4:18-22 The Paradigmatic Calling

The Gospel of Mark (1:21-22) is the source of Matthew at this point. Two sets of brothers are called to be disciples (“follow me”) and to function as disciples: the fishing metaphor used for the activity of preaching and healing that will be spelt out later (Matt. 10:1 cf. Mk. 3:14f where it is put much better. Why change it?) The immediate response to the call reminds us of the call of Elisha by Elijah (1 Kings. 19:19-21): ”passing … saw … called … left … followed …” The word of Jesus is both compelling and effective. The call to follow Jesus spells disruption to these families; the disciples walk away from their kin and their responsibilities. “Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.” We have few, if any, points of contact with the trauma of such a move away. The constituting of the new family, “my mother and my brothers” is not spelt out until Matt.12:46-50.

Matt 4:23-25 The Crowds Gather

The final act of preparation for the ministry is to gather the people together who will be the fictive audience for the Sermon on the Mount. Before we get to the first of the five blocks that will present Jesus the Teacher, we are reminded of the sorts of things Jesus, and his disciples, did by way of preaching the kingdom of heaven. Superlatives abound: every, all, various, great. We are left in no doubt that Jesus was a healer of renown: there was nothing he couldn’t and didn’t do, there was nowhere his fame didn’t spread. Women and children played a key part in this “gossip network” (Malina & Rohrbaugh, pp. 45f.) that spread his fame throughout the Roman province of Syria. Surrounded by such a crowd, we are now ready to see and hear Jesus. The crowd will be “astounded at his teaching” (7:28).