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Friday, February 01, 2008
High noon ...
An inspiring image for pondering the Transfiguration of the Lord, observed this Sunday throughout Christendom.
Prophetic Vision(?) - Super Bowl XLII
Monday, January 28, 2008
Grand view ...
Follow Me
© 2008 by Christopher D. Drew
Sermon Focus: The events recorded in this passage prepare the reader for the great exposition of Christian morality encapsulated by Jesus’ “sermon on the mount.” Having heard that John was put into prison by the governing authority for preaching the good news, Jesus moves to a region where both Jews and Gentiles reside together. He then calls the first disciples, who obediently turn away from the drudgery of their fishing occupation to join with Jesus in a new kind of fishing operation. Jesus then begins to teach and preach about the kingdom of God with His clarion call to “repent.”
Sermon Function: What does it mean to be a fisher of men and women? It means that we should remember that our baptismal vocation calls for a complete turn away from sin and a return to the road leading to the Kingdom of God.
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Monday, January 21, 2008
What Are You Looking For?
© 2008 by Christopher D. Drew
Sermon Focus: Testimony. Identification. Discipleship. The three words captures the essence of the action in this text. John the Baptist, having just given his testimony regarding Jesus as the Anointed One, then identifies him as the very “lamb of God” to two of John’s disciples. Having heard John’s pronouncement (and directions?), they follow Jesus. And Jesus, having seen the two former-disciples of John, asks the paramount question of the text: “What are you looking for?” The question is answered with another question, “Rabbi, where are you staying?” And Jesus answers, in almost cryptic fashion, “Come and you will see.”
Sermon Function: To teach listeners that discipleship and evangelist (“come and see”) to hand in hand, and that discipleship isn’t something you can figure out entirely on your own. You just have to obey the injunction, “come and see.”
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Introduction
Last week, at the conclusion of the sermon, I invited all those present to participate in a corporate reaffirmation of baptism. The theme for this week is the exploration of what it means for us to say that we are baptized. What is the nature of our baptismal faith, our covenant, our calling, in Jesus Christ? What is one of the patterns by which Jesus is known, followed, and then shared with others? These are some of the big questions that arise from the reading today from the Gospel of John.
Let’s listen now to God’s word to us.
[Read Scripture - John 1:29-42]
Opening Comments
As a reminder, we’re in the midst of the first of two periods of Ordinary Time. The first period runs from Epiphany, which we have just observed, through the first Sunday of Lent, the Great 40 Days preceding Easter, which is earlier this year than it has been in 32 years. The next period of Ordinary Time runs from the Sunday after Pentecost all the way through to our next Advent. Lent is historically the great time of preparation for Baptism, which would commonly occur during the Easter vigil in the wee hours the night prior to Easter morning. It is my hope that those of you present who are not baptized might prayerfully consider this step of faith in Jesus Christ. And for those of you who are baptized, I hope these weeks and the weeks of Lent instill within you a renewed sense of your baptismal obligations and their associated Joy.
Testimony. Identification. Discipleship. These three words describe the three-fold movement in today’s scripture passage, a passage filled with interesting images that highlight the importance of faith and our baptismal vocation. At the same time, the gospel gives us a good indication of what it means to be obedient to the Anointed One of God, Jesus. Today, I’m going to address each one of these movements and how, together, the form the foundation of our baptismal covenant.
Testimony
Let’s talk about testimony.
Testimony is a word that, in our culture, is most often associated with the courtroom. The courtroom testimony theme is actually a big part of the Old Testament, and it should come as no surprise to us that this theme extends into the New Testament as well. And in fact, that is what is likely the connotation here in our gospel reading.
John quotes John the Baptizer as saying “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). This is a bold opening statement. The term “Lamb of God” seems to a loaded one – the early readers of the gospel would have likely thought of the Passover Lamb that was sacrificed for the sins of the people each year during the annual Jewish festival of Atonement known as Yom Kippur. John says that he baptized with water so that “he,” the one who ranks ahead of him, might be revealed to Israel. At first, John didn’t recognize him, but then he received a clear message: “He on whom you see the Sprit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit” (John 1:33). Jesus was revealed as the one anointed by the Spirit when John baptized him with water. John concludes by saying, “And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God” (John 1:34 NRSV).
