Three things which draw our attention most in this week’s gospel:
- Jesus takes over for John
- Jesus calls the first disciples
- The disciples drop everything.
All of this is connected, but each feels like a thematic focal point. So let’s break it down.
Jesus takes over for John
This is probably the least attractive option for most. Though it is the most fundamental, and therefore the most important.
Understanding the connection of John to Jesus is easier in the abstract than when we listen to his words. His preaching of repentance is a big stumbling block for many. And the idea of Jesus offering such an unattractive message is difficult to run with.
Of course, the point is precisely so.
Jesus takes up the common message of change. That we are to turn away from the bad stuff and toward the good.
The message is also that the Kin-dom has come near; an idea that is bigger than just Jesus showing up, but that his presence affords its presence now (and not just in the future).
Jesus calls the first disciples
This is a hallmark of how we relate to the work of Christ: that we are called into it. And as we explored last week, calling itself is enough of a thing to wrestle with.
This passage also contains one of the most memorable Jesus quotes of all:
“Follow me and I will make you fish for people.”
It is so on point, we can hardly stand it.
Of course, the conversation demands more of us. What it really means to be called by Jesus to follow The Way. That it, indeed, requires changing and becoming new. That we follow when we don’t know where we’re headed. That our skills, whatever they may be, will be of service.
While the most naturally attractive part of the story, our relationship to the calling of the disciples may be deceptive. Because it isn’t just an invitation. And it isn’t just the power and conviction of Christ we’re talking about. We’re talking about walking a different road than the one we were raised with.
Including those of us raised in Christian homes.
The disciples drop everything
This is my favorite part of the story because it is the most obviously affecting. It is tangible and clearly difficult.
Peter just walks off his job.
James and John also abandon their father.
It is at once an image of boldness, conviction, and belief. They drop everything and follow Jesus. How inspiring!
Of course, I’m guessing Mr. Zebedee isn’t inspired. He’s probably shocked, angry, sad, and frustrated. He has a business to run and now no employees. No partners. And no heirs.
He also has lost his kids, maybe forever. And to some kook claiming to be the Messiah.
No parent reads this story and thinks, I’m glad they’re following their passion! No, we read this and feel bad for the parents. We like kids following their dreams. And we also like regular phone calls and the chance to see our kids at some point.
A complicated vision made simple
Part of the way we talk about calling, both of the disciples and for ourselves, is to make these complicated emotions simple. Generally by ignoring them or speaking in metaphors. Which is a lot like self-help verbiage.
Calling means doing hard things—but we don’t get specific. And then, when we do, we make them simple tasks that don’t require us to address foundational changes to our lives. So we turn to “pay it forward”.
There is also a way in which we complicate this vision by making more of these relationships than Jesus would.
How Zebedee feels about being abandoned is not a part of the story because it is a foundational part of the mission. And it is why Jesus will say often that some aren’t prepared for us to follow Jesus.
This is also incredibly obvious to anyone who understands family systems. Unhealthy parents hate when their children try to be healthier than we are. Our own egos get in the way. And we take it out on them. We become the source of division, not the child trying to self-differentiate.
We also use the presence of differing experiences and emotions as a means of intentionally complicating relationships so we don’t invest in changing them. It is true that every relationship, from families to geopolitical ones, are naturally complicated. But we often keep them complicated to avoid hard things.
For example, one of the reasons there is no peace between Israel and Palestinians is that removing all Israeli settlements has never once been on the table. It isn’t just that there are a ton of factors—our keeping off the table those major factors that could actually simplify the process is one of the ways we maintain a divided status quo.
What is discipleship today?
The one thing that happens to each of us when we read this passage, I suspect, is that it gets us thinking about being called and its impact on us. And on our families.
This is natural, and also totally of the moment.
Not that people didn’t do this before, but it is so on brand for the most egocentric and individualistic era in human history.
We want to know about the impact on ourselves. What we as individuals can do. And we want to break down what particular things we need to do to be good followers of Jesus.
And honestly, I’m finding having to think about that stuff so boring. Because we all go to church on Sunday and see people act like jerks at lunch afterward. We pay it forward at Starbucks and drive past the homeless on the way home.
The individualism imbedded in the way we think of our faith has rendered discipleship a private sport for the fairly well-off. Or else it is the family obligation of the generationally engaged.
The exception to this, of course, is in the black community, where personal devotion and communal practice both remain high.
And this may be a good reminder for the rest of us that discipleship isn’t solo. But it also is rarely about family units.
As we see in Jesus, he treats the collection of disciples as his chosen family. Which tells us a lot more about discipleship than anything else. Including what we learn from our families and churches.