Responsorial Psalm
3B Ordinary Time
Your ways, O LORD, make known to me; teach me your paths, Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my savior. — Psalm 25:4-5
Teach me your ways, O Lord
Ps 25:4-5, 6-7, 8-9
This psalm stresses the rightness of God’s way, which, if followed, leads us to life.
Knowing by heart
In its entirety, this psalm is an acrostic, meaning that the lines or verses each begin with consecutive letters of a word or phrase. In this case, it is the Hebrew alphabet. That form makes it easier to memorize the prayer or, as we say, to learn it by heart.
Knowing by heart is what this psalm is all about. We pray, “Your ways, O Lord, make known to me, teach me your paths.” That can be taken in two ways. On the one hand, it prays that we may learn what it means to live out God’s plan for humanity. “Knowing” in this sense is experiential. Because we learn best by doing, to know God’s ways means that by walking God’s path through our life, we will become more adept at doing God’s will with every step we take.
We can also interpret the request to know the ways of the Lord as an appeal to understand how God relates to humanity. That leads to contemplation of God’s ways: “Your compassion … and your love are from of old.” We are thus invited to recall how God has led humanity through the ages and how God’s grace has been active in our own lives.
The final verse of the psalm repeats one of the lessons of the story of Jonah and the Ninevites: God can only teach us as much as we are willing to learn. Only the humble are open to divine guidance; only those who admit they are sinners can experience God’s compassion. This psalm leads us to be in touch with God’s love and to pray that we may live it out. We need to pray Psalm 25 from our heart, otherwise it will be no more for us than a clever acrostic.
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Focal Themes
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Life Recovery Bible
Forgiving others who have harmed us
Psalm 25:1-7 When we place our faith in God, we can trust him to care for us and help us overcome the things in our life that would destroy us. We need to ask him to show us how to live according to his truth. Because of his great love and compassion, he will forgive our past sins when we ask him to. And while forgiveness for our sins is important, it is also important for us to forgive others who have harmed us. As we forgive others, we can release our anger and focus on our own recovery.
Admitting we are powerless over our dependency
Psalm 25:8-10 We need to let God change us, yet we cannot expect him to work his transformation in our life if we are still proud and unwilling to admit that we are helpless apart from him. The first step in recovery is humbly admitting that we are powerless over our dependency. Only after we do this can we experience God’s healing work in our life.
SOURCE: Content taken from Life Application Study Bible, Third Edition. Copyright © 2019. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries. All rights reserved.
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Bible Study
God’s Ways
Psalm 25, attributed to David, is a lament in which each verse begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The psalm mixes heartfelt pleas with expressions of confidence in God, who in His mercy, forgives and guides the humble and contrite.
In verses 4-5, the psalmist asks God to give him instruction and guide him in truth; he acknowledges that his salvation comes from God. In verses 6-7, he asks God to remember him and forgive him with the same compassion, love, and goodness that He extended to His covenant people from the beginning of His relationship with Israel. In verses 8-9, the psalmist places both sinners and the humble within the same petition since it is the humble person who is the one who acknowledges and repents his sin.
The psalmist’s petition finds fulfillment in the Incarnation and sacred mission of Jesus Christ, who leads the faithful on the path to eternal salvation (Jn 10:1-18). God reveals the truth of the deadly consequences of sins and shows His mercy to those who humbly repent and turn back to fellowship with Him. God judges everyone’s works: righteous deeds and those that are wicked (Mt 25:31-46). These are “the ways of God manifested in God the Son: the way of mercy and the way of judgment” (St. Augustine, Enarrationes in Psalmos, 24, 10).
Agape Bible Study by Michal E. Hunt; used with permission.
Catena Aurea
3B Ordinary Time
The Catena Aurea (Golden Chain) is Thomas Aquinas’ compilation of Patristic commentary on the Gospels. It seamlessly weaves together extracts from various Church Fathers.