Testimony is the starting place for evangelism. Testimony comes to us in a variety of forms. It is given to us in the way commonly seen in courtrooms, but it’s also given in stories we tell each other, the stories we share from Holy Scripture, and the personal stories we share while together in worship and fellowship. In testimony, we commit ourselves to telling the truth. Telling the truth about who God is, and how we have experienced his presence in our lives. Truth-telling is at the heart of evangelism, because we open our hearts to others to let them know about the wonderful things that God has promised in his Son Jesus. We heard such a testimony this past Sunday. And I want you all to know that you, too, are welcome to share your testimony to the people of God. Just see me to make arrangements. Such testimony is a wonderful offering to God of a portion of that bounteous grace he has given to us.
Baptism itself is testimony. And as those who have been claimed by God in our baptisms, we become human vessels of God’s good news in Jesus Christ. The first component of our baptismal vocation, then, is testimony, both given and received.
Identification
The next part of our three-pronged view of our baptismal vocation is identification.
One of the reasons we have the sacrament of baptism is that it marks us, it visibly identifies us, as recipients of God’s amazing grace and members of his body, the Church. Baptism has another function, too. Through baptism, we are given gift that helps us to see Christ, because it is Christ himself who instituted the sacrament, and it is Jesus himself who baptizes us with His Spirit.
So our baptisms are kind of like an ID of sorts, but with along with that ID is an associated responsibility of our vocation, to point out Christ has the Lamb of God, just as John the Baptist does in our text today. We testify to the wonderful things that God has done for us, but then we extend that testimony to the next step: Who is the one that is the fullest revelation of God’s grace and love? The answer is Jesus Christ. And we are charged to spread this terrific news. By ourselves, we are unable to achieve any sort of redemption, but through Christ, we not only have the assurance of pardon for all of our sins, but the promise of being with him in resurrection life when he returns to renew all of creation.
Our baptismal vocation, our calling, as three parts: Testimony, identification, and discipleship.
Discipleship
Discipleship is the trickiest part of our vocation, but it’s at the very heart of Jesus’ call to his disciples.
Let’s look at our text again.
John is with two of his disciples, and then sees Jesus walking by. Having given his testimony that Jesus is the Anointed One, he then exclaims to his disciples the identification of Jesus as the very Lamb of God. The gospel then reads, “The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus” (John 1:37 NRSV). Without any other prompting other than John’s declaration, the two cease to be disciples of John and begin following Jesus. One can imagine the two wondering what exactly it was they were doing, leaving the known quantity John for the largely unknown quantity named Jesus. And Jesus turned around and saw the two following. The Greek verb here translated as “saw” is one of the typical verbs describing the act of seeing. But the gospel here uses the word θεάομαι, which a couple of particular meanings. First, the word describes the action of seeing, but with the implication that what is being observed is something unusual. Might it have seemed a bit unusual for the two disciples of John to suddenly change course and follow Jesus? Yes, one could imagine such a response. The second nuance associated with this verb is “to go see a person on the basis of friendship and with helpful intent.” I like that. Jesus looks at them on the basis of friendship and helpful intent. And the two disciples, one of them Andrew, the other unnamed, are asked by Jesus the same exact question most of us ask we encounter someone who doesn’t seem to know where they are going. That is, they appear lost, and unsure of the way. Perhaps they were getting along okay, but now they’ve taken a wrong turn, and are wandering in the wilderness. I remember the first time my family traveled through the famed desert known as Death Valley National Park. I was freaked out just by the name. “We’re going through Death Valley? Isn’t there another way?” I remember that one of my chief worries about the trip was that somehow we would get lost, and then we would become, tragically, another reason why this particular valley was called “Death Valley.” The fear of getting lost, having been unleashed by one prophet, John, will we now hitch ourselves to this new guy, Jesus?
So, perhaps our two disciples appear lost. And now they are being asked what they are looking for. You can imagine that they might have been unprepared for the question. When they reply to Jesus’ question with their own question, “Rabbi … where are you staying?” it is almost as if they are hedging for time, time to consider what they really might be looking for. But, as it turns out, the place where Jesus is staying, where he abides, is where they need to be. “Come and see,” answers Jesus. And then they came “and saw where he was staying.” And then they “remained,” they “stayed” with him that day. The place where they are staying isn’t identified geographically for us. Instead, we learn simply that the disciples stayed where Jesus was staying. And that is the nature of discipleship. You don’t necessary have a place to stay, but you do have a person to stay with.
This is also, for us, the concern of discipleship. Because discipleship, that third part of our baptismal vocation, may send us places we’re not familiar with, to be with people we’re not familiar with, to participate in worship and sacramental acts we’re not familiar with, to sit in classes with people we’re not familiar with, to take a new job we’re not familiar with, etc. You get the idea. The place isn’t as important as the person who is with us, regardless of where we physically may be, and regardless, even, of our own spiritual condition. Discipleship is about abiding, “staying” with the one about whom we have heard testimony, and the one who as been identified to us as Jesus, the Son of God, and the one with whom we abide no matter where he takes us.
