“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.” (Matthew 4:21-22)
Zebedee speaks:
One beautiful sunny day my sons, James and John, and I were mending our fishing nets as we sat in our boat on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. The water was calm, there was a slight breeze, and the rolling green hills were dotted with sheep. A perfect day for a father and sons chore.
We could see a small group of people coming along the beach and the boys said they thought it was the group with the teacher – who was gaining a reputation not only as a teacher but also as a prophet. As they came along side the teacher called out to James and John to join them and he would make them “fish for people”. What??? And they got up and left the nets, and me, and went off with the group. Lots of things crossed my mind – do I have to finish this job all by myself? how could they just up and go? why wasn’t I invited? Am I too old to “fish for people”? What on earth am I going to tell their mother?
I really am pretty good with people, and fish, I can still learn new things, I can walk, fishing keeps me in good shape, but somehow even though I was in the boat too I wasn’t included in the “call”. The main difference between me and James and John is our ages – what is the invitation to older people?
I suppose someone has to look after the boat and the nets and provide for the family – an even bigger family, if James and John are away. I guess it’s my job, with their mother, to hold the fishing enterprise together and care for the daughters in law and the grandchildren – to feed us all and get the fish to market and …. all the other tasks of ordinary life.
Maybe the teacher knows I can do those things. Without me and Miriam John and James could not go off to fish for people. We are enablers in the best sense of the word. But it does kind of ticks me off that our work isn’t understood as a “call”. (nor will it be for the next 2000 years)
Jean Waters is a former faculty member at St. Stephen’s College in Edmonton. She gave leadership to the College’s masters and doctoral programs, taught courses in Feminist Theology, Women’s Spirituality, Women and Religion, Pastoral Counselling, and Counselling Skills.
Thank you Jean for your insightful refection as to what Zebedee night have felt/thought. “I guess it’s my job, with their mother, to hold the fishing enterprise together …” It was ‘surprise’ to me today (Good Friday) to read the passage from Mathew as if for the first time.
“55 Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs.56 Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, *and the mother of Zebedee’s sons* …”
What courage, What resolve!!!