Annotated index of Church Fathers used in commentary
Third Century
- Origen – Alexandrian biblical critic, exegete, theologian, and spiritual writer; analyzed the Scriptures on three levels: the literal, the moral, and the allegorical
- Cyprian – pagan rhetorician converted to Christianity; acquired acquired a profound knowledge of the Scriptures and the writings of Tertullian; elected bishop of Carthage; martyred in 258
Fourth Century
- Eusebius – Bishop of Caesarea; author of Ecclesiastical History, the principal source for the history of Christianity from the Apostolic Age till his own day; also wrote a valuable work on Biblical topography called the Onomasticon
- Athanasius – Bishop of Alexandria; attended the Council of Nicea; opposed Arianism, in defence of the faith proclaimed at Nicaea—that is, the true deity of God the Son
- Hilary – Bishop of Poitiers; the earliest known writer of hymns in the Western Church; defended the cause of orthodoxy against Arianism; became the leading Latin theologian of his age
- Gregory of Nazianzus – one of the “Cappadocian Fathers”; a great influence in restoring the Nicene faith and leading to its final establishment at the Council of Constantinople in 381
- Gregory of Nyssa – one of the “Cappadocian Fathers”; Bishop of Nyssa; took part in the Council of Constantinople
- Ambrose – Bishop of Milan; partly responsible for the conversion of Augustine; author of Latin hymns; it was through his influence that hymns became an integral part of the liturgy of the Western Church
- Jerome – biblical scholar; devoted to a life of asceticism and study; his greatest achievement was his translation of the Bible into Latin (the Vulgate); also wrote many biblical commentaries
- Nemesius – Christian philosopher; Bishop of Emesa in Syria
- Augustine – Bishop of Hippo (in northern Africa); a “Doctor of the Church”; most famous work is his Confessions; his influence on the course of subsequent theology has been immense
- Chrysostom – Bishop of Constantinople; a “Doctor of the Church”; a gifted orator; his sermons on Gen, Ps, Isa, Matt, John, Acts, and the Pauline Epistles (including Hebrews) established him as the greatest of Christian expositors
- Prosper of Aquitaine – theologian; supporter of Augustinian doctrines; closely associated with Pope Leo I (“the Great”)
- Damasus – pope; active in suppressing heresy
- Apollinaris of Laodicea – Bishop of Laodicea; close friend of Athanasias; vigorous advocate of orthodoxy against the Arians
- Amphilochius of Iconium – Bishop of Iconium; close friend of the Cappadocian Fathers; defended the full Divinity of the Holy Spirit
Fifth Century
- Asterius of Amasea – Arian theologian; some extant homilies on the Psalms attributed to him
- Evagrius Ponticus – spiritual writer; noted preacher at Constantinople; spent the last third of his life living a monastic life in the desert
- Isidore of Pelusium – an ascetic and exegete; his extant correspondence contains much of doctrinal, exegetical, and moral interest
- Cyril of Alexandria – Patriarch of Alexandria; contested Nestorius; put into systematic form the classical Greek doctrines of the Trinity and of the Person of Christ
- Maximus of Turin – Bishop of Turin; over 100 of his sermons survive
- Cassion (prob. Cassian) – one of the great leaders of Eastern Christian monasticism; founded two monasteries near Marseilles; best known books the Institutes and the Conferences
- Chrysologus – Bishop of Ravenna; a “Doctor of the Church”
- Basil “the Great” – one of the “Cappadocian Fathers”; Bishop of Caesarea; responsible for the Arian controversy’s being put to rest at the Council of Constantinople
- Theodotus of Ancyra – Bishop of Ancyra; wrote against the teaching of Nestorius
- Leo the Great – Pope who significantly consolidated the influence of the Roman see; a “Doctor of the Church”; his legates defended Christological orthodoxy at the Council of Chalcedon
- Gennadius – Patriarch of Constantinople; the author of many commentaries, notably on Genesis, Daniel, and the Pauline Epistles
- Victor of Antioch – presbyter of Antioch; commentator and collector of earlier exegetical writings
- Council of Ephesus – declared the teachings of Nestorious heretical, affirming instead the unity between Christ’s human and divine natures
- Nilus – Bishop of Ancyra; disciple of St John Chrysostom; founder of a monastery; conducted a large correspondence influencing his contemporaries; his writings deal mainly with ascetic and moral subjects
Sixth Century
- Dionysius Areopagita (aka Dionysius the Pseudo-Areopagite) – mystical theologian; combined Neoplatonism with Christianity; the aim of all his works is the union of the whole created order with God
- Gregory the Great – Pope; a “Doctor of the Church”; very prolific writer of works on practical theology, pastoral life, expositions of Job, sermons on the Gospels, etc.
