James and John - Matt 4:21, Mark 1;19 ,
The day we met Jesus was an ordinary everyday workday. It was the last ordinary everyday workday either of us ever experienced.
We were on the shore having just landed the days catch. It had been a good day for fish and we were busy packing up the nets and cleaning our tools when we saw something going on a bit further up the beach with Simon and Andrew's boat. There was a small crowd gathered and it appeared that someone was causing some sort of disruption. We didn't pay too much attention - we didn't get on too well with our rival fishing families and mostly kept ourselves to ourselves. Occasionally we might help each other out if there were real problems or accidents or trauma. But mostly we liked to keep those sweet catch spots to ourselves. Fishing is a competitive market. It didn't do to get too friendly with the competition.
Dad was stowing the nets and the hired hands had started gutting the catch when John nudged me in the ribs. I looked up and saw that the crowd which had been standing round Simon and Andrew's boat was now moving down the beach towards us. We could see that there was a man in the middle of the group who seemed to be talking and was the focus of everyone's attention. On his left I could make out Simon - he is a big guy and usually stands a good head above most people. Andrew was beside him. I wondered what they were doing with this stranger when their days catch was probably still sitting on the shore. I grinned to myself . Maybe they hadnt caught anything.
The group got closer to us and I could now see that the stranger was probably a bit older than us, and I thought I might have recognised him as being the son of one of the local carpenters. I turned to ask John if he recognised the man, but John had jumped down from the boat and was walking towards the small group which had now drawn up alongside . I watched as the man reached out his hand and lay it on Johns shoulder. Then, above the sound of the waves and the onshore breeze, I heard him say to John ' Come, follow me.'
John looked at me. The stranger looked at me. He waved me down from the boat and said ' Will you follow me too?' At this point I understood that he must be a Rabbi. Only Rabbis went about appointing ' followers'. But the followers of any Rabbi I had ever heard of were students of the Torah and the Talmud. They were young men who sat at the feet of their teachers for years before being asked to be followers. None of this made any sense. Who was this man and why was he recruiting unschooled fishermen to be disciples?
My father stepped up and motioned for John and I to approach him. He wanted to know what was going on and who this man was. We both said we didn't know, but that he had invited us to follow him and therefore we assumed he was a Rabbi. John seemed very taken with the idea and wanted to leave at once. I was less sure. Our father, always a sensible and pragmatic man, said that it would be a great honour for our family if we were to be discipled to a Rabbi - and he also pointed out that Simon and Andrew appeared to have been asked too and had clearly accepted the call. It would reflect badly on our family if we refused an offer they had accepted. We had a brief discussion with Father about the business and the boats. He assured us he could manage - and we promised him that if this teacher turned out to be a crank or a crook we would return home quickly. And that was that . Decision made. We grabbed our coats and bags and left to follow the fascinating stranger who was already moving off down the beach, apparently confident that we would be following behind.
We were on the shore having just landed the days catch. It had been a good day for fish and we were busy packing up the nets and cleaning our tools when we saw something going on a bit further up the beach with Simon and Andrew's boat. There was a small crowd gathered and it appeared that someone was causing some sort of disruption. We didn't pay too much attention - we didn't get on too well with our rival fishing families and mostly kept ourselves to ourselves. Occasionally we might help each other out if there were real problems or accidents or trauma. But mostly we liked to keep those sweet catch spots to ourselves. Fishing is a competitive market. It didn't do to get too friendly with the competition.
Dad was stowing the nets and the hired hands had started gutting the catch when John nudged me in the ribs. I looked up and saw that the crowd which had been standing round Simon and Andrew's boat was now moving down the beach towards us. We could see that there was a man in the middle of the group who seemed to be talking and was the focus of everyone's attention. On his left I could make out Simon - he is a big guy and usually stands a good head above most people. Andrew was beside him. I wondered what they were doing with this stranger when their days catch was probably still sitting on the shore. I grinned to myself . Maybe they hadnt caught anything.
The group got closer to us and I could now see that the stranger was probably a bit older than us, and I thought I might have recognised him as being the son of one of the local carpenters. I turned to ask John if he recognised the man, but John had jumped down from the boat and was walking towards the small group which had now drawn up alongside . I watched as the man reached out his hand and lay it on Johns shoulder. Then, above the sound of the waves and the onshore breeze, I heard him say to John ' Come, follow me.'
John looked at me. The stranger looked at me. He waved me down from the boat and said ' Will you follow me too?' At this point I understood that he must be a Rabbi. Only Rabbis went about appointing ' followers'. But the followers of any Rabbi I had ever heard of were students of the Torah and the Talmud. They were young men who sat at the feet of their teachers for years before being asked to be followers. None of this made any sense. Who was this man and why was he recruiting unschooled fishermen to be disciples?
My father stepped up and motioned for John and I to approach him. He wanted to know what was going on and who this man was. We both said we didn't know, but that he had invited us to follow him and therefore we assumed he was a Rabbi. John seemed very taken with the idea and wanted to leave at once. I was less sure. Our father, always a sensible and pragmatic man, said that it would be a great honour for our family if we were to be discipled to a Rabbi - and he also pointed out that Simon and Andrew appeared to have been asked too and had clearly accepted the call. It would reflect badly on our family if we refused an offer they had accepted. We had a brief discussion with Father about the business and the boats. He assured us he could manage - and we promised him that if this teacher turned out to be a crank or a crook we would return home quickly. And that was that . Decision made. We grabbed our coats and bags and left to follow the fascinating stranger who was already moving off down the beach, apparently confident that we would be following behind.
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