So there is a choice, then, that must be made. Perhaps you’re starting to feel the necessity of that choice in your heart and soul. Perhaps you, too, are lost, and looking for someone who will abide with you no matter where you are right now in your life. You’ve heard the testimony about this great God who has done great things for us. This advent and Epiphany, you have heard that the full revelation, the full identification, of God with us is Jesus the Christ, the Anointed one, the Lamb of God who takes away not just your sins, but the sins of the whole world. Maybe you’ve been baptized, and are now trying to understand where God is leading you next in your own baptismal vocation? Is it to testify to what God has done? Is it to point out and identify Jesus as the savior of the world in some form of evangelism? Or is it do live out your discipleship by taking on a desperately needed mission of the church, which is sometimes an uncertain tasks that can take you to foreign places, but places where Jesus abides, where he is staying.
Or perhaps you are not yet baptized, but through the Word and Sacraments of the church you are wondering what to do. If you happen to be such a person, I pray that by the power of the Holy Spirit you might be able to see Jesus turning, and looking at you with that look of friendship and helpful intent as He asks you the question, “What are you looking for?” And, like the two disciples, you may come up a bit short with the answer. But that’s okay. If you’re simply willing to take the next step to follow Him, just ask Him where he is staying. Jesus will smile, point to the water of the font, and will say these words: “Come, and see!”
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, to whom be all glory and honor forever and ever. Amen.
Given at First Presbyterian Church, Portland, Texas.
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Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Baptized for Service
© 2008 by Christopher D. Drew
Sermon Focus: Today is when we acknowledge another action marking the epiphany of Jesus Christ as the anointed Son of God. The prophet Isaiah reveals the essence of what it means to be chosen and claimed by God, the responsibilities of that calling, and the ethical basis upon which to fulfill those responsibilities.
Sermon Function: To illustrate for listeners how they, as those baptized into the death and resurrection of Christ, are also God’s chosen people; and to testify to the significant responsibilities associated with being chosen to serve the cause of justice – opening eyes that are blind and bringing prisoners out of dungeons of despair.
[Click to Show/Hide Sermon Text]
Introduction
Today is another sort of epiphany Sunday. Today we mark the event of the baptism of Jesus Christ by John, his cousin. The baptism of Jesus is considered such an important event that an account of the baptism occurs in all four of the gospels. In each case, there is a three-part movement in the story. First, Jesus approaches John, and John Baptizes Jesus. Second, there is a manifestation of the Holy Spirit descending upon Jesus. Third, there is a divine proclamation by God that Jesus is God’s Son, his beloved one, the one with whom God is well pleased. And this statement, which is almost identical in form in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, is tied directly to today’s sermon text in Isaiah.
Today’s reading is the first of four so-called “Servant Songs.” These are written in poetic Hebrew, and each of the songs describes “God’s special agent who will fulfill his purpose for the faithful community. Though innocent, he will suffer for his people.”1
Let’s listen now to God’s word to us.
[Read Scripture - Isaiah 42:1-9]
Introductory Comments
I love this reading from Isaiah. For the people of Israel, this passage marks the hope of a new beginning, a new beginning in the home country of the capitol, Jerusalem, after having been spread out far afield, across the coastlands of the Mediterranean Sea, living in the darkness of unfamiliar lands. It makes a certain sense, then, that this passage on about new beginnings, with new leadership – servant leadership, be selected together with our reading form the Gospel of Matthew.
In fact, this text from Isaiah seems to be reaching out from the depths of history to the present reality of the baptism of Jesus Christ. For Christians, who cannot read the Old Testament except through the eyeglasses of truth known as the Gospel, this passage clearly alludes to Jesus and his role in the kingdom of God.
Isaiah here is quoting God: “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights.” God delights in his servant! When we hear these words today, we’re tempted to hear them in our mind’s ear with the voice of someone deeply serious, perhaps James Earl Jones. But I hear laughter in these words, the laughter of a parent who is thrilled by the wholesome innocence of the child.
Isaiah quotes God as saying, “I have put my spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations” (Isa 42:1 NRSV). God’s very spirit marks the servant as one who is set aside for a specific job, to bring justice to the nations. Not just the nation of Israel, but all of the nations of the world, including the gentile nations. I like how Eugene Peterson paraphrases this verse, “I've bathed him with my Spirit, my life.”2 The bathing image clearly alludes to baptism. The very creative breath of God, the same breath that came over the waters and brought order from chaos at the beginning, that same breath gives life to God’s beloved servant, the same breath that lighted on Jesus like a dove.
