Shiner in his dissertation notes one peculiarity of the Markan call story in 1:16-20.
There is a lack of motivation. In other words, the disciples are not given a reason to follow Jesus in the narrative.
The typical pattern of call stories are to first expound the values of a life of wisdom or demonstrate the power or superiority of a teacher, but in Mark there is no motivation provided for the fisherman’s decision to follow Jesus. The four fisherman do not appear to have heard Jesus’ preaching.
Shiner says that this lack of causation on the narrative level leads the listener to find causation on the discourse level. The hearer knows that the disciples respond to Jesus because he is the Son of God. Therefore, “the lack of psychological motivation serves to emphasize the more essential, spiritual motivation.”
But the lack of motivation also also serves to generalize the call stories and thus facilitate the hearer’s identification with the disciples. The succinct narration of the stories allow the listener to experience the disciples’ call as their own call.
The lack of motivation in the narrative universalizes the motivation at the discourse level.
Whitney Shiner, Follow Me! Disciples in Markan Rhetoric, SBL Dissertation Series 145 (Atlanta, Ga: Scholars Press, 1995), 185–6.
Could an additional purpose be this:
The call of the first disciples in verses 16 to 20 expands the call to repent and believe and underlines the stunningly radical and costly nature of its demand. The thought of leaving family and livelihood makes us want to ask: What authority does this man have to demand this? What ground do I have to obey?
What follows from v.21 onwards supplies the answers to those kinds of questions. The scope of Jesus authority is demonstrated. Mark’s narrative piles example upon example until we see Jesus claim the right to do what only God can do (2:1-12). And the goodness of this authority is seen too. His command may appear initially like wrecker-ball, tearing through the lives of these families and business, but His authority is demonstrated to be one that makes whole, restoring peace, health and relationship.
By keeping us from seeing their reasons for acting Mark draws us into the subsequent narrative. And as we see the parallel between Jesus radical demand upon those fishermen and His life-shattering call now we find in those stories that follow the grounds for our obedience: His unbounded authority and power to make whole.
Tom
I think that is correct, but as Shiner says according to the “narrative” what is the motivation for them following him. The rest of the material as you have shown gives motivation but Mark gives it after, not before, and this is not the normal procedure of call stories in this time.