A couple weeks ago (the Third Sunday after Epiphany), one of the readings was Matthew 4:12-25. Part of this (verses 18-22, Jesus' calling the first disciples) is paralleled in Mark 1:16-20, and - after looking up the Greek text - I discovered that what I wrote about two of the verses from Mark 1 is applicable to this too.
Matthew 4:20: οἱ δὲ εὐθέως ἀφέντες τὰ δίκτυα ἠκολούθησαν αὐτῷ.
"Immediately they [Simon and Andrew] left their nets and followed him [Jesus]."
Matthew 4:22: οἱ δὲ εὐθέως ἀφέντες τὸ πλοῖον καὶ τὸν πατέρα αὐτῶν ἠκολούθησαν αὐτῷ.
"Immediately they [James and John] left the boat and their father and followed him [Jesus]."
In both verses, the participle ἀφέντες (leaving) is translated as a finite verb (left) in all of the translations I referenced. As with Mark 1:18, 20, I would argue that it should be translated as a participle because this leaves only a single verb in each verse and that verb is the most significant: following Jesus.
The account in Luke (5:1-11) has not only ἀφέντες but also καταγαγόντες and - aside from my French translation, which keeps καταγαγόντες as a participle ("ayant ramené") - all of the translations I lookt at translated these as finite verbs too.
Luke 5:11: καὶ καταγαγόντες τὰ πλοῖα ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν, ἀφέντες πάντα ἠκολούθησαν αὐτῷ.
"And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him."
With just ἠκολούθησαν as a finite verb and the participles as participles, the focus is kept on following Jesus: "And having brought their boats to shore and leaving everything, they followed him."
