Contemplative Bible Reading

Mark 1:19-20 (New Living Translation)

19 A little farther up the shore Jesus saw Zebedee’s sons, James and John, in a boat repairing their nets. 20 He called them at once, and they also followed him, leaving their father, Zebedee, in the boat with the hired men.

There were times when it seemed that Jesus just didn’t know how to act. Jesus would break social norms and go off and do something folks just didn’t do.

This was one such occasion. In just a few words, Jesus caused James and John to leave their father and the family business with a bunch of hired men. What? That was disrespectful to the father and the family. Still, that is what happened.

How did Zebedee feel? His sons walked off with a wandering carpenter’s son. Where were the sons going? What would they do? Would they ever return? (No)

The questions go on and on. I sit here today and know that it all turned out great, sort of. No one at the time knew that it would. And what about all the sons that left all the fathers and families in the thousands of years since. What were they doing? What were they thinking?

I don’t like this—not one bit. Still, I know the result. I can’t reconcile the two. I guess that is part of faith. I guess I need more faith and more belief.