Jesus walks along the beach. He meets four fishermen, Peter and Andrew, James and John, and says, “Follow me, and I’ll make you fishers of people.” (Matthew 4:19) Just like that, the four of them leave behind their fishing and become followers of Jesus, joining him for all his adventures to come. But the person in this story who has captivated me the most (besides Jesus, of course) is not any of the four newly called disciples, but Zebedee, father of James and John. Why? Because “they left the boat and their father (4:22).” Because the new vocation of James and John apparently must involve leaving behind not only the family business, but the family as well.
This is discipleship – Jesus calling us away from our fathers and mothers, teachers and mentors, income and other sources of security. Jesus is taking us by the hand and leading us beyond them. It’s not that these relationships cease to exist or be important, but that the purpose of every relationship is to move us beyond them and toward Jesus, not toward themselves.
Parents are meant to be good teachers and good providers. But none of that means anything unless it is moving our kids beyond ourselves and toward Jesus. Or, to put that another way, from the perspective of James and John: parents and anyone else we rely on to teach and form us – it’s only working if all that teaching and formation eventually moves us into a pure love and adoration of Jesus.
Watching his kids meet Jesus and then getting left in the dust is actually the most faithful thing Zebedee could have done. He did exactly his job as a father. He gave his kids at least one useful skill, and, without even realizing it, he put his kids in a position to find and be found by Jesus. Likewise, walking away from their dad is the most faithful thing they can do as his kids. Here in the presence of Jesus, knowing that they are seen by him, valued by him, and loved by him, something clicks for James and John: that the meaning of their life is not found in their parents, but in Jesus. The joy into which they’re being called is not found in their parents, but in Jesus. Calling and vocation are not found in their parents, but in Jesus. Being safe and secure is not found in fishing nets and boats and income from the family business, but in Jesus. Parents, teachers, mentors – when they do their job, they move us beyond our reliance on themselves and toward Jesus. He is our all in all. No other relationship, even the ones we hold most sacred and comforting, is the actual source of our joy and calling.
God is to be loved for God’s own sake. Jesus is to be followed and adored for Jesus’ own sake. He really is that wonderful and life-giving. And because this is true, nets need to be dropped. Boats need to be left. Mothers and fathers need to be left. All things must be relinquished to Jesus, until he is all in all.
That journey of following Jesus and relinquishing everything else is what we call discipleship. And if we’re not following Jesus, trust me, we’re following something. Whatever we’re following is pouring its life into us. So, let’s make that life being poured into us the life of Jesus, life filled with forgiveness and compassion and healing.