Mark 1:20 (DRB)

Passage

And forthwith he called them. And leaving their father Zebedee in the ship with his hired men, they followed him.

Nearby Context

Mark 1:18 And immediately leaving their nets, they followed him.

Mark 1:19 And going on from thence a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who also were mending their nets in the ship:

Mark 1:20 And forthwith he called them. And leaving their father Zebedee in the ship with his hired men, they followed him.

Mark 1:21 And they entered into Capharnaum: and forthwith upon the sabbath days going into the synagogue, he taught them.

Mark 1:22 And they were astonished at his doctrine. For he was teaching them as one having power, and not as the scribes.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "called", "forthwith", "leaving", "father", "zebedee", "ship", "hired", and "followed". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "called" and "forthwith", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 19's "And going on from thence a little..." into verse 21's "And they entered into Capharnaum and forthwith...", so "called" and "forthwith" belong inside that flow. In Mark context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "called" and "forthwith" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.