The call of John
As Jesus moved from the obscurity of life in Nazareth and entered into public ministry, He carefully chose companions who would help in the work on which He was embarking. These companions would ultimately become the ‘first-fruits of a worldwide movement and be greatly used in God’s service. The men chosen were not the rich and famous. They were not from the elite political or religious circles in Israel. Instead, Jesus chose men from the lower stratum of society, men who were intelligent, hard-working, and willing to sacrifice everything for the sake of the gospel. John lived and worked in the town of Capernaum. He was a fisherman, earning his livelihood on the Sea of Galilee. He worked with his father Zebedee, his brother James and partners Simon and Andrew. His life was radically and irrevocably changed when Jesus called him (and James, Simon, and Andrew) to leave their jobs, for the vital work of winning souls for heaven. It is interesting to note that Jesus did not choose idle peo...