Jesus Calls His First Followers
Think about dropping everything you're doing right now to follow someone - that's exactly what happened when Jesus called his first disciples. The first four disciples were ordinary fishermen who immediately left their nets and boats when Jesus asked them to follow him. This wasn't just about career change; it showed the universal nature of discipleship because Jesus chose regular working people, not religious elites or celebrities.
When Jesus chose the twelve disciples, he gave them a specific mission: drive out evil spirits and spread God's word. The twelve included fishermen, a tax collector, and various other ordinary blokes. Remember them with this daft mnemonic: "Strawberry jelly joggles around plates but most times it's just terrible strawberry jelly" Simon−Peter,James,John,Andrew,Philip,Bartholomew,Matthew,Thomas,JamessonofAlphaeus,Thaddaeus,SimonthePatriot,JudasIscariot.
Levi the tax collector was probably the most shocking choice of all. Tax collectors were absolutely despised because they worked for the Romans and were known for being dishonest. Yet Jesus called Levi anyway, showing that discipleship is open to everyone - even those society has written off.
Key Point: Jesus's authority was so powerful that people immediately dropped their entire lives to follow him, proving that true discipleship requires instant obedience and commitment.