Sermons on this scripture often focus on the beginning energy in Jesus' ministry. His first four disciples are called out of their fishing boats. They respond immediately to the message, leading us to believe that Jesus' message and character were energizing and compelling. The author tells us they left "at once" and "without delay." The most common phrase in Mark's Gospel is "and immediately," which occurs 33 times. (which does not sound at all like how the church works. Shouldn't they form a committee first?)

The story about Jesus calling his first disciples is inspiring, but what happened to Zebedee? What did he think as his two sons left the boat and left him with all the work of the family business?

One reaction might be anger. James and John were leaving the family business. The dream of Zebedee & Sons, Premium Fish Distributors, was put on ice. Did it break Zebedee's heart to watch James and John leave? Did he feel betrayed, perhaps judged that his sons would not follow in his footsteps? 

Or was Zebedee more worried? What kind of life do you have following someone who thinks they are the messiah? How will they make a living, have a wife and children, and what kind of trouble will they find? Following a potential messiah usually ends badly. Perhaps your child has said they will be a YouTube Influencer or Chief Happiness Officer at META, and you have no idea what they mean. Announcing you feel called to ministry and leaving to seminary, often leads to the question, "Are you sure this is what you want to do?" 

Zebedee might have been proud of his sons. He knew they had a sense of adventure. John's Gospel gives them the name "sons of thunder," so it is unsurprising when they follow a charismatic leader. Maybe Zebedee always wanted to be a rabbi and never could afford the time. He could be proud his sons might do something besides fish for the rest of their lives, so he sends them off with his blessing and maybe a little worry, too.

Mark shows little interest as a storyteller to fill in the gaps of motives, feelings, or the character of the people in the story. He wants us to see Jesus' character so we hear and respond to his invitation. But when the story is stripped down to only the action, it allows us to enter any character's shoes (or sandals) and find ourselves in the story. Maybe we cannot contemplate James and John beginning a new adventure to boldly go where no fisherman has gone before. Sometimes, we sit in the boat with Zebedee, wondering if we miss the action. 

It's easy to assume that Zebedee didn't like the situation. Most don't want the people we love to leave or move beyond us. As much as we admire people who make significant changes in their lives, we may be uncomfortable if they are close friends or family members. If they change, the relationship changes. It can be hard to let someone move forward.

For example, Paul, a therapist friend, told me he was ostracized when he wrote his first book. He thought the therapists at his clinic would celebrate the publication with him, but instead, people responded more like, "Who made you the expert?" or "So you are a bigshot therapist now." The head clinician became aloof and critical. Paul developed chronic back pain, and after a series of tests, no one could find any problems. He concluded it was stress due to the unsupportive work environment. The back pain disappeared within days when he left the clinic to start a private practice. 

Too often, when someone wants to take a risk and do something new, it's the close people who react negatively. Someone wants to get sober, and the crowd at the Trick Pony who throw darts on Friday night don't accept you anymore without a beer in hand. You get excited about a journey to wholeness, decide to lose weight, go back to school, or explore your faith more deeply, and are shocked when you get a negative reaction. You have a new and innovative idea at work that would create value, and you are met with all the reasons it won't work. Some people find the new idea threatening to what they are already doing. When Steve Jobs developed the iPhone as the core Apple product, the desktop computer division hated him and resisted the change. It may be the most transformative invention in history, but left desktop people with diminished status and uncertainty. 

The true friend is the one who sticks with us when we make the change and celebrates every step forward. They don't flood us with negativity but tell us we can do it. Our children tell us they want to be an AI Prompt engineer, and we say, be the best one you can be, whatever it is. I don't understand it, but I bless it. 

Was Zebedee that kind of father? Did he send them with a blessing to follow their exploits from afar? It takes a big heart and a large soul to let people change, especially when it has implications for us. The very thing that prompts James and John to leave their boats rocks the boat for someone still in it. The first verse of today's scripture tells us Jesus' core message, "The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God has come near;  repent and believe in the good news.

At first, hearing this sounded so positive and hopeful. The time is right. It's happening now. The Kingdom of God, the Beloved Community, is coming near us. Who wouldn't get excited about this message? God has come near, so repent and believe the good news. That troublesome word repent reminds us that the good news Jesus brings is not all warm fuzzies. If we need God's Kingdom drawing near, it means the Kingdom we are in has a problem. The good news is Jesus shows us a new way, but it means we will need to shift course. You can't just sit in the boat, the choir loft, pew number 37 on the left, or from the pulpit with theology I learned 35 years ago in seminary, and continue as before. The times they are a changing, as Bob Dylan sang:

Then you better start swimmin', or you'll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin'

Dylan wrote those words in the Fall of 1963, and one of his first live performances was the night that JFK was shot and killed in Dallas. This timing was part of what put Dylan's words on the map. I'm struck that the first words we hear about Jesus in Mark's Gospel are prefaced by the words, "Now after John was arrested" and soon after John was beheaded. In this disturbance, Jesus is saying, "God is drawing near." In the brokenness and confusion, receive the good news coming to you. For the times they are a-changin'.

Since COVID, we have all faced Zebedee's dilemma. In a crisis, we focus on safety. Let's keep everyone together and don't rock the boat. Deep in our DNA, we desire to establish stability during uncertainty, not seek a new adventure. We are still grieving that the church is so different after COVID and that people didn't rush back once the vaccine came. So when Jesus comes by and says, "The Kingdom of heaven has drawn near. Leave your boat, and I will make you fishers of men," It's natural to feel like we have gone through so much change already. We just want to mend our nets, patch our boats, and keep hauling our lobster traps-at least until climate change sends all our clawed friends to Nova Scotia. 

So when Jesus draws near, we are caught in a dilemma. The good news is God's spirit is moving among us. The challenge is we must let go of some familiar things to receive it. I feel this dilemma as pastor because I'm called to offer you comfort, peace, and stability through illness, death, and struggles. And I'm called to be a change agent that directs you to a new future in a changing world. Sometimes, that job description competes with itself. To be clear, I'm happy here. Every week, I learn more to appreciate about this congregation and your spirit of generosity and kindness. But we also must lean into the changes around us and experiment with what will help us thrive in the future. I suggest that Zebedee can be a role model for us. He loved everything about his boat but let his sons try something new because he saw God drawing near in Jesus. Anne Lamott has just the right words to sum things up:

“God loves you just the way you are… and loves you too much to let you stay there.”