There once was a frugal accountant whose business had
been in the family for generations and generations and during all that time
they ran the firm out of the same office building. It came to pass that the marble step at the
front entrance wore down from years of wear and tear and it now posed a danger
to clients. The accountant reluctantly
decided to have it replaced less someone fall on it and sue him. He called a stonemason to give him a quote for
a new step. “That’s a big job,” the
mason told him. “I can get you a new
marble step for $10,000.” Well, there
was no way the accountant was going to lay out that much cash for a step. They he had an idea. He asked the mason what it would cost to dig
up the stone and turn it over so that the worn side would be on the bottom and
new flat surface would be on the top. “I
can do that for $500,” the mason told him.
The accountant agreed and then got back to books. An hour later the mason called the accountant
to inspect the work. To the accountant’s
dismay, the new surface was even more wore down than the old one, but how could
that be. The mason, who himself came
from several generations of stone workers said, “Over a hundred years ago your
cheap great-great grandfather had my great-great-grandfather do the same
thing.”
For much of history business was family
business where knowledge, skills, and tools were passed on from one generation
to the next and the next. People even
took on family names that described their work: Miller, Smith, Baker, Tanner, Carpenter,
and Farmer are just a few examples. In
this morning’s gospel reading we are introduced to four men who come from a
long line of Galilean fishermen.
Scholars indicate that in biblical times
somewhere between eighteen and twenty-four different species of indigenous fish lived in
the Sea of Galilee. There were several
different ways to catch fish at the time.
The text
tells us that Jesus saw Simon (also known as Peter) and his brother Andrew
“casting a net into the sea.” This
technique involved a circular net fifteen
to twenty feet in diameter. The outside
perimeter of the net was lined with a rope that had weights attached to it so
that the net would sink quickly. The net
was cast or thrown by a single person either from shallow water or from a boat. As it is thrown, it spreads out and lands on
the water like a parachute. It descends
quickly, trapping any fish that are underneath it. To retrieve the catch, a fisherman would go
underwater and one by one grab the fish and place them in a pouch. Another method involved pulling the outer rope
together, and dragging the haul either to shore or onto a boat.
The two brothers easily mastered this
relatively simple method of fishing. Jesus
invites them to follow him in order to fish for people. The two immediately put down their nets and go
with him.
In a short period of time the trio
encounters two more brothers – James and John – who are also fishermen. They are in their boats “mending their
nets.” Jesus invites them to follow him
as well and they leave their father and hired hands to do so.
James and John are a part of a much larger
and more complicated fishing operation that involves boats and employees. Most likely they used a type of dragnet
approach. The nets could be several
hundred feet long and up to twenty feet wide from top and bottom. A rope along the top length had cork attached
to it keep the net afloat. A rope on the
bottom length had weights so that it would sink. A group of men on the shore would hold one
end of the net while a boat took the other end out into the water, setting it
out as it went. Eventually the boat
would circle back further down the shore where another group of men took hold
of the opposite end of the net. The
entire net may cover the perimeter as large as our church property. Once the dragnet was in place, both groups
pulled the net into shore, trapping every fish that was inside. The same process could also be applied in
deeper water by utilizing more boats.
Obviously, fishermen needed to be physically
strong. But they also needed to know how
to deal with people. The diverse folks who
showed up to buy their fish spoke Greek, Hebrew, or Aramaic. They had to know how to weigh the fish in
order to ascertain its value and they had to understand the complexities of
market pricing. Income from each catch
was divided into shares. Forty percent
went to the owner of the boats and the nets.
The remainder was divided among the crew with some getting a little more
based on skills and tenure. Those who
mastered fishing made a better wage then the typical laborer or tradesman. The bible hints that Peter’s home in
Capernaum was more substantial than those around it. In addition all four men were free to stop
working when they wanted and return again when it suited them. While not the wealthiest or most educated
people in society, these men were not without means and ability.
Peter, Andrew, James, and John appear early on in
Mark’s gospel from out of nowhere. If
you knew nothing of the story of Jesus and were reading this work for the first
time all you would know of the four is that they were fishermen who dropped
their work to follow Jesus. You would
also suspect that they are going to figure prominently in the story as it
unfolds.
Scholars believe that Mark was the first person to
write a gospel and that his work was done about thirty years after Jesus’
resurrection. By the time it began to
circulate throughout the early church most of its members had never met Jesus
in person. Either they were not born
until after his life or they lived in another country at the time. And while most had not met Jesus, many had
met Peter, Andrew, James, or John. They
had achieved legendary apostolic status by the time Mark wrote and his readers
would have known all about them and their lives. They modeled what it meant to follow Jesus
and their example was emulated throughout the early church.
Last Sunday our readings invited us to ponder who we
emulate and how faithfully we are living out their examples. It also invited us to reflect on the
invitations we extend and the invitations we accept. To what do you say yes? Many of the same themes are present in
today’s reading, but it adds a new dimension for consideration. What are you willing to sacrifice in order to
be faithful? Christianity is more than
confessing a creed. It is more than being
a good person. It is about following
Jesus, about being a disciple.
An economist might look at today’s gospel and use it
to teach about “opportunity cost.” When
you do one thing, you are choosing not to do another. You can’t spend a dollar and save it at the
same time. You can’t mow the grass and
take a walk on the beach at the same time.
And unless you are John Rector, you can’t go to church and take a nap as
the same time. When the four fishermen
follow Jesus they respond to an opportunity that has a cost. They will loose income by not fishing. They will loose time with their
families. They might get passed over the
business’ pecking order. Their lives
will become more complicated, not more simple.
They will be exposed to hardship, ridicule, and danger. These are some of the costs, but each decided
to respond to the opportunity.
When I was in college it was popular to go to Florida
for spring break in order to lie out on the beach and soak up the sun. It was a wonderful week to relax and cavort. I image not much has changed. But there were some students at my school who
choose a different path. They signed up
for a weeklong Habitat for Humanity build in Mississippi. That opportunity cost them something. They had to pay their way. They couldn’t lounge around all day or party
all night. It made them tired and sore. But even with all that, it gave them something
even better.
What did following Jesus cost Peter, Andrew, James,
and John? Initially it cost them some
time at work and making money. That is
no small sacrifice. Eventually it cost
each of them their lives, but this had not yet happened when Mark wrote his
gospel. Mark’s readers would have looked
at the examples set by their heroes and challenged themselves to do the same.
So here is a question to ask yourself: What does it
cost you to be a Christian? What does it
cost you to be a member of St. Paul’s Church?
What does it cost you to follow Jesus?
If the answer is not much, you might want to ponder if you are truly
following or not.
