To Stay with the Nets or Go?

"As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him.” From Matthew 4:12-23

In last week’s reading, Jesus’ calling of the disciples was warmly invitational. “Come and see” is perhaps the easiest invite when asking a friend or relative to join us. This week is a good deal more abrupt. How can we possibly imagine a call like that directed to us here in San Antonio that would have any credibility? How could we drop everything we know and leave our family behind in the boat?

But those eagerly responding disciples are not the only ones in the story. I’ve always wondered what Zebedee thought when his sons dropped their mending of the nets and followed Jesus. There is no indication that because Zebedee stayed behind he was unfaithful, so it makes me assume that sometimes we are called to go, but other times we are called to stay.

Very few of us can imagine dropping everything and immediately changing the course of our lives in one quick motion. It is a lot easier to think about how Zebedee might have felt as he watched the backs of his sons as they left to join Jesus. And the odds certainly seem to be in our favor. If only 12 were called of all the people Jesus encountered, most of us, in fact, are called to be the net menders. Not an easy task, but it has the tangibility of knot tying and a pattern to follow.

So what does Zebedee have to teach those of us left back in the boat? Frankly, the text is not much help. How do we imagine he responded? Did he shout after his boys? Was he angry? Maybe he was relieved…We don’t know if they were even any good at fishing. There might have been other children back at home that he was trying to figure out how to place in the family business. How did he begin to tell that story to his wife when he returned home that evening?

Maybe he was not angry or relieved. Maybe he was so spiritually mature that he could immediately rejoice in their decision. Maybe Zebedee is a model for how to let go of the things to which we are attached. That is quite a lofty position to seek, in all honesty. Recognizing that the time has come for the children to spread their wings can be hard. One must be fairly sure of oneself to let go and remain content with the task at hand. Frankly, it can be as difficult as dropping the nets and running toward Jesus.

So maybe the invitation is to do the hard work of discernment when we hear the call and see if we are meant to go or graciously allow those who are called to move on.

Peace, Beth +