27 January 2008 You Want Me To Do
WHAT?
Let us pray: May our hearing of Your Holy Word inspire us
to pay attention to Your call
and to follow Your lead throughout our lifes
journey. Amen.
I invite you to think back to
the games OR sports that you played as a child
OR
think about the many groups that you have been a part
of
whether that be:
Committees at work or here at church
Teams that plan for a specific event
Study groups at school or work
Card clubs OR reading groups OR other recreational
activities
Or even within your own family
The one thing that they all
have in common is that ~
IN
EACH group, someone will either be designated OR will EMERGE as the LEADER
AND, of course, this year we
are being bombarded by speeches
rallies
and ad in newspapers
on radio AND
TV
as we are being challenged to choose the LEADER who will represent each
political party in the Presidential elections to take place later this year.
SO: HOW DO WE IDENTIFY
A LEADER?
APPEARANCE: Physical looks
style of dress
Mannerisms
style of speaking
Color of hair
or eyes
or skin
EDUCATION GENDER
ETHNIC BACKGROUND
RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION
ECONOMIC BACKGROUND
RELATIONSHIP with PAST LEADERS
AND THEN:
WHAT is our CRITERIA for ASSESSING
THEIR ABILITY TO LEAD?
Is it the ONE who MAKES the
MOST SENSE?
OR the
ONE who SPEAKS the LOUDEST?
Is it the ONE who HAS the
MOST EXPERIENCE?
OR the
ONE who has the BIGGEST VISION?
CAN we REMOVE SELF
AND listen OBJECTIVELY to
what they have to say
weighing ALL of their statements?
OR are we
most swayed by POPULAR OPINION?
IS this a person we can
BELIEVE
the ONE we have HOPED FOR
NOT EASY DECISION
but
perhaps more important ??? than identifying
a leader IS: WHO WOULD WE TRUST / BE
WILLING TO FOLLOW?
LAST WEEK: we heard the invitation:
COME! AND SEE!
·
Jesus in 1 location
grounded / accessible
·
People knew WHERE TO
FIND HIM
TODAY: we hear the invitation:
FOLLOW ME!
GOSPEL lesson = STORY of
TRUST and FAITH
And so we hear the story
·
AFTER His Baptism
and
AFTER John the Baptist has been arrested
·
Jesus WITHDRAWS to
northern part of Israel
to the territory where He spent His life
Galilee
·
But He doesnt stay in
home town / Nazareth
·
INSTEAD
moves a little
further North to town of CAPERNAUM
ON the SEA OF GALILEE
·
THIS ACTION fulfills
prophecy by ISAIAH
o
in the land by the SEA
in the land of GALILEE
in the land of Gentiles / non-Jews
o
people who sat in
DARKNESS
those who were NOT enlightened
who sat in SPIRITUAL DARKNESS
o
THEY now have seen a
GREAT LIGHT
their EYES HAVE BEEN OPENED
just like the dawn of a new day
THE LIGHT HAS DAWNED AND OPENED UP NEW POSSIBILITIES FOR THEM
WHILE we acknowledge that
Jesus public ministry BEGAN with His Baptism
HERE we see that public ministry being PUT INTO PRACTICE.
Jesus proclamation is SAME
as Johns
PRIOR to Jesus Baptism:
REPENT! ~ Confess your sins! Beg forgiveness!
Be made RIGHT with God.
WHY?
The KINGDOM of GOD has come near
WITH the ARRIVAL of JESUS
the KINGDOM
the REALM
of GOD is
·
Available to all people
·
Accessible to those who
desire a closer relationship with God
·
There
OPEN to ALL who
wish to REACH OUT AND TOUCH IT
GRAB IT WITH BOTH HANDS
·
It BELONGS to ALL who
WANT IT!
Wonder: HOW was Jesus message received by the
people?
·
Some MAY have KNOWN Him
/ His family
·
Would some connect Him
to John
the rabble rouser?
·
Had some gathered TO
LISTEN TO HIM?
·
Had some ACCEPTED HIS
MESSAGE?
We dont know
BUT FROM THE
GOSPEL WE DO KNOW THAT JESUS HAD A MESSAGE THAT WAS HEARD
that INSPIRED PEOPLE to move in NEW and, PERHAPS,
ADVERTURESOME DIRECTIONS!!
GOSPEL continues
AS Jesus walks by the sea
encounters 2 brothers ~SIMON and ANDREW ~ hard at work at their CHOSEN
PROFESSION
·
Fishermen
ordinary
working people
a little rough around the edges
·
Probably a little dirty AND smelly after working all day / night
·
Calls to them
·
Simple message
FOLLOW ME!
·
With a curious
qualifier: I will help you FISH for people.
AND: what do
they do?
·
THEY LEAVE THEIR NETS AND FOLLOW JESUS.
