The story in today’s gospel reading is a familiar one: the call of the first disciples – Simon, Andrew, James and John. Last week we heard a similar reading from John’s gospel. Today we have Mark’s version. In fact, today’s reading actually begins the cycle of readings for this liturgical year. This is the year for Marks’s gospel. Over the next five weeks, between now and Lent, all of our gospel readings will be from the first chapter of Mark.
Actually, much of Mark’s gospel can be summarized in one passage of today’s reading. That doesn’t mean you don’t need to listen to the gospel readings or the homilies for the next month if you happen to listen to today’s. What it does mean is that the focus for Mark is his initial statement of Jesus’ ministry: “This is the time of fulfillment. The reign God is at hand! Reform your lives and believe in the good news.”
This morning, I’d like for us to look at this focus of Mark – but first let’s begin our reflection with the latter part of today’s gospel story – the call of Simon, Andrew, James and John. However, I don’t want to start with the disciples, but rather with a seventh person mentioned in today’s reading. Not the four disciples: not Jesus, himself, nor John the Baptist who is mentioned in the opening line: “After John’s arrest, Jesus appeared in Galilee … “ but rather, I’d call your attention to Zebedee, the father of James and John.
Picture, if you will: Zebedee has been out fishing with his two sons and a few hired men. Zebedee has been making his living this way for years, fishing in the Sea of Galilee. No doubt he fished these waters with his own father. And now with his two strong, young sons. It’s likely James was in his early twenties, John perhaps in his mid- to late teens. They’ve been working all morning at the catch. It’s been a good one. Now at mid-day, they’re returning to shore, dog-tired. They’ve seen the crowd along the shore. As they drew nearer to the beach, they saw their friends, Simon and Andrew.
For some reason, Simon and Andrew had not gone out in their boat this morning. James and John aren’t sure why. They want to leave Zebedee and the hired men in the boat and run along the shore to find Simon and Andrew. But Zebedee wants them to remain with him to put the nets in order before they’ve dried too stiff in the hot sun. The nets have to be examined to make sure there are no loose knots. It wouldn’t do to have the nets break if they have to pull in a large haul. Zebedee knows his eyes aren’t as good anymore. His young sons can see if the nets are failing. All Zebedee can depend upon is the feel of them beneath his coarse fingers. He daydreams of the time he can turn his fishing business over to his two sons.
Now as his sons are tending to the nets, the crowd is moving along the shore towards them. Zebedee knows James and John would rather run off to see what the noise is all about. Especially since Simon and Andrew are in the crowd. The four young men always seem to be wanting to do something – never quite content enough to be fishermen.
Now what’s happening? That preacher-fellow does seem to be carrying on! Zebedee has only been half-listening to what the preacher has to say. His hearing isn’t much better than his eyesight. Something about “repent” … “reform your lives” … “believe in the good news”. Can you put yourself in the shoes of Zebedee, the fisherman? “As he made his way along the Sea of Galilee, he observed Simon and his brother Andrew. Jesus said to them, ‘come after me; I will make you fishers of men.’ They immediately abandoned their nets and became his followers. He caught sight of James, Zebedee’s son, and his brother John. They too were in their boat putting their nets in order. He summoned them on the spot. They abandoned their father Zebedee, who was in the boat with the hired-men and went off in his company.”
And now I have a question for you. How spontaneous are you in your faith commitment? That’s the question which comes from all three readings. How rapidly can you, yourself, re-form your life? In our first reading we have Jonah on a three-day walk through Ninevah, an immense non-Israelite city, telling of God’s wrath to come. But in a single day, the entire city repented, changed its ways.
In our second reading, Paul, too, reminds the Corinthians: ” … the time is short … the world as we know it is passing away.” Finally, we have Jesus, himself, saying: “This is the time of fulfillment. The reign of God is at hand.”
It would appear that as we begin this new year, this year of 1985, the Church, in selecting these readings, is pointing out to us our own need to begin anew. And to do it in the spontaneous way in which a young adult responds. This is what I would like to have you focus on for the remaining few minutes of today’s homily reflection, our need to be spontaneous in our response when we hear God’s call.
For those of you who are about my age, think about your own teenagers or the young adults you know. The people you’re thinking about are probably about the ages of John, of Andrew – or of James and Simon. Young men in their late teens or mid-twenties. I know it’s difficult for me to picture my own sons as being the ages of the disciples when they walked with Jesus. I usually think of the apostles as grey-haired Patriarchs. But I ask you to think of four young men, of how enthusiastic they are. How eager they are to follow another young man of thirty. And, yes, I also ask you to think of Zebedee who was willing to accept the spontaneous response of his two young sons.
When you think of these four young men … and of the young men and women you know, reflect on their enthusiasm. And on Zebedee, his willingness to let go. The question is: How can I be that spontaneous? Where do I begin to re-form, to change, my life? Perhaps you already have.
When was the last time you looked at a night sky and saw the stars there … and being overcome by the wonder of God … whispered “Alleluia?” When was the last time you heard about the tragic death of someone you did not know … yet ached with sadness for the loss? When have you seen the smile of a little child in a restaurant and waved back to express your own pleasure with simply being a child? When have you had a panhandler approach you for a dollar, and you gave it to him without thinking you were a sucker being ripped off? When have you received a mailing from Covenant House here in Houston and sent in a donation even though you knew it would mess up your budget?
Hearing the call of Jesus and answering it “immediately” … as did Simon and Andrew, James and John … does not mean quitting my job to become either a foreign missionary or a full-time volunteer in a soup kitchen. But it does mean that when I behold the wonder of God’s creation in the heavens or in a child’s smile, there is a need for a spontaneous response to His goodness. And when I hear the cry of someone in need, there is the demand that I respond spontaneously to meet that need … to re-form my life, to change my life.
There is the need to start with those attitudes and behaviors which can be changed immediately. You and I are asked to be spontaneous, to act without having to ponder whether this is what should be done. We are asked to be as spontaneous in our response to Jesus as four young men were some nineteen centuries ago. They abandoned their families; we are asked to abandon those things which tie us down to this world. “The reign of God is at hand! Reform your lives and believe in the Good News.”
Third Sunday in Ordinary Time; January 27, 1985
Jon 3: 1-5, 10; 1 Cor 7:29 – 31; Mk 1:14 -20