called from... and to

Today in the One Year Bible we read from Mark 1:1-20. Jesus calls James and John, who leave their father in the boat and follow Him.

At first glance, this seems hard on their father. And it was! Like Jesus will later say, unless we "hate" our mother and father and brothers and sisters, we can't be His disciples. "Hate" here is a comparison term. It doesn't mean to loathe them or treat them unkindly. It doesn't mean to disrespect or dishonor them. It means that compared to our love for Jesus, our attitude towards our family seems like hate. In other words, when you make a big decision, you're loving the one you choose and hating the one you don't. That's how the disciples acted regarding Jesus and their father. 

But think about what they left... and what they chose. They did leave everything they knew, and their probably happy life working on the family trade as fishermen. But what they gained was eternal life and a place in the kingdom of God right next to Jesus. What they chose was to be the very first evangelists of the gospel, transforming the world into the Christendom that it became for hundreds of years. What they chose was martyrdom... and their blood became the seeds of the church. 

God, thanks for calling us FROM good things... TO far better things. Help us choose wisely.