Isaiah 9: 1-4 (CEB)
Matthew 4: 12-23 (CEB)
The famous theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote in his book, “The Cost of Discipleship,” that the call to “follow me” was a call to “absolute discipleship” and that it came at a very high cost. But, he also noticed that it was only in surrendering ourselves to Jesus’ command that we could know our greatest joy. There must have been something so profound about Jesus’ invitation that four fishermen were able to take a risk and drop everything to become part of the Jesus Movement. Dietrich Bonhoeffer took the ultimate risk in following Jesus. Bonhoeffer was a German who actively opposed Hitler’s fascist regime. And he was executed by the Nazis in the closing days of WWII.
In Matthew 4: 12-13 it is written that Jesus heard that John the Baptizer had been arrested. So for the safety of his mission, Jesus moved his activism away from Nazareth to Capernaum in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali. During the time of the Prophet Isaiah, the lands of Naphtali and Zebulun were under the dominion of the Assyrians who conquered the Northern Kingdom of Israel in 732 BC. Isaiah’s prophecy was written in anticipation of a future king whose reign the prophet hoped would restore these lands and reunite the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. While Isaiah was likely referring to King Hezekiah, the writer of Matthew’s gospel envisions the fulfillment of this prophecy with Jesus.
During this third week of Epiphany as we remember the revelation of God in the person of Jesus, it also means the coming of the Kingdom of God to penetrate the dark season by the Incarnated Light. The term “Kingdom of God” is confusing to many. It does not mean “Heaven” and it doesn’t necessarily mean the “Church” although it could be. The Kingdom of God is a metaphor for the teachings of Jesus put into action. It’s just like when we recite the Lord’s Prayer every Sunday - “Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in Heaven.”
And how does God’s Kingdom work on earth today? It’s a Food Bank that supports a family living on the brink of starvation. It is Disaster Assistance after a storm or flooding. It is opposing systems that perpetuate systemic racism and poverty. While hope comes in many forms, during Epiphany we celebrate the source of Light and that hope through Christ.
The command to “Follow Me” is something that is repeated many times in the Bible. God called Abraham and Sarah to leave their home, their family and settle in an unfamiliar land. God called Rahab, a prostitute, to shelter
the Hebrew spies sent to Jericho. God called Samuel three times as a young boy to be God’s servant and Samuel later anointed Israel’s first king, Saul. God called prophets like Isaiah and Amos to preach to the people of Israel to open their greedy eyes and see God in the midst of the poor. God called the peasant girl Mary to give birth of the Incarnation of God into human flesh. And God called four poor fishermen from their nets to follow Jesus.
When Peter, Andrew, James and John left their vocation as fishermen, they were likely under contract with the Roman Empire. Peter and Andrew as brothers, along with James and John had possibly purchased a lease or contract with Roman agents that allowed them to fish and to supply a certain quality of fish to the Romans. In following Jesus the four former fishermen had caused a disruption, although small, to Rome’s economic interests. Rome wanted the four men to catch fish to advance their Empire’s imperialist expansion. Jesus wanted them to catch people to become part of God’s Realm, which as Jesus will demonstrate, is a rule of justice, mercy and plenty for all. I believe God’s call works in many of the same ways today. God says “Follow Me” when you see those who are hungry, without shelter or lack of decent clothing. “Follow Me” in bringing justice to those who are oppressed and without a voice. And God calls us to nurture talents for his Kingdom on Earth. From gifted singers with a beautiful hymn and gifted Treasurers handling the money of the Body of Christ.
Following Jesus is not theoretical, it’s in the circumstances and relationships in our lives. Our relationship with Jesus is grounded with the people we encounter. So was it for Peter, Andrew, James and John. We see that all through Matthew’s gospel. Matthew not only describes the life and ongoing ministry of Jesus, but how it influences the lives of the four fishermen. This includes Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, his healing of the sick and his telling of the parables. And finally, the tragedy of the crucifixion followed by the triumphal vindication of the resurrection, ascension and the coming of the Holy Spirit on the Jesus believers at Pentecost.
But some may ask, why does Jesus call for people to repent to enter the Kingdom of God? Not necessarily a very good sales strategy. I suppose it worked better for Jesus because his listeners already had a vision of its
benefits. Unfortunately, the word “repent” has been misunderstood by Christians down through the centuries. It has been put into a small box meaning only personal sins. The Common English Bible gets the meaning
better when it translates “repent” in Matthew 4: 17, as, “Change your hearts and lives! Here comes the
kingdom of God.”
Very often the Church has called people to repentance without making clear the vision of the kingdom of God. The kingdom has been presented as the same as entering Heaven after we die. But the Kingdom actually is the
active presence of God within one’s life, in the world and all creation. As Jesus says in the scriptures, “the Kingdom of God is among you.” (Luke 17:21).
The Church as Christ’s body is to show God’s kingdom. The values and vision of God’s kingdom are to be shown by the Body of Christ. The benefits of that vision are not only the personal but also the socially active and
creational and that is part of our mission as a Matthew 25 Church. When churches unite together as part of the Matthew 25 community, they can leverage an impact on a much larger scale. This is why the Presbyterian Church USA has become more active and effective in being a strong advocate for social justice, whether in the United States and in other nations.
I opened my sermon today with a quote from Dietrich Bonhoeffer, from his famous book, “The Cost of Discipleship,” a book I do have in my library. And I will close this sermon from another quote from Bonhoeffer, concerning discipleship, following Jesus and the gift of grace. Bonhoeffer writes and I quote, “Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a person must knock. It is costly because it costs Jesus his life, and it is grace because it gives a person the only true life.”
AMEN
