The Replacement

By Ronald F. Lazenby

Tragedy... Family issues... Miracles... Threats... How would you react if you were a young fisherman following Jesus during His earthly ministry?

Join the journey of a man mentioned only once in the Bible and watch his life unfold as he follows Jesus throughout His earthly ministry. Experience the highs and lows of Matthia

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trilogy Christian Publishing
• Release date: Feb 23, 2022
• ISBN: 9781685560096

Ronald F. Lazenby

A life-long Christian, Ronald F. Lazenby was published in the May-June 2019, The Upper Room. He received the 2020 third-place Blue Lake Christian Writers Retreat Living Water Award in fiction for this novel and the 2019 third-place award in children's picture books.He's a proud father and grandfather, a lifetime resident of Montgomery, Alabama, and part-time resident in Florida, a graduate of Auburn University, retired State of Alabama employee, and former director of a local clothes closet.

Book preview

A FISHERMAN’S LIFE

How much more death can I take?

The dark clouds continue to produce bright flashes of lightning over the water as the fishing boats approach the shore of the Sea of Galilee. I am glad to be safely ashore but shaken by the heartbreaking news quickly spreading among the fishermen. During the storm, a twenty-year-old fisherman was swept overboard into the turbulent surf and drowned.

The distant rumbles of thunder are a constant reminder of the tragedy that occurred as if announcing the arrival of the boat containing the storm’s victim. And the chill of the falling rain makes it even more miserable and difficult for me to complete the required tasks. Like the end of every day of fishing, the nets must be mended, washed, dried, and folded to prepare for the next day’s work. Normally, the fishy smell of the nets does not bother me, but today the odor turns my stomach.

Suddenly the thunder ceases, and all is quiet. Grasping each corner of a folded net, four men exit one of the boats carrying the lifeless body of the sea’s victim. The crowd of fishermen on land stand reverently on both sides for the procession to pass through its midst while the ones still on boats watch in silence. Following the Jewish custom among mourners to tear one’s clothing, the distraught father of the victim has ripped his tunic from the neck to the waist. As he follows the corpse, he beats his chest in agony. I feel his pain. His continuous wails are excruciating to hear and remind me of my own loss. I muffle a sob.

As the procession passes by me, I am unable to hold back the tears and hope no one sees me as I brush them from my cheeks. But Abba does not miss much. Without looking or saying anything, he gives my shoulder a consoling squeeze as if he knows what I am thinking. Both my wife Arat and first-born child—a baby boy—died during childbirth less than four months ago. That has consumed my thoughts ever since. The grief over my loss is unbearable, and the loneliness overwhelms me. Fishing daily helps fill the deep void their deaths left behind—until days like today. I just cannot cope with any more death.

However, I must not let that interfere with my responsibilities; I owe it to my family because they have been so supportive these past few months. I know it has been hard on them to watch me grieve as they are dealing with the deaths, too. Each time I have repeated the scenario of Arat’s death, they have shown empathy and compassion—sharing tears and crying on each other’s shoulders. They have tried to cheer me up by reminding me of the good times Arat and I had. I appreciate their actions and concerns, but I cannot seem to climb out of this deep dark hole.

It is expected of me to follow in my father’s footsteps. Abba is a fisherman, so I have trained to be like him since I could walk. Or so it seems. I continue learning new things to improve my skills. I know where to look for schools of fish, how to cast a net from the shore or from a boat, which fish to keep and which to discard, and how to mend nets and sails. I can even salt and preserve fish so they will not spoil. For my age, I have the reputation among the local fishermen of being excellent at my trade.

But is being a fisherman how I want to spend the rest of my life?

My father Jesse and his brother Seba run the generations-old family fishing business from the shores of Bethsaida with the help of their uncle, Benjamin. I am Matthias, the only child of Jesse and Rachel. My best friend and younger cousin, Joseph, is the only child of my aunt Martha and uncle Seba. Soon it will be up to the two of us to continue the family business.

I look up from mending my net and watch Seba and Abba approach the hated Jewish tax collector’s table and his Roman guard. I wonder how much the greedy publican will tax us today. How much of our hard-earned money will he pocket for himself?

My thoughts return to the life of a fisherman—or the death of one. Joseph, that fisherman who washed overboard today could have been one of us. That thought scares me. I don’t know if I can keep doing this.

Joseph stores his net and turns toward me. I feel the same way and would love to do something different, Matthias. But what alternative do we have? Our family is a fishing family. We have been trained to be fishermen and are not skilled at any other profession.

Eyeing him sideways to see his reaction, I continue, I have been thinking about that and have an idea if you are agreeable to it. We will have a somewhat different path, but first, we need to persuade our fathers. That may be the most difficult part since we will not be with them every day.

Joseph’s eyes light up with obvious interest. At this moment, it is not going to take much to persuade me. Let’s hear your proposal.

