Surprising Musings
by Anna Murdock

This morning, as I read Mark 1:14-20, I found myself so thankful that
Mark used words sparingly.  Oh, I know that it doesn't help in writing
sermons, so forgive my thankfulness.  Mark moves John out, and  brings
Jesus in ... we hear Jesus declare that the kingdom of God is near
(but doesn't paint a full picture), we are told to "turn around" and
believe in the good news ... ALL IN ONE SENTENCE!  Whew!

But it wasn't this first sentence that grabbed my attention this
morning.  Verses 19 and 20 really stopped me and, just as I couldn't
turn my eyes away from the Scriptures, I couldn't turn my eyes away
from Zebedee's face.  In Mark's scarcity of words, we are left with
the face of a father as his sons put their nets down and followed this
man named Jesus.  The sons had no clue what was to be ahead of them
... no clue of the dust of their soon-to-be-journey, no clue of what
they would witness and what would be asked of them ... and no clue of
the cross to come.

That's right ...I can't keep my eyes off of Zebedee.  I can almost
hear his "NO" as his sons carefully dropped their mended nets to leave
for the unknown (although that NO is not to be found in the
Scriptures).  Perhaps, I hear this because I have heard, "No, she
won't speak there ... No, she won't go there ... No, she would never
do that ... No, she would never leave."   I have heard these words
from my own 'Zebedees' (a disclaimer: surely we are greatly loved by
most of our 'Zebedees').  In verses 19 and 20, I want to smile at
James and John and whisper, "Keep walking toward the One who called
your names" and then I so want to turn to Zebedee and say, "All will
be OK with them ... and with you ... for God is faithful."

There are times when Jesus calls our names and we drop the nets in a
way that is most surprising (and maybe a bit alarming) to others.
They might hope that our feet become tangled in the nets from the very
beginning ... from our very first steps forward.  But often, we find
that, with God's help, the nets are dropped so that we might step over
them and walk forward.

My morning's prayers were that I might be better at placing down my
own nets, that I might not become entangled in them, that I might not
allow the "No's" and "You can't do this" to drown out the "Follow
Me's"  AND that I might not be one who would stand between one whose
name is called and our Lord.

I assume too much with these Scriptures, I know, but I've been
entangled in a net of late .... knowing that I am to be more verbal
both in the spoken and written word and yet hearing "No you can't" to
the point of receiving net-burns.  I know the look on the face and I
know the voice.  By the way, finally I am sensing that I am no longer
entangled.

(Comments to Anna at abmurdo@northstate.net.)
Worship Team Leader
Broad Street UMC
Statesville, NC