Zebedee’s Sons

James and John were the sons of a fisherman named Zebedee. When they were boys, he probably taught them to fish. They were men of passion who lived a simple life. When they were grown, they would be fishermen.



Their world wasn't one with career education or aptitude tests. Fathers taught sons who begat more sons and taught them the same trade.

Zebedee must have been wealthy, for he had hired men who worked with him and his sons. One day, his world turned upside down.

A prophet walked along the beach and called James and John while they were mending nets. James and John left their work, their father, and the hired men and followed the prophet.

And so the fisherman-sons of Zebedee became the fishers-of-men, whom Jesus sometimes called the Sons of Thunder.

Did Zebedee feel frustration that his sons left a business he had spent a lifetime building? Was he concerned that they were following a weirdo prophet into la-la land? Did he get angry at his sons? Weren't they grateful for the sacrifices he had made to make the family business a success? How dare they defy his authority! What would their friends and family say?

We don't know how Zebedee felt. The Bible mentions nothing of his following them and demanding that they return to the family business. Their mother, Salome, sometimes accompanied the Apostles and was with Mary at the Crucifixion. Zebedee and Salome let their sons follow the call of the Lord.

Today, we can learn many lessons from their example. What do we do when our children's interests or dreams don't reflect our own? My daughter is the Pine Derby Car Queen who loves to build. She's working on other cars right now but can't get any help from me; until two weeks ago, I had no clue what a car axle was.

Our music tastes are also different. She was weaned on Mozart and danced to Brandenbergs when she was a toddler. We did violin at age 3, piano at age 6, and concert choir at age 9. She wants to be a — gasp — a drummer/percussionist.

What will happen if I impose my tastes, my will, and my preferences upon her life? Will she discern God's call for her life, or will she go through the motions to fulfill my dreams instead of her own? What if she ventures a path and realizes it isn't the right one? It makes more sense for her to dabble in drums now than to spend a lifetime wondering woulda coulda shoulda or forsaking all other aspirations to become a drummer at the age of 22.

When our children learned to walk, sometimes they stumbled. We didn't hold their hands the whole time but let go, a little more each day so they could build a sense of balance to last a lifetime. The same is true of our children's hearts. As we let go and watch them toddle, they will sometimes stumble. Our job is to help them get back up, brush off their backsides and encourage them to try again. Sometimes, we kiss bruised knees. Other times, we simply send them to try again.

When we teach our children to walk, do we criticize their every effort? “No, Johnny. You stepped the wrong way. Don't lift both feet at once. Lean to the right.” No! Instead, we cheer their efforts, guide them when needed, and encourage them to walk on their own two feet. We need to do the same thing as our children discern their own vocations and venture to follow them.

Corrie and Betsy ten Boom are great examples of what happens when people follow their own vocations and build their talents. Corrie and Betsy found themselves called to the vocation of single life. At first, Corrie tried to manage her family's household, while Betsy helped her father with the family watch shop. Neither did her job well.

Great things happened when they switched. In 1922, Corrie became the first female licensed watchmaker in Holland and discovered she had a knack for organizing the family business. Betsy made the ten Boom house a home and a haven. God used both their skills in World War II, as they worked in the Dutch underground and sheltered Jewish refugees. Corrie helped her father, age 80, run the family's clock business and used it as a cover to help the Dutch underground find hiding places to save Jewish lives. Betsy's talents for hospitality helped frightened refugees feel comfortable in their home.

What would have happened if Corrie and Betsy hadn't found and followed their God-given vocations? What if their father had forbidden their switching jobs?

What if James and John hadn't listened to the voice of the Lord and followed Him? What if their parents stopped or discouraged them?

We know what did happen. James and John were with Peter at the Transfiguration. In 44 A.D., Herod Agrippa I killed James with a sword; he was the first of the Apostles to be martyred. In the symmetry only God can arrange, John was the last of the Apostles to die, and he wrote the Gospel of John, three epistles, and Revelation. The brothers who once asked their mother Salome to ask Jesus to give them chosen thrones in heaven, instead became the first and the last of the original faithful Apostles to die.

How does this apply to us? We encourage our own children with baby steps. The small decisions they make today help them build skills they need tomorrow. Just as a baby grows more confident with each toddled step, so our children grow taller and older with each tiny decision. Encourage them at every opportunity. It's as important now as it was when they learned to walk.

When my Pine Derby Queen tries a new car design, she's honing skills she may one day need. God only knows what she'll do with those talents. The key there is, God only knows.

We don't have to understand every mystery or understand the universe. All we have to do is hear His call and obey. We must teach our children to do the same.

“Show me Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; on You I wait all the day” (Ps 25:4-5).

Copyright 2006 by Mary Biever. All rights reserved.

Subscribe to CE
(It's free)

Go to Catholic Exchange homepage

MENU