Sermon for the
Third Sunday after Epiphany
January 27, 2008
Isaiah 9:1–4
Psalm 27:1, 4–9
1 Corinthians 1:10–18
Matthew 4:12–23
Year A
I.N.I. (In the name of Jesus)
It seems that there is something missing from the gospel today. What do you think?
Honorifics, praise, a huge build-up has been gushing out about Jesus since early Advent. To his earthly father, Joseph, an angel says that the baby boy to be born is to be named Jesus, because he will save people from their sins, and be called Emmanuel, which means God with us.
On the day of Epiphany, with the mysterious figures from the East who followed the star, they knew there was this Messiah to be born in Bethlehem, and they gave the child gifts fit for a king: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
And then at the feast of his baptism, there was the encounter with John at the Jordan River, the voice from heaven saying “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased,” and then last week praise from John calling him Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, and the funky phrase “After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me” (I love that!).
We know that Jesus is important, really important, God-connected, ready, willing, and able to amass an entourage fitting the New England Patriots (or the New York Giants; or a presidential candidate).
So then what happens, as told by Matthew today? Jesus skipped town. He left Nazareth, all grown up and ready to rumble, and went to Capernaum, okay, why Capernaum? It was known for what, summer cottages on the lake?
The bulk of Jesus’ ministry takes place in Galilee, which was famous in Jewish history for being what? It was famous for being not famous. It was famous for not being filled with Jews. (It was famous for not being filled with people.) It was only famous for being a place that Isaiah said light would come. And Isaiah said light would come after the two towns named after two of the twelve tribes of Israel named after the two of the twelve sons of Jacob, Zebulun and Naphtali were destroyed.
Don’t you think something is missing from the gospel today?
Where is the fame and glory? Where is the trophy? Where are the cheerleaders? Where is all the light?!
I’m going to venture a guess at this point. Tell me if you agree, or you have another idea. Tell me if you’ve figured it out any better, because I want to know how Jesus is ever going to get anywhere if he’s stuck in nowheresville at the beginning of his ministry.
My guess is that at this point, this very point in the Gospel, after so much in setting Jesus up has been overstated, as in hitting us over the head with messianic language (Where is the child who has been born King of the Jews; We have found the Messiah! “After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me” (I love that!)). After so much, hello, Messiah here, overstatement, there is this whoosh in the story today that pulls back, screeches to a halt, and moves instead to— understatement. That’s my guess. What do you think?
In today’s gospel, Jesus walks around the lake called the Sea of Galilee, spots four men at work with no qualifications whatsoever to be part of this messiah God-connecting business and says, that they will be getting a new job title: Peoplefishing.
Okay, peoplefishing….
This is where I think something’s missing. This is where I think the only way to understand this is to say there has to be something more here than meets the eye. There is no precedent for fishermen to become qualified as rabbis, as Hebrew scholars, as acolytes or altar guild members, or pastors, members of a Super Bowl Team, or presidential candidates. So why would Jesus invite Simon, Andrew, James, and John to follow him, and invite them to join in his kingdom-building, God-connecting work?
Why indeed. Why would Jesus call me? Why would Jesus call you?
In the way that the gospel works, in the way that it is read, and heard, and followed, you would have to agree that what happened is that Jesus did call four fishermen. And in the way that the gospel works, in the way that it is read, and heard, and followed, what happens is that Jesus does call me, and calls you.
Put it this way: God does not choose the qualified. God does qualify the chosen.
The call to follow and to become enlightened by the kingdom is cross-cultural. It crosses lines, socio-economic, racial, sexual, and geographic lines. It is extended to children and senior citizens, to doctors and lawyers, to teachers and software engineers, to high schoolers, the homeless, and to people whose state motto is Live Free or Die.
The call to follow and to become enlightened is for those who finally end up by the cross. Just as Zebulun and Naphtali were bereft of power and identity and left to languish, Isaiah proclaimed good news about light and joy on the horizon. Just as the four fishermen were going about their daily grind, Jesus invited them to become engaged with kingdom-building. Just as the congregation in Corinth that Paul wrote to was about to break apart, Paul reminded them that God’s power is cross-shaped, cross-cultural.
Wherever you are, in your humdrum workaday world, or in the throes of despair over dread, loss, illness, or loneliness, Jesus of Galilee invites you to follow, to be engaged with making God-connections, and to take up the cross as the way for life.
To be baptized is to be called. To eat and drink forgiveness is to live in the light. To engage in thought, conversation, and questions about mission in Jesus’ name, with others, here at Christ the King, and others whom you may meet, as we send Deirdra Schmidt to Liberia and Jim and Trudy Rye to New Zealand, and to plan for spending in 2008 in a congregational meeting, are all acts of discipleship. They are all acts of peoplefishing. They all participate in the mission of God.
Where is the fame and glory? Where is the trophy? Where are the cheerleaders? Where is all the light?!
They’re not missing after all. They’re right here.
I.N.I.
The Rev. Timothy J. Keyl, Pastor
Christ the King Lutheran Church
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