JESUS walks on a little
further
SEES 2 more brothers
JOHN and JAMES
working with their
father Zebedee on THEIR OWN FISHING BOAT
·
AGAIN, 2 ordinary people
same trade
same state of appearance
·
Calls to them: FOLLOW
ME!
·
They drop their nets
abandon their boat AND their father
AND
FOLLOW JESUS.
This story leaves me with 2 questions:
1. WHAT was the reactions of their families and friends
as 4 hard-working men leave jobs / families / homes
to follow Jesus?
2. WHAT was there about Jesus that would cause these men
to drop everything and SIMPLY FOLLOW?
REACTIONS of Families and Friends
AS a parent
I know what MY
reaction would be?
·
You did WHAT?
·
WHAT about your JOB /
your FAMILY / your RESPONSIBILITIES?
·
WHAT sort of life is THIS JESUS offering?
·
From what I have seen
Jesus
o
Is on the move
constantly
o
Has been saying some
PRETTY STRANGE things about REPENTING
o
Has no visible means of
support
o
Newcomer to the area
o
Doesnt seem to have a
permanent home
o
Cant guarantee you anything
o
AND EXACTLY WHAT DOES IT
MEAN TO FISH FOR PEOPLE?!
o
IS that even legal???
!!!
AND depending on the answers
to those questions, what would YOU CALL someone who left home on a WHIM?
·
Shiftless
·
Irresponsible
·
A Dreamer
AND
WHAT would you be feeling
DEEP DOWN INSIDE?
·
ANGER
at being the ONE
who is ALWAYS left behind
BEING the RESPONSIBLE ONE
always RELIABLE &
DEPENDABLE
yet, at the same time
·
ENVY
watching someone
casting ALL CAUTION to the wind AND following their dream
WHAT WAS IT ABOUT JESUS THAT MADE THESE MEN SIMPLE
FOLLOW?
HIS message was definitely:
·
Counter cultural
·
Radical
a message that
hadnt been presented in that way before
YET: there must have been that CERTAIN SOMETHING
about Him
·
Ordinary YET compelling
·
Mild YET with an
underlying passion and energy
·
An INTENSITY about Him
that filled His listeners with a sense of CURIOSITY
AND a DESIRE to
EXPERIENCE first hand what He had to offer
WHICH leads me to that 1
final
nagging question that lies at the back of our own minds:
COULD
WE
LIKE THOSE DISCIPLES
JUST DROP
EVERYTHING
and FOLLOW A
PERSON WE BARELY KNOW
INTO PLACES WE BARELY UNDERSTAND
WITH
NO GUARANTEES ABOUT THE FUTURE OR THE OUTCOME OF OUR ACTIONS.
After all
following Jesus
is RISKY
it can be SCARY at times
it means GIVING UP CONTROL over our OWN
lives
it means SURRENDERING OUR
WILL and GIVING OURSELVES
WHOLE0HEARTEDLY TO HIS WILL.
AND WE HAVE TOOD REASONS FOR DOING THIS:
AFTER ALL
AS
people of the resurrection
as people who KNOW the end of the story
we can
quote ALL OF THE GOOD REASONS that we know
as to WHY we should follow Jesus.
BUT
those first disciples DIDNT know what was in store for them
They had NO CLUE as to the magnitude
of what Jesus simple call would mean for their lives.
WITH THAT IN MIND:
IT IS RATHER AMAZING that those early disciples said YES so
rEadily.
EXACTLY WHAT LEVEL OF TRUST and FAITH
DOES IT TAKE TO BOLDLY FOLLOW SUCH A PERSON / PATH?
(SHARE
THE POEM: THE BIKE RIDE)
Following
Jesus takes a HIGH LEVEL of TRUST and FAITH
Because, like the poem, FOLLOWING
JESUS moves us into places that may be NEW / STRANGE / a little UNCOMFORTABLE
AT FIRST
Following
Jesus, challenges us to be people of:
·
Extravagant welcome
·
Unconditional acceptance
·
Practice radical
generosity of:
o
Spirit
o
Our talents
o
Our resources
financial
material
·
Extending unending love
·
Open-ness to the new AND
exciting potential as we learn to dance with the Holy Spirit
·
Unfailing dedication to
mission & ministry of church
·
Change in perspective
from ME to HIM
·
Total commitment to
Gods will AND faith-filled living
FOLLOWING JESUS ~ accepting
His freely-offered invitation to:
COME!
FOLLOW HIM!
THROW ALL CAUTION TO THE WIND
TRUST IN OUR INSTINCTS
AND FOLLOW JESUS ~ THE LIGHT
OF THE WORLD ~ AND THEN BOLDLY PROCLAIM THE GOOD NEWS OF THAT LIGHT WITH EVERY
OUNCE OF OUR BEING.
May our faith and trust in Gods plan sustain us along this
journey.
Amen.