Characteristics of the Servant
We know that the servant is the one in whom God’s very soul delights. What are some of the characteristics of servant?
We read that the servant “will not cry or lift up his voice.” He won’t break the reed that is bruised – the soul that is hurting. He won’t snuff out the light of the dimly burning wick, neither will he snuff out the hope of the lost. Instead, “he will faithfully bring forth justice.” The people of Israel under the occupation of Rome expected a Messiah that would fundamentally overthrow the political order. This reading from Isaiah makes it clear, however, that no one should have been overly surprised that Jesus would be born into a humble life, and enter into solidarity with us through the waters of baptism, and then, rather than leading an army to overthrow Rome, instead preached the good news of a loving God who desires mercy, while healing the sick, casting out demons, and giving solace to the poor.
The servant described to us by Isaiah is steadfast in his task until “he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his teaching.” The church, through Christ, continues to work to establish justice and to share the good news of the gospel, and it will continue to do so until Christ returns to complete the work he began with his birth and baptism.
Who Is Making the Promise?
In the middle of our reading is a certification, of sorts. Isaiah here makes it clear that the words being written are the very words of God, the Lord. The one who made everything there is, beginning with the heavens, then the earth, and the one who gives life to every creature on the earth, and the spirit to those who walk in it. The picture of the complete human is one who is created, who has a body and a soul, and who is a child of the living God. The living God who is present with all creation through all time, and who gives (note the present tense!) breath and life, to you and to me, and to your friends, and your families, and your neighbors.
The Lord Gives The Servant as a Covenant
By God’s own righteousness, he takes his servant by the hand and keeps him safe. Isaiah writes that God gives the servant as a covenant to the people, and a light to the nations. He is given as a covenant. His body is given as a covenant. His blood is given as a covenant. Just as we are baptized into the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, so to do we remember that this servant is himself a new covenant, sealed with the very real sacrifice of his own body and blood on the cross.
And his devotion and dedication to the work of God brings redemption. Eyes that were blind, blind with anger, or fury, frustration, or sadness, are opened to see the joy of the everlasting love of God. Prisoners are brought out from the dungeons and darkness of sin and unrelenting oppression.
For What Reason?
And for what reason does God do this? He does because of his own glory, a glory of One who creates, who takes delight in what he creates, and who gives us a servant to illuminate our lives with his light, so that we might not remain in the darkness of sin and death. He does these things because His love for us is his glory.
Reading Ourselves Into the Text
Isaiah is writing for Israel. Seen through the lens of Jesus Christ, Isaiah is proclaiming the realization of God’s promise to us gentiles as well.
And on this day, the day set aside for the worship of the servant who came as a baby, was baptized in solidarity with us by John, humbly served others in his ministry, and used the power of the cross to save those who were lost, and who through his body and blood reminds us of the new covenant he inaugurated, it definitely pays to remind ourselves of this fact: God claimed for himself a servant to save Israel and the gentiles. And, through baptism, Christ claims US for the work of his ministry in the world – to feed the poor, to strengthen the fainthearted, to support the weak and oppressed, in short, to love our neighbors as ourselves. In baptism, the former things of our life pass away and a new thing takes hold. The temptations of the old life, all of the sin, all of the addictions, all of the destructive behavior, all of the misuse of resources, all the misuse of others, gets tossed in the rubbish bin. But, as you know, these things can sometimes take time. Baptism is frequently and incorrectly, I think, viewed as a discrete, one-time only event. In fact, it marks the beginning of a life of sanctification in Christ. By “sanctification,” I mean like a refining process, one that sifts out the impurities and insecurities and impertinencies of life. It is a process that is renewed sacramentally when we nourish ourselves at the table, when we join together singing praises to God, and when we deliberately reflect on that wonderful fact that we are claimed by God, for, God, before we’re even aware of it.
It is said that Martin Luther, the great reformer who inaugurated the protestant reformation, when suffering from the intense pressures and trials, would rediscover the great peace of God’s grace by simply reciting to himself this reminder, “I am baptized.” And as we continue down the path of this new year, a year that will undoubtedly be filled with its own pressures and anxieties and trials, I think we should take a moment now to remind ourselves that we, too, are claimed by God through baptism. In just a minute, I’m going to head back to the font and ask you all to join me in a reaffirmation of your baptisms. And if you happen not to be baptized, I invite you to watch with an open heart and an attentive ear to see and hear if God might be pulling you through his Word toward the font, claiming you as His own, as a servant of His Son Jesus Christ.