- Isidore – Bishop of Seville; a “Doctor of the Church”; concerned with monastic discipline, clerical education, liturgical uniformity, conversion of the Jews; helped secure Western acceptance of Filioque clause
- Eutychius (Patriarch of Constantinople) – consecrated the church of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople; defended the Chalcedonian faith against an unorthodox sect; became controversial later in life
- Isaac (Bp. of Nineveh) (aka Isaac the Syrian) – monastic writer on ascetic subjects
- Severus (Bp. of Antioch) – Syrian Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch; the leading theologian of the moderate Monophysites
- John Climacus – ascetic and writer on the spiritual life; later Abbot of Mt. Sinai; best known for his Ladder of Divine Ascent which treats of the monastic virtues and vices
- Fulgentius – Bishop of Ruspe in N. Africa; scholarly disposition; follower of St. Augustine; wrote many treatises against Arianism and Pelagianism
Seventh Century
- Maximus ( of Constantinople, 645.) – Greek theologian; prolific writer on doctrinal, ascetical, exegetical, and liturgical subjects
Eighth Century
- Bede (131CESK) – “the Venerable Bede”; a “Doctor of the Church”; pedagogue, biblical exegete, hagiographer, and historian, the most influential scholar from Anglo-Saxon England
- John Damascene – Greek theologian; a “Doctor of the Church”; defender of images in the Iconoclastic Controversy; expounded the doctrine of the perichoresis (circumincession) of the Persons of the Trinity
- Alcuin – Abbot of St. Martin’s (Tours); a major contributor to the Carolingian Renaissance; supervised the production of several complete editions of the Bible; responsible for full acceptance of the Vulgate in the West
Ninth Century
- Haymo (of Halberstadt) – German Benedictine monk who became bishop of Halberstadt; prolific writer
- Photius (of Constantinople) – Patriarch of Constantinople; a scholar of wide interests and encyclopedic knowledge; his most important work, Bibliotheca, is a description of several hundred books (many now lost), with analyses and extracts; also wrote a Lexicon
- Rabanus Maurus – Abbot of Fulda in Hess Nassau; later Archbishop of Mainz; wrote commentaries on nearly every Book of the Bible
- Remigius (of Auxerre) – monk, scholar, and teacher
- Paschasius Radbertus – Carolingian theologian; wrote commentaries on Lamentations and Matthew, as well as the first doctrinal monograph on the Eucharist, he maintained the real Presence of Christ
Eleventh Century
- Theophylact – Byzantine exegete; his principal work, a series of commentaries on several OT books and on the whole of the NT except Revelation, is marked by lucidity of thought and expression and closely follows the scriptural text
- Anselm – Archbishop of Canterbury; a “Doctor of the Church”; highly regarded teacher and spiritual director; famous ontological argument for the existence of God as “that than which nothing greater can be thought”
- Petrus Alphonsus – Jewish Spanish writer and astronomer, a convert to Christianity; one of the most important figures in anti-Judaic polemics
- Laufranc (prob. Lanfranc) – Archbishop of Canterbury; commented on the Psalms and Pauline Epistles; his biblical commentary passed into the Glossa Ordinaria
Mk 1:14-20
VERSES 14-20
14. Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the Gospel of the kingdom of God,
15. And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the Gospel.
PSEUDO-CHRYSOSTOM. (Vict. Ant. e Cat. 1 Marc.) The Evangelist Mark follows Matthew in his order, and therefore after having said that Angels minister, he subjoins, But after that John was put into prison, Jesus came, &c. After the temptation and the ministry of Angels, He goes back into Galilee, teaching us not to resist the violence of evil men.
THEOPHYLACT. And to shew us that in persecutions we ought to retire, and not to await them; but when we fall into them, we must sustain them.