I stop and lay the net down at my feet. I look directly at Joseph. Here is my plan. What if you and I alternate going to the other villages and exchanging our fish for the items our family requires? We get the things we need by selling or trading the fish we have caught. Plus, we do not have to fish or work on the boat every day.

Joseph furrows his brow and scratches his head. Benjamin is already trading the smoked fish for wood to repair the boats, flax for nets and sails, stones for anchors, baskets for fish, and grain for bread. What would we be doing?

The other day, I overheard him telling Abba that he needs to slow down because he is getting too old, his health is worsening, and soon he will not be able to make some of the longer trips. However, if he still wants to travel to the closer villages, he can continue to do that. We can go to the ones farther away.

I like your idea. When do you want to surprise our fathers with it? Should we tell them together or separately?

Let us practice what we want to say and tell them together. What about tomorrow?

Tonight, the nightmares are even worse than usual. When I drift off to sleep, I relive the death of my wife and son. I hear Arat’s painful cries as she tries to deliver my already dead son. I hear my mother holler, Matthias, come quick! The bleeding will not stop. Arat needs you! I rush into the room, see Arat soaked in blood, and gag as the chord is being cut from around the neck of the dead baby. I lean over Arat’s pale, colorless face as she weakly whispers, I’m sorry, Matthias, before her eyes glaze over into the deadly stare. I scream NOOO! and wake up sobbing.

Mother lightly rubs my shoulder and lays beside me. Another nightmare, son?

Yes, the same one as usual.

She puts her arm around me, and I fall back asleep. But in addition to the recurring nightmares of seeing the dead faces of my wife and son, I keep having repeating dreams of being hit by a wave and thrown into the turbulent surf—drowning like the young fisherman earlier today. I wake up several times gasping for air and soaking in sweat.

Daylight is a welcome relief from my restless night. To be in the warm sunshine and see the glistening ripples of the water as we net fish from the shore helps to lift the darkness that is overshadowing my thoughts.

After several hours of fishing, the four of us stop for a break. Joseph and I hurriedly eat our smoked fish and bread in the shade of a nearby tree while Abba and Seba sit on a couple of large rocks next to the shore. We have been anxious to tell our fathers of our plans but just have not worked up enough nerve or had the right opportunity…until now.

Joseph, it is now or never. Let’s go tell them. I grab Joseph’s hand to pull him to his feet. My palms are so sweaty he almost falls, causing us to both laugh. At least that breaks the tension. A little.

Abba notices our hesitation in walking toward our fathers. You two look troubled. What is wrong, boys?

Trying to sound as mature and calm as possible, I answer with a shaky voice, We have something important to discuss with both of you.

Seba looks at Abba. This does not sound good, Jesse. He turns his attention back to us. Have a seat, boys. What’s bothering you?

Obeying him, we sit down. I begin by admitting I am being selfish by what we are proposing and thank them for their understanding and compassion for me since Arat’s and the baby’s death. I am not handling their deaths well, as you already know. And after the death of the fisherman yesterday…. I gulp. His death scared me. I don’t know if I can commit to fishing from the boat for the rest of my life.

Abba reaches over and squeezes my hand. I understand your pain, son.

While we present our idea, our fathers lean toward us as if it will make them hear better. When we conclude, Seba rests his chin on his hand. I don’t know, boys. We will be losing at least one fisherman every time one of you is gone. Those of us fishing will have to work even harder than we already do. I do not see how we can do that. Our families will suffer if we lose a fisherman.

Abba strokes his beard and looks at Seba. But just a few days ago, Benjamin did say he can’t continue making the long journeys into the villages to sell or trade our fish for the things we need. We need someone to replace him—at least for the longer trips. Once they are trained, we would have one of them here to fish while the other is gone. I know Benjamin is not as strong and agile as the boys, but maybe he could fish when the boys are gone, and the boys could still fish with us when they are both home. At least Benjamin’s replacement would be a member of our family.

Abba and Seba talk among themselves before Abba stands. We can try it for a short while and see how it works, and hopefully, it will work out. If it does not, we will adjust. Tomorrow, Benjamin is supposed to meet us at the boat before we go out fishing. Let us see what he thinks.

Seba grabs his net. I imagine he will be happy to teach you boys his part of the trade. Although you are not going to be danger-free on your journeys, you will be safer than being on the boat every day.

Abba puts his arm around my shoulder and looks into my eyes. When anyone loses his or her life at such a young age like the young man yesterday…or Arat, it makes us all stop and realize how our lives can be snatched from us at any moment. That is the main reason we are casting from the shore today.

With my eyes clouded by tears, all I can say is, I know.

He smiles and pats me on the back. For now, we need to return to fishing.

That went far better than I expected.

Joseph and I do not want to scare any fish close to shore, so we sneak into the shallow water while Abba and Seba are casting their nets a little farther up the shoreline. Once we toss our circular nets, I glance over at Joseph and whisper, What do you think Benjamin’s response will be?

