Another week on call. Fascinating to see the differences between the story of the calling of the first disciples as found in the Gospel of John and the Gospel of Matthew. the topic of call has seemed to catch the attention of several members of the congregation.
This week, the sermon seemed to go better than last week, but it still feels like the sermons are getting in the way of the text. The third point about "Follow me" not being in the imperative was interesting to me. I trust the reference I had for it to be correct, but I could not find much more support for it in other resources. A reminder that if I had kept up my Greek better, I could have figured it out for myself!
“Immediately” Matthew 4: 12-23; SAPC, Denton; January 22, 2023; Calling All Disciples series Richard B. Culp
Matthew 4: 12-12
12 Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. 13He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the lake, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14so that what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
15 ‘Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali,
on the road by the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—
16 the people who sat in darkness
have seen a great light,
and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death
light has dawned.’
17From that time Jesus began to proclaim, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’
18 As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the lake—for they were fishermen. 19And he said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.’ 20Immediately they left their nets and followed him. 21As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. 22Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him. Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people.
Introduction: We continue our preaching “Calling All Disciples”
Each week we are invited to reflect on how we see God calling us.
move 1: this week, we begin our reflections by noting that we all have different call stories and callings
a. Last week, we read the calling of the first disciples from the Gospel of John.
1. you remember - Andrew and an unnamed disciple are looking for the Messiah and John the Baptist points them to Jesus.
2. If you missed it or don’t remember, go home and read the second half of the first chapter ff the Gospel of John while you’re waiting for the Cowboy game to begin.
3. This morning, we just heard the Gospel of Matthew’s version of the calling of the first disciples.
4. Very different stories.
5. A reminder that we all have different call stories.
6. A reminder that how we understand our calling may change over time.
7. God calls all of us, but we each have unique callings, and our calling may change.
b. Now a brief follow-up to last week’s reflection that your calling is not limited to what you do at church.
1. I was reading this week about research done a few years ago on Christian vocation. (David Lose Here’s why: In the research leading up to a grant on Christian vocation funded by the Lilly Endowment, a team of folks with whom I was fortunate to work discovered two perplexing things)
2. Graduates of the five seminaries, one of which was Presbyterian (Catholic Theological Union, Duke Divinity School, Fuller Seminary, Princeton Seminary, and Luther Seminary) all reported that “vocation” was a significant category in their teaching and preaching. Not all that perplexing, you might say; and I’d agree — this was all to the good!
3. At the same time, however, it turned out that most members of the congregations they serve don’t feel called. Most of the folks listening to our preaching and teaching on vocation, that is, don’t see most of what they do outside of the church as worthy of God’s attention and interest. https://www.workingpreacher.org/dear-working-preacher/fishers-of-people)
4. In other words, they did not connect God’s calling with what they were doing, unless it took place at church.
4. Perhaps a survey in this congregation would reveal similar findings, but I invite you as you reflect on God’s call for your life to recognize that God’s call makes a claim on you and your whole life, not just on the hours you spend in church.
5. That sense of call carries with it both a challenge and a hope:
the challenge - that God expects us to live out our call in the place where we go each day.
the hope - that God will use us for God’s purposes in the places where we go each day.
Move 2: This call story in Matthew also gives a sense of urgency to our understanding of what it means to answer God’s call.
a. Matthew sets the table for this urgency by first noting that John the Baptist has been imprisoned.
1. then, the prophet Isaiah is mentioned, which draws a parallel between Isaiah’s context and Jesus’ context.
2. We remember that during Isaiah’s time, Assyria was the world power that Isaiah prophesied would destroy the northern kingdom of Israel.
3. It was a time of darkness for God’s people, and Isaiah was prophesying that God would send light into their darkness to save God’s people.
4. In Jesus’ time, Rome was the world power that brought darkness to God’s people with its brutal way of conquest and control.
5. in fact, the Gospel of Matthew probably was written shortly after the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, so the early Christians reading this call story in Matthew recognize that they are like the Israelites in the time of Isaiah, desperately needing light in the darkness. (https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/third-sunday-after-epiphany/commentary-on-matthew-412-23-3
6. who is going to be light?
