speak first. The commentary suggests that you ask yourself various questions that will aid your interpretation. They will help you answer for yourself the question in the last words of the text: ‘what does this mean?’

This educator’s commentary is not a ‘finished package’. It is for your engagement with the text. You then go on to plan how you enable your students to work with the text.

Both you and your students are the agents of interpretation. The ‘Worlds of the Text’ offer a structure, a conversation between the worlds of the author and the setting of the text; the world of the text; and the world of the reader. In your personal reflection and in your teaching all three worlds should be integrated as they rely on each other.

In your teaching you are encouraged to ask your students to engage with the text in a dialogical way, to explore and interpret it, to share their own interpretation and to listen to that of others before they engage with the way the text might relate to a topic or unit of work being studied.

Structure of the commentary:

The World Behind the Text

See general introduction to Matthew.

The World of the Text

Text and Textual features

This narrative occurs after Jesus’ baptism by John and his temptation in the desert. John the Baptist has been arrested for his prophesying. Matthew does not give a specific reason for the arrest of John, but he had scolded the many of the Pharisees and Sadducees who were coming for baptism about their reasons for coming forward.

After these events Jesus withdraws to Galilee, moving his home from Nazareth to Capernaum. Matthew links this action to a quote from the Book of Isaiah (Isaiah 9:1-2), announcing that a light has dawned on the people who sat in darkness, concluding that ‘from that time Jesus began to proclaim, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” Mt 4:17

Jesus’ first action is to call people to come and help him.

The general practice in the ancient world was that people would seek out their master to follow. However, Jesus approaches Simon and Andrew and invites them to follow him, saying he will make them fish for people, a play on words with their occupation. They immediately leave their nets to follow. Jesus then moves further around the lake and finds James and John with their father Zebedee in their boat, mending their nets. Again, he calls them, and again the two brothers immediately leave their boat and their father to follow Jesus.

This is Jesus’ first interaction with the men so their willingness to leave everything immediately is unusual, perhaps even unlikely. But true to his overwhelming belief that Jesus was the Messiah Matthew’s writing leaves no room for doubt: Jesus called, and they left their lives behind and followed him.

Ideas/Phrases/Concepts

The use of the word ‘follow’ in the gospels is always about Jesus. It will become the first sign of a disciple – they leave something of their old life behind and follow. We need to think not only of literally following, walking behind someone, but also of taking up their vision, their values.

‘Fishing for people’-The idea that they will fish for people plays on their occupation. Rather than fishing for fish, now they will ‘fish’ for people. The men would have been aware that fishing is hard strenuous work, often taking long hours and sometimes futile so there is a correlation to what they will experience as disciples and bringing others into relationship with Jesus. The pairs of brothers are found casting and mending their nets. This may also suggest future actions for the disciples of Jesus, reaching out to bring people into community and mending or healing.   

‘Immediately’– The men leave their previous occupation immediately. Following Jesus comes before everything else. James and John leave their father behind so following Jesus has ramifications for other relationships and possibly income but is an invitation that is accepted.contrasts with the disobedient son Israel in the Exodus story. Jesus is a model of obedience to God. He can safeguard and maintain his honour and avoid shame, which in his context was extremely important. 

Questions for the teacher:

World in Front of the Text

Questions for the teacher:

Meaning for today/challenges

One of the features of the gospel of Matthew is its focus on discipleship. This text highlights the need to place importance on Jesus in our lives even if it means leaving other things behind. The text indicates that Peter, Andrew, James and John left everything immediately, without hesitation or consideration. At a literal level this sounds untenable. However, at a figurative level where the invitation is to follow, to accept and take up a way of life, ‘giving up’ takes on a new meaning. What might I be asked to give up in my choice to follow Jesus? What is holding me back from making Jesus the most important thing in my life?

Church interpretation and usage

Jesus chooses four fishermen from Capernaum to help him in his mission. On face value, these ordinary men seem unlikely candidates to do extraordinary things, but Jesus calls them in the middle of their ‘ordinary’ lives to be his disciples. Today Jesus continues to call ordinary people to be his disciples in the midst of their lives. The disciples place following Jesus as the most important thing leaving everything to follow him challenging other potential disciples to do the same.

Liturgical Usage

Matthew 4: 18-25 is used on the Third Sunday of Ordinary Time Year A as the Church begins to journey through the gospel of Matthew.

As the text names the apostle Andrew it is also used on his feast day, November 30.