The Rev. Ken Saunders
Greeneville, TN
Year B - Epiphany 3 - January 24, 2021
This morning there are four more… Four more that join the ranks of that unlikely teacher from Nazareth. Four more, who, heard a man preach and decided that there was something to it. Four more, who will help lay the groundwork for the next 2000 years of the movement that followed that will change the world.
Last week, we learned about two, Philip and Nathanael, who when told to 'come and see,' decided to follow after originally doubting the integrity of anything that came out of Nazareth. And then afterward declaring Jesus to be the Christ, the son of the Living God…
And today we have four more, Simon (who Jesus later called Petros or Rock) and Andrew his brother, who were simple fishermen… He saw them from a distance casting their nets, and were told to repent, and believe… Then he said to them, “follow me, and I will teach you to catch people”… repent, believe, and follow…
Then later that morning, a little further down the shore, he stumbles upon James and John, brothers, the sons of Zebedee, also fishermen, tired and mending their nets after a long night of fishing… and he called them… repent, believe, and follow…
Four more, who after simply being asked, knew they were lacking something in their life that this man was offering… Four more, who left everything they had known and gave up the security and comfort of their family business to follow Jesus into a way of life that will eventually lead to ridicule, persecution and even their own death…
John the baptizer had just been arrested, and it was time for Jesus to step forward and proclaim the Good News… the Good News that God was up to something!… The good news that the kingdom of the living God was here to retake control of the world that God had created.
This was indeed Good News… But it wasn’t just Good news, it was God’s news… But the Evangelist, Mark, isn’t big on the details… the message is short, simple, and very direct. Repent, Believe, and Follow… Jesus calls them out of their everyday ordinary lives, the fishermen believe, then they put down their nets and followed... They followed without question, without regard for their own life, or questions about the difficult journey ahead of them.
I wonder what that would look like today? I wonder how many of us would really give up everything we trusted, our security, everything we rely on in our ordinary lives, just to follow - because a great teacher told us to? I’m not sure that any of us would! We wouldn’t, would we? I’m pretty sure that there are more people that admire Jesus than follow Jesus. We have trouble getting out past our own front doors, carrying with us the teaching that takes place within these walls! We are scared, uncomfortable, and worried about what “others” will think! There are probably more people who say they follow Jesus for some social or political recognition… than actually live by his teachings... Than actually let his teachings inform their lives.
We are probably more like Jonah of our Old Testament lesson, who didn’t want to go to Nineveh… Jonah was so worried what the Ninevites would think of him, when he brought them God’s warning of their demise. Jonah knew God, and how much God loves! And he knew that regardless of how angry God was, that God would forgive the Ninevites if they repented. But, Jonah didn’t think Ninivah deserved God’s forgiveness…
And Jonah also knew that if God didn't forgive them then he (Jonah) would be considered a “false prophet” and being a "false prophet" made him subject to being cast out of society completely or worse yet, being stoned to death… He whined and cried about it to God… "I don’t want to go to Nineveh… Please Lord, don’t send me to Nineveh… I don’t want to go!"
So, what did God do? He sent a great fish to come swallow Jonah up and take him across the sea to Nineveh and spit him out on the beach… And there Jonah was called again to deliver God’s message. This is where we pick up the story this morning… Jonah is there in Ninevah as an extension of God’s grace a chance to return to righteous living… And Jonah does what God asks and warns the Ninevites that God would destroy them… So, the Ninevites repent and turn to God… and God forgives them just as Jonah suspected…
Each and every one of us, as Christians, are called to be followers of Jesus, followers, not just admirers. And part of that following includes bringing others into the glorious presence of the Jesus whom we know and love… the Jesus who loves us without limits… who forgives us, and wants us to love and forgive each other. Jesus meets us… each and every one of us right were we are in our common and ordinary lives. He meets ALL of us… white, black, red, or yellow, American, Mexican, African, Iraqi, Arab, Chinese…. ALL of us… and asks us to repent, believe, and follow.
Jesus teaches us a deep lesson in the simple, and direct story of his call to Andrew, Simon, James, and John. Jesus called, and they went, without question! We should do likewise… Jesus is calling each and every one of us right here… Right where we are in the midst of our lives and whether we like it or not, we are called to be an extension of God’s grace, right here in Greeneville, TN.
Jesus calls us to go out into our community here and live the good news of Jesus Christ in our lives… and not just give it lip service when it’s convenient... but actually live the good news. He calls us to be so filled with the spirit that we are excited about what we have got going on in this wonderful place. He calls us to give so much of ourselves, our everything, our all, that all that we have and all that we are lives for him.
What would Greeneville look like if we did that? What would St. James Church be like if we did that? What would this Church be if we made some noise in this community about the mission we have to reconcile the world to God through Christ? What if we live out our mission as his followers... actively engaged as his disciples, out in the world, making disciples that make a difference.
If we are living out our mission, then we should get so distressed when we know that someone out there is suffering from injustice or cruelty… Is living in poverty or despair or is hungry or abused… It should be upsetting to us if we know someone who doesn’t know the wonderful forming, informing, and transforming message… the message that God loves them, it there for them, protects them, comforts them, and offers them everlasting life. The same that God that does that for all of humankind, even the one that we don’t think deserve it.
If we are living out our mission, then we live out the week Monday through Saturday by the words we proclaim here on Sunday… If we are living out our mission, Jesus provides the tools that we need to do the work he has given us to do. He equips us, and restores us continuously to do this great work.
Today, brothers and sisters, we are called to repent, believe, and follow. But following Jesus is tough work. I heard someone once say, “ministry is misery, but it is the most rewarding misery I have ever experienced”… I can say, that after almost 14 years… How true it is.
You see, being a disciple, a true follower of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ doesn’t mean that we are just “regular” Church goers… some say yes… that’s me, every Sunday like clock work, before the pandemic it was in the door by 10:30 out by 11:30 (or 11:45 if Ken preaches too long) then to b-line straight out to the car to start another week… these people never darkening the door of a Christian Education classroom, parish house, or nor do they engage the community that should help feed their souls.
Being a disciple means living for Christ means that every fiber of our being seeks to learn more about how to make the most of this life that God has go graciously given us. It means that we continuously seek God’s guidance and grace as we use our resources to serve others. It means we empty ourselves, step out of our comfort zones, and face the world head on…
So why do we sit back and whine about how we don’t want to do this or that, or that we don’t have any time, or we’re not that kind of people, or I did that when I was younger – so I don’t have to do it now? Instead of meeting the challenge of the call to seek to serve Christ, and really be a disciple?
Repent, believe, follow – it sounds simple but it’s pretty challenging work. The nice part is, that we are not left to do it alone. Jesus is with us, just as he said it would be. Jesus goes with us out from this place out into the world. The light of Christ shines so we can find our way out of the darkness of our ordinary everyday lives.
If we follow, Jesus is with us… He is with us in the sacrament of his body and blood that we share in communion, One body broken for this broken world. One cup that is his blood poured out for us… because we who are many are one… because we follow one…
Repent, believe, follow… just actions, no conditions, no excuses –
just Repent, believe, follow… and let Jesus, the Christ lead. Amen!
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