PSEUDO-CHRYSOSTOM. (Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.) He retired also that He might keep Himself for teaching and for healing, before He suffered, and after fulfilling all these things, might become obedient unto death.
BEDE. (ubi sup.) John being put in prison, fitly does the Lord begin to preach: wherefore there follows, Preaching the Gospel, &c. For when the Law ceases, the Gospel arises in its steps.
PSEUDO-JEROME. When the shadow ceases, the truth comes on; first, John in prison, the Law in Judæa; then, Jesus in Galilee, Paul among the Gentiles preaching the Gospel of the kingdom. For to an earthly kingdom succeeds poverty, to the poverty of Christians is given an everlasting kingdom; but earthly honour is like the foam of water, or smoke, or sleep.
BEDE. (ubi sup.) Let no one, however, suppose that the putting of John in prison took place immediately after the forty days’ temptation and the fast of the Lord; for whosoever reads the Gospel of John will find, that the Lord taught many things before the putting of John in prison, and also did many miracles; for you have in his Gospel, This beginning of miracles did Jesus; (John 2:11) and afterwards, for John was not yet cast into prison. (John 3:24) Now it is said, that when John read the books of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, he approved indeed the text of the history, and affirmed that they had spoken truth, but said that they had composed the history of only one year after John was cast into prison, in which year also he suffered. Passing over then the year of which the transactions had been published by the three others, he related the events of the former period, before John was cast into prison. When therefore Mark had said that Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the Gospel of the kingdom, he subjoins, saying, Since the time is fulfilled, &c.
PSEUDO-CHRYSOSTOM. (Vict. Ant. Cat. in Marc.) Since then the time was fulfilled, when the fulness of time was come, and God sent his Son, it was fitting that the race of man should obtain the last dispensation of God. And therefore he says, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. (Orig. in Matt. tom. x. 14. v. Orig. de Orat. 25, 26. in Matt. t. 12 14). But the kingdom of God is essentially the same as the kingdom of heaven, though they differ in idea. For by the kingdom of God is to be understood that in which God reigns; (non occ. v. Chrys, in Matt. Hom. 19. in c. 6:9.). and this in truth is in the region of the living, where, seeing God face to face, they will abide in the good things now promised to them; whether by this region one chooses to understand Love, or some other confirmatione of those who put on the likeness of things above, which are signified by the heavens. () For it is clear enough that the kingdom of God is confined neither by place nor by time.
THEOPHYLACT. Or else, the Lord means that the time of the Law is completed; as if He said, Up to this time the Law was at work; from this time the kingdom of God will work, that is, a conversation according to the Gospel, which is with reason likened to the kingdom of heaven. For when you see a man clothed in flesh living according to the Gospel, do you not say that he has the kingdom of heaven, which is not meat and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost? (Rom. 14:17)
The next word is, Repent.
PSEUDO-JEROME. For he must repent, who would keep close to eternal good, that is, to the kingdom of God. For he who would have the kernel, breaks the shell; the sweetness of the apple makes up for the bitterness of its root; the hope of gain makes the dangers of the sea pleasant; the hope of health takes away from the painfulness of medicine. They are able worthily to proclaim the preaching of Christ who have deserved to attain to the reward of forgiveness; and therefore after He has said, Repent, He subjoins, and believe the Gospel. For unless ye have believed, ye shall not understand.
BEDE. (ubi sup.) Repent, therefore, and believe; that is, renounce dead works; for of what use is believing without good works? The merit of good works does not, however, bring to faith, but faith begins, that good works may follow.
VERSES 16-20
16. Now as he walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.
17. And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.
18. And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him.
19. And when he had gone a little farther thence, he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the ship mending their nets.
20. And straightway he called them: and they left their father Zebedee in the ship with the hired servants, and went after him.
GLOSS. (non occ.) The Evangelist, having mentioned the preaching of Christ to the multitude, goes on to the calling of the disciples, whom he made ministers of his preaching, whence it follows, And passing along the sea of Galilee, &c.
