January 21 Sermon (3 Epiphany)

Eternal God, the refuge and help of all your children, we praise you for all you have given us,

for all you have done for us, for all that you are to us. In our weakness, you are strength, in our darkness, you are light, in our sorrow, you are comfort and peace. We cannot number your blessings, we cannot declare your love: For all your blessings we bless you, May we live as in your presence, and love the things that you love, and serve you in our daily lives; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. ~ written by St. Boniface (ca. 672-754)

“Follow me and I will make you fish for people.”

Last week it was Jesus who called Philip to come follow him; this week in the Gospel it is Jesus calling to the fisherman Simon Peter & Andrew followed by James & John, the sons of Zebedee.

How strange those words must have sounded to them…

“Follow me and I will make you fish for people.” And yet something must have stirred in their hearts, in their souls, for they leave their livelihood behind and go and follow Jesus.

All that they knew was behind them and walking in faith and trust in what Jesus said, they ventured forth from the sea of Galilee. I think of Martin Luther King Jr’s words… “Faith is taking the first step, even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”

And they took the first step and so many more…

But I also think of Nathaniel who resisted the call. Nazareth. Nothing good comes from there. But he did go with Philip and his life too was transformed.

For Jonah, in our first reading, he resisted the call from God too.

The Ninevites, a neighbour to the north, were an enemy of Israel.  God was looking for a prophet to send to them to have them repent of their evil ways. So God called Jonah - Twice!  When God first called him to send him to the Ninevites, Jonah ran the other way as fast as he could go, even jumping on a ship to go in the opposite direction.

Eventually a big fish brought Jonah back and as we heard this morning, God then called Jonah a second time and sent him to the Ninevites.  He proclaimed what God asked of him and the people of Nineveh listened. God did not destroy them because they repented of their evil ways.  Jonah, though, was angry.  He knew God might forgive them.  And now the hated Ninevites were saved.

God said to Jonah the reluctant prophet, "can’t I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than one hundred twenty thousand people who can’t tell their right hand from their left, and also many animals?" (Jonah 4:11 CEB)

Jonah could only see the hated enemy, but God saw his creation, a people who had erred and strayed like lost sheep, but who also deserve pity and a chance to mend their ways. And so called Jonah.

God calls the Simon Peters and the Philips, but he also calls the Nathaniels and Jonahs too.  He calls you and me to follow him and to do more than that, to minister to all in God’s name…

Such ministry is as simple as how we love; like a mother’s kiss to a child…

One writer put it this way: “My youngest daughter always had me kissing her boo-boos.  I did it because, as every mother knows, it makes it feel better.  What I never understood was the thought process behind the action.

 

“One day my daughter asked me to kiss her boo-boo when I was pressed for time, so I hurriedly obliged.  She cried, telling me it wasn’t any good because my kiss didn’t have any love in it.  I realized that kissing boo-boos was really about loving the pain away. 

“This simple truth, along with the value of mindfulness my daughter taught me, has encouraged me to slow down, to become more aware and present in the moment.  Slowing down is a conscious decision to live at a gentler pace and to make the most of the time I have. 

“When my own mother passed away, I did not forget the love she gave me; it will live on in my heart forever.  She gave me life, but beyond that, she gave me love . . . 

“With that errant kiss, I realized it was my responsibility as a mother to watch over my child’s spiritual growth . . . By simply showing my child kindness through listening, I believe I have satisfied my child’s earliest spiritual needs.  By being genuine — that is, personally connected and physically present — I have satisfied my child’s developing spirit.” [Mary Ann Rollano, writing in Spirituality & Health, November/December 2005.] 

It is Jesus who entrusts to each one of us — whether we are a fisherman or a mom or even reluctant like Jonah or Nathaniel — the work of discipleship: to extend, in whatever our circumstances, the love of God to all whom we meet; in our own homes and communities, to proclaim that love with the compassion & forgiveness that is bound in the life of Jesus. 

As God is present to us in the person of Jesus, we are called to be present to one another in our love and care.  To be the fishers of people that Jesus calls all of us disciples to become and to cast out God’s love that we have experienced upon the waters of our time and place, to reach out and grasp the hand of those who struggle and stumble, to love away the hurt and pain and fear in ourselves and others.

We might not know where God is calling us to love, but God calls us to make that first step in faith, knowing the Holy Spirit will be with us in each and every step we take.

Jesus calls you and me, today, to leave all that would hold us back and come follow him.

How will you answer?  Amen.