7. Not John the Baptist. He is imprisoned.
8. The story sifts to Jesus.
7. God’s people need Jesus to act.
8. To act now.
b. So Jesus does.
1. He announces that the kingdom of heaven has come near.
2. And he needs help with his work - immediately.
2. so Jesus goes looking for people to join with him.
3. Jesus spies first Peter and Andrew and then James and John.
4. and Jesus shouts out, “follow me!”
5. notice - Jesus does not invite them to a meeting next month to hear about his plans for ministry.
6. Jesus does not send them off on a retreat so they can reflect on their sense of call.
7. Jesus just calls,
and first Peter and Andrew follow - immediately;
then James and john follow - immediately.
b. We are invited to bring that sense of urgency to our calling.
1. this past week with Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, I reflected on his ministry.
2. often, I reflect on his Letter from Birmingham jail. in part because the Presbyterian minister at First Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, AL, was also serving as Moderator of the Synod of Alabama, and in that role signed to letter to King which prompted his reply we know as a letter from Birmingham jail.
3. As an aside, the Presbyterian minister was eventually forced to leave FPC, Birmingham because he was too open to integration (read more about Edward Ramage here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_V._Ramage)
4. But, King’s complaint with the Birmingham pastors rings true.
5. the ministers wanted to wait for a "more convenient season."
6. king describes this as the “myth of time” which served to put off needed action on God’s behalf. (https://www.csuchico.edu/iege/_assets/documents/susi-letter-from-birmingham-jail.pdf)
7. The disciples left immediately;
8. Martin Luther King, Jr. reminds us that God’s work cannot wait.
8. there is a sense of urgency in living out our calling.
c. This urgency, however, does not mean that what we are called to do has to be completed, or maybe even started immediately;
but it does mean our calling demands our attention immediately.
1. When I decided I was hearing a call to go to seminary, I was ready to act immediately.
2. There was a minor problem, it was about time for seminary to start, and I had not even begun the application process. In fact, I was about to start law school.
3. As part of my discernment, I went to visit a minister.
4. He listened to my story, noted my urgency, and then gave me some advice.
“Try to get into seminary. If you can start now, then start seminary.”
“But, I you cannot start seminary at this late date, go on to law school. Then, you have the year to see if law school fits and figure out more clearly God’s call for you.”
5. I did get into seminary and started a week or two later.
6. But, I have often remembered those wise words with the option to wait and refine my sense of call - not put it off, but work at it.
7. Years later, I had a member come to visit me. He no longer felt like his job was what God was calling him to do.
it began an ongoing conversation he had with God, his spouse, and sometimes his minister.
it led to his leaving his job and finding another job.
it never quite felt right, either.
so he kept looking and seeking.
finally, he found another job.
A job that felt right.
A job where he felt like God was using him to make a difference.
it took several years of changing and exploring.
it was not a quick process, but the urgency was there throughout.
8. The disciples followed Jesus immediately.
Bring a sense of urgency to live into God’s calling for your life.
Move 3: Final thought - we hear God’s call as a word of encouragement.
a. There is something interesting in this story from Matthew when we look at the Greek text.
1. Further to the point, exegetes will point out that The Gospel of Matthew’s preferred way of talking about discipleship is with the word akoloutheo, “to follow.”
2. But in this story, the word Jesus uses that is translated as “follow me” is not the Greek word typically used.
3. It is actually a phrase that is generally used as a word of encouragement, not as an imperative command.
3. It literally means to “come on behind me,” as an encouraging word.
Jesus saying: come with me
join with me
let me encourage you
let me guide you.
Not a demand, but an invitation filled with the promise to be with us as we follow him.
b. there is nothing easy about living into our calling.
1. Joining with Jesus to be light in the world of darkness is a challenge.
2. So Jesus encourages us to join him.
3. Jesus calls us to follow him.
Conclusion: Are you ready and willing to go? Immediately?
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