TUESDAY, February 24
Mark 1:14-28

Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. They were all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, “What is this? A new teaching—with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” At once his fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee. — Mark 1:25-28

In today’s passage from the Gospel of Mark, Jesus begins his earthly ministry by calling Simon, Andrew, James and John to follow him. They leave their families and their livelihood behind and go with Jesus to Capernaum, where he teaches in the synagogue and drives out an unclean spirit from a man. I always wonder what it was that Simon, Andrew, James and John saw in Jesus that made them give up everything to follow him. In religious life, we also give up all we possess to devote our lives to Jesus, but our choice is made because we already know Jesus. We know of his divinity and miracles, and we know his teachings. We feel secure in following the one whom we know to be the Messiah. Those first apostles knew none of these things, and yet they chose to follow this gentle teacher whose very presence was powerful enough to draw them into his ministry.

The four fishermen may have thought that following Jesus would be a temporary thing, or they may have had a few doubts as they set out for Capernaum, but their doubts were probably dispelled as they heard the brilliance of his teaching in the synagogue. Their faith must surely have taken deep, permanent root when they witnessed Jesus casting out the unclean spirit. Maybe they were not at all sure until they heard the spirit proclaim, “I know who you are, the Holy One of God!”