AN ALTERNATIVE

The next morning while Joseph and I are ensuring the weights and floats of the dragnets are properly secured for a day of boat-fishing, we see Benjamin slowly hobbling toward our fathers. On a fishing excursion several years ago, he suffered a broken leg which did not heal properly. This morning not only is he barely picking up his foot, but he is dragging it as if it is weighted down and it is taking every ounce of energy to move it. He is even using a walking stick. He does not do that often. Having been in the fishing business all his life has taken its toll on him.

Shalom, Abba greets him with a hug. Do you want to go fishing with us today, Benjamin?

I wish I could schedule some fishing into my day. It looks like we are going to have nice weather today. However, I need to run some errands and get some things done around here before I head south tomorrow on another one of those long, dreaded trips. That is typical Benjamin. Knowing the work must be done regardless of how he feels, he always pushes himself to complete the needed tasks. I admire that about him.

Abba takes advantage of Benjamin’s statement to introduce our proposition. We need to talk to you about that, Benjamin. Our sons have a proposal for you I think you are going to like. Abba motions for us to join them and pats me on the shoulder. Our sons have an idea which could be the solution to your problems.

After hearing our plan and the reason behind it, Benjamin winks at Joseph and me accompanied with a huge smile. Boys, the way I feel this morning, you are welcome to take over this job anytime you want. The sooner, the better. Benjamin looks at Abba and Seba. In fact, they are welcome to go with me tomorrow if you approve. I have some deliveries to make over the next several days and can use the extra muscle. It will give them a sample of what will be expected of them.

Joseph and I clasp each other’s shoulders and shake one another as our fathers give their approval. I admit it is short notice, but you might as well start training immediately. We will miss having you boys with us every day. Abba has a tear in his eye and gives me a hug. But you will not be gone long and can always fish with us when you get home.

While the three of them handle the business for which Benjamin initially came, Joseph and I continue preparing the boat for a day of fishing. We have a long journey, so I will see you boys at dawn. Benjamin waves to us as he shuffles away. He seems to have a little more pep in his step now and is no longer using the stick for support.

We will be there, bright and early! I exclaim as we both return the wave.

The next morning as Joseph and I cross the common courtyard separating all our homes, Benjamin has already loaded the wagon with all the baskets of smoked fish we are trading. I tote a bundle of fruits and raw vegetables and a basket of smoked fish and bread to the wagon. I hope there is room in the wagon for this food Mother prepared.

We do not have a lot of room, but we will make room for that. Benjamin laughs and rubs his stomach. And I am impressed by your punctuality, too. You boys are off to a good start. Are you ready to leave?

Anytime you are. I laid awake most of last night thinking about our venture. When I am not having nightmares, laying awake at night is nothing new since Arat and my son died. I hope being off the boat and away from Bethsaida will help break that habit. I am really looking forward to a change.

I am glad you are excited, Matthias. The excitement may wear off over time as things become more routine. But almost every trip has at least one unexpected challenge. An anticipated trade does not occur, or a caravan is either too slow or too fast. You encounter bad weather or problems with people at campsites. Those things are what makes life interesting, though. I think you boys are going to enjoy this job—I know I have. I wish I could continue making these long trips, but I just cannot keep up the pace that I used to. Benjamin grimaces at the thought.

Benjamin waves goodbye to his wife Elizabeth, who has been standing in the doorway of their home and watching us. Although Benjamin is moving a little quicker this morning, I help him climb onto the wagon. Sorry, but only two of us can ride in the wagon at a time with the load we are carrying right now. He points to the donkey. We don’t want to kill Old Job here, so you will need to take turns riding in the wagon. You two need to decide who gets to ride first.

I quickly hop on the seat beside Benjamin and turn toward Joseph. Looks like you are going to be walking for a while.

Joseph grins broadly. I do not have a problem with that. It is cool right now. But it will be a lot warmer in the heat of the day while you are walking on the hot, dusty path, and I am relaxing up there in the wagon.

Although I laugh, it is true. It will be hotter when I am walking. Where are we going?

Jericho. It is known for its pottery and baskets. You have some cousins there who are the best in the business. And do not let the distance scare you. I only go there every couple of months to trade fish. Since this trip is one of the longest trips I make, it will be an excellent learning experience for you two.

We follow the coastline down the eastern coast of the Sea of Galilee, stopping in Gergesa and Hippos to trade our fish for supplies. We stay on the eastern shore of the Jordan River through Perea to avoid defilement by contact with Samaritans. We set up camp and bathe in the river while the sun is still high enough to warm us. After eating some of the food Mother prepared, we settle down by the fire to sleep—at least Benjamin and Joseph sleep. I keep prodding the fire until late in the night before I can finally doze.

For safety reasons, we travel in caravans as much as possible, but since we are slowed down by our heavy load, we change caravans daily as we make the long trek to Jericho. Benjamin talks almost constantly, trying to tell us everything he can recall about our new duties and introduces us to many of his contacts in