Reflect on this. If Christ comes here on earth for you to worship and follow, and you run away from Him - do you not deny Him?
The disciples were not running from Christ ... they were fleeing the persecution He was suffering.
They weren't living up to their calling, ... but they weren't changing their allegiance (to Him).
“They weren’t living up to their calling, ... but they weren’t changing their allegiance (to Him).”
I agree.