THEOPHYLACT. As the Evangelist John relates, Peter and Andrew were disciples of the Forerunner, but seeing that John had borne witness to Jesus, they joined themselves to him; afterwards, grieving that John had been cast into prison, they returned to their trade. Wherefore there follows, casting nets into the sea, for they were fishers. Look then upon them, living on their own labours, not on the fruits of iniquity; for such men were worthy to become the first disciples of Christ; whence it is subjoined, And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me. Now He calls them for the second time; for this is the second calling in respect of that, of which we read in John. But it is shewn to what they were called, when it is added, I will make you become fishers of men.
REMIGIUS. For by the net of holy preaching they drew fish, that is, men, from the depths of the sea, that is, of infidelity, to the light of faith. Wonderful indeed is this fishing! for fishes when they are caught, soon after die; when men are caught by the word of preaching, they rather are made alive.
BEDE. (in Marc. i. 6) Now fishers and unlettered men are sent to preach, that the faith of believers might be thought to lie in the power of God, not in eloquence or in learning. It goes on to say, and immediately they left their nets, and followed him.
THEOPHYLACT. For we must not allow any time to lapse, but at once follow the Lord. After these again, He catches James and John, because they also, though poor, supported the old age of their father. Wherefore there follows, And when he had gone a little farther thence, he saw James the son of Zebedee, &c. But they left their father, because he would have hindered them in following Christ. Do thou, also, when thou art hindered by thy parents, leave them, and come to God. It is shewn by this that Zebedee was not a believer; but the mother of the Apostles believed, for she followed Christ, when Zebedee was dead.
BEDE. (ubi sup.) It may be asked, how he could call two fishers from each of the boats, (first, Peter and Andrew, then having gone a little further, the two others, sons of Zebedee,) when Luke says that James and John were called to help Peter and Andrew, and that it was to Peter only that Christ said, Fear not, from this time thou shalt catch men; (Luke 5:10) he also says, that at the same time, when they had brought their ships to land, they followed him. We must therefore understand that that transaction which Luke intimates happened first, and afterwards that they, as their custom was, had returned to their fishing. So that what Mark here relates happened afterwards; for in this case they followed the Lord, without drawing their boats ashore, (which they would have done had they meant to return,) and followed Him, as one calling them, and ordering them to follow.
PSEUDO-JEROME. Further, we are mystically carried away to heaven, like Elias, by this chariot, drawn by these fishers, as by four horses. On these four corner-stones the first Church is built; in these, as in the four Hebrew letters, (יהוה) we acknowledge the tetragrammaton, the name of the Lord, we who are commanded, after their example, to hear the voice of the Lord, and to forget (Ps. 45:11) the people of wickedness, and the house of our fathers’ conversation, which is folly before God, and the spider’s net, in the meshes of which we, like gnats, were all but fallen, and were confined by things vain as the air, which hangs on nothing; loathing also the ship of our former walk. For Adam, our forefather according to the flesh, is clothed with the skins of dead beasts; but now, having put off the old man, with his deeds, following the new man we are clothed with those skins of Solomon, with which the bride rejoices that she has been made beautiful. (Cant. 1:4. Vulg.) Again, Simon, means obedient; Andrew, manly; James, supplanter;f John, grace; by which four names, we are knit together into God’s host;g by obedience, that we may listen; by manliness, that we do battle; by overthrowing, that we may persevere; by grace, that we may be preserved. (supplantatione) Which four virtues are called cardinal; for by prudence, we obey; by justice, we bear ourselves manfully; by temperance, we tread the serpent underfoot; by fortitude, we earn the grace of God.
THEOPHYLACT. We must know also, that action is first called, then contemplation; for Peter is the type of the active life, for he was more ardent than the others, just as the active life is the more bustling; but John is the type of the contemplative life, for he speaks more fully of divine things.
SOURCE: eCatholic 2000Commentary in public domain.
Faith Sharing
3B Ordinary Time
Introductory video to this Sunday by Larry Broding at Word-Sunday.com.
Directions: On this page you will find questions on the Sunday Readings that can be used in RCIA or Faith Sharing groups. Clicking on the PDF icons at bottom right will give participants additional commentary and resources.
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Word Sunday
Word Sunday
Turn back to God: Believe the Good News
FIRST READING
s our faith narrow like that of Jonah or can we see others through God’s eyes?
