Making Friends.

Matthew IV. 18-22, Mark I. 16-20, Luke V. 1-11.

Although Capernaum was near Nazareth, it was a different kind of a place. It was a busy, thriving little village, built on a beautiful plain running along the shore of the Sea of Galilee. Unlike Nazareth, where the principal occupation was farming and sheep raising, Capernaum’s chief industry was fishing. The shore of the lake near the town was lined with funny little fishing boats, with tall, graceful lateen sails, and with long fishnets spread out on the decks to dry in the sun. The little freshwater fish were caught, sometimes in vast quantities, and were cured either by drying or by pickling in brine, and, thus prepared, formed an important article of food for the poorer people of Galilee.

Jesus was greatly attracted by these curious fishing boats and by the sturdy men who worked in them. He would often go down to the shore and watch the little craft swinging at anchor, or get to talking with the fishermen themselves as they sat in their boats and mended their nets. In this way he made a number of friends.

He liked especially one old man named Zebedee, who had two young sons about Jesus’ own age, James and John. He used to sit for hours talking with these three, telling them about the kingdom and the Messiah, while they would get so interested in his talk that they would forget their broken nets, and would listen, open eyed, to his earnest words.

Then there were two other men of whom he was very fond. They were Simon and Andrew, two brothers, who owned a boat together, and carried on an active industry. They were somewhat older than he was, but they grew to love him and respect him very highly. These four men, Simon and Andrew and the two sons of Zebedee, soon became the dearest friends Jesus had in Capernaum, so that finally they all decided to give up their fishing, and simply become companions of his, following him everywhere and learning to preach as he preached.

In the way there was started a little company of warm friends, who gathered around Jesus, and who made themselves partners in his work and in his hopes. There were in all twelve in the company. Most of them were fishermen, but some were farmers and shepherds, and one was a tax collector. But, whatever their work was, they all came to have such a warm liking for Jesus and such an enthusiasm for the work he was doing that they gave up their lives to the pleasant task of following him and helping him. They called themselves his "disciples" which means his "pupils".

1. What was Simon’s other name, and what does it mean?
2. What were Simon and Andrew doing when Jesus saw them?
3. What occupation did Jesus promise to teach them?
4. Where were James and John when Jesus saw them?
5. According to the story in Luke, why did Jesus step into one of the boats?
6. What remarkable thing happened when he asked Simon to let down his nets?
7. What did Simon do and say when he saw this wonder?
8. What business relation existed between James and John and Simon and Andrew?
9. How many disciples were there in all, and what were their names?
10. What is a disciple?
11. Do you know what the occupations of some of the other disciples were?
12. In what way did they help Jesus, and why did he feel the need of their help?