PSALM
How smooth or rough has your spiritual path been over the past year?
How do you feed your spirit every day? How have your efforts given you comfort, even in the tough times?
SECOND READING
What are your daily concerns for the moment? How can you detach yourself from them? How can you place them in the hands of God?
GOSPEL
How many times have commitments you made changed your daily routine? What commitments have changed your life?
How has your life changed when you chose to believe in Christ? How have you renewed that choice?
Try to look at your life this past week through God’s eyes. Write down your spiritual successes and failures. How has God helped you with your successes? How have you disappointed God with your failures? Pray God renews your commitment to his Son this coming week.
©1999-2021 Larry Broding. Material may be copied for personal use or for use in any non-profit ministry. Materials may not be sold or used for personal financial gain.
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Small Group Questions
by Fr. Eamon Tobin
1. Share with the group or person next to you what spoke to you most in the Gospel. With this first question try to refrain from commenting on what others said. Just share what spoke to you and then move on to the next person.
2. In the First Reading and Gospel, there is a call to repentance. What does the word ‘repentance’ mean to you? During this Covid time, might repentance mean anything a bit different than pre-Covid time?
3. Our Church tells us that conversion is an ongoingand daily challenge. At this time, can you name an area of your life where conversion may be needed?
4. Can you recall the first time you had an experiential sense of God’s call? If so, what was that experience like for you?
5. In the Gospels, Peter, Andrew, James and John were not only called to follow Jesus, they were also called to be missionary disciples of Jesus. To what extent do you have a missionary sense in even small ways, like telling others about a good religious book you are reading. To what extent do you have “fire in your belly” for leading others to Christ?
6. Name one thing today’s Gospel says to us that we disciples of Jesus need to heed and act on.
RESPONDING TO GOD’S WORD: Share with the person next to you one way you can act on this week’s readings. Suggestions: Let us be aware of the small conversions Jesus may be calling us to this week. Pray for the grace to notice God’s call.
©2020 Fr. Eamon Tobin. All Rights Reserved. Used with permission.
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Discussion Questions
by Fr. Clement Thibodeau
1. Suppose Jesus calls two young women with very promising careers in banking and in law to leave everything and to go establish a shelter for battered women and children-at-risk.
- Would you see this as a sign that the kingdom of God is still breaking out in our world?
- What are some of the other signs that God is still at work in the world today?
- Does God also work for good in the secular world?
- How can those events be signs of salvation for us too?
2. Have you noticed how Jesus uses the very human and natural skills of the disciples (fishermen) to illustrate how the kingdom will be built up?
- What are some of your natural and human skills which you have put to use in working for God’s glory?
- Look around your group and compare the variety of gifts and of training that are available for working at the “harvest of the Lord.”
- How can the Church make better use of the ordinary things in people’s lives to promote the Gospel message?
3. The Church is reminded that its most exalted duty is true discipleship to the Lord.
- How can this community make its discipleship more obvious and more faithful?
- How can the group you belong to become more overtly and more explicitly a gathering of true disciples?
- What are some of the signs of authentic discipleship?
- What would your group need to do concretely to manifest its commitment to Jesus Christ?
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Bible Study Questions
by Vince Contreras
1. What was Jesus’ invitation to these fishermen? What seems unusual about their response? What prior knowledge of Jesus do you think they had (Mark 1:14-15; John 1:35-42)? What might the elder Zebedee felt (verse 22)? How significant is the fact that Jesus’ very first disciples were fishermen (verses 16-20; Jeremiah 16:14-16)?
2. When and why was John the Baptist arrested (verse 14; Matthew 4:12-17; Luke 4:14-15)? What significance does his arrest have for the beginning of Jesus’ ministry of preaching (verse 15)? How does it foreshadow the last days of his ministry?
3. What is it about Jesus that makes you want to follow him?
4. Different types of fishermen need different skills: sailing, casting, mending nets, reading charts, etc. If Jesus asked you to be a “fisher of men”, what skills could you bring?
5. Spiritually, are you still sitting on the shore mending nets? Leaving the boat? Following right after Jesus? Feeling left behind?