Given at First Presbyterian Church, Portland, Texas.
1Haslam, Chris. “The Baptism of the Lord – January 13, 2008: Introductions for Readers.” Comments. Accessed on January 11, 2008. Link here. ↩
2Peterson, Eugene. The Message. ↩
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Monday, January 14, 2008
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Introduction
This morning we’re going to continue our discussion of our baptism vocation. About three weeks ago we observed the Baptism of the Lord. Last week, we began to explore what Jesus’ baptism implies for us and in our baptisms. This week, we’re going to explore further what it means to be a baptized disciple of Jesus Christ. For me, discipleship has always meant something much more than “servant.” Discipleship is something bigger. If we really consider ourselves to be disciples of Jesus Christ, we are challenged to seriously take account our lives and our existing priorities and ask ourselves the question: “Is how I am living representative of the light of the kingdom of God?” This is a very big question. For those claimed in baptism, it is one of the paramount questions of Christian living. It just so happens that Matthew is exceedingly concerned about Christian morality and faith. He is also concerned with this important question. And as it happens, today’s scripture passage is laying the groundwork for the Jesus’ wonderful exposition on kingdom life known to us as The Beatitudes.
As I read the gospel this morning, listen for Jesus’ words about light, repentance, teaching, and preaching.
Let us now listen to God’s word to us this day.
[Read Scripture - Matthew 4:12-23]
Prayer for Illumination
Blessed are you, Lord, gracious Father, O Lord, whose love is revealed in your Son. O Lord, whose love is the delight of all life, and whose Word we love as the light of life. Pour out your Spirit as we read from your prophets and Apostles, that in mediating on them, our hearts might be illumined and our days filled with peace. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.1
Three Stories – Story One
There are three significant movements in today’s text in the gospel of Matthew. First, we learn that John the Baptizer has just been arrested, literally handed over, for the crime of preaching the good news that the kingdom of God had come near. In response to this news, Matthew records Jesus moving his home, or perhaps his home base, to the town of Capernaum. This was done, according to Matthew, for the purpose of fulfilling the voice of the prophet Isaiah. Interestingly, the move had another important consequence: The “land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali” (v. 15) were areas where Jews and gentiles lived together. Jesus, then, moves deliberately into an area not just filled with those of his own ethic group, but with others, in the very “Galilee of the Gentiles.” He goes there in order to bring light to the people who sit in darkness, and to be the dawn for those who sit in the region of shadows and death. Connected intimately with that light is the clarion call of Jesus, the proclamation which forms the first set of words preached by our Savior:
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near” (Matt 4:17 NRSV).
It has been come passé to insist that people repent while they sit in the pews in church. But we live in an era, an epoch, really, when true repentance is utterly lacking in our society, and in our church.
I was asked recently about all of the “political problems” we currently face in the Presbyterian Church (USA). My answer to the question is very straightforward: The divisions that anger us or threaten us are deeply rooted in our sinful nature as fallen human beings. To be a sinner means to be actively turning away from God. We should not be surprise that turning away from God and His word causes fundamental divisions and conflict. Moreover, we have forgotten, as a people, what it means to truly repent. If I were to ask someone at random what the word “repent” meant, the likely response would be “to express sorrow at some sin that had been committed.” But such an answer underestimates the power of sin and the necessity of repentance. To repent means to turn away from the sin, turn to the light of forgiveness, and then not turn back again. This is a slightly more complicated process than simply saying, “I’m sorry,” which is really only the first part of repentance. But the need to repent isn’t rooted in the Christian attempt to quash all of the fun you might think you’re having. Turning away from sin IS the positive option for us. Turning away from sin is moves us toward the open door of the light of pure joy. Matthew makes this point very clear – there are many who sit in darkness, the stark night of sin. But there is great hope in store for all the people – a light will come to penetrate the darkness of our sin! And who is this light? Jesus is the light. And what are the first words that the Light of the World proclaims after his baptism and temptation by Satan? “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” Being a disciple and honoring our baptismal vocation means we need to repent of our sins – all those things that keep us from knowing Christ and His light. And the sins we have to contend with aren’t necessarily any different from what our brothers and sisters have experienced, but there is one difference, and that is we have entire systems built up to exploit our sinful tendencies. Internet pornography is one of these systems. There are other, more subtle forms of porno out there too – while surfing the local TV channels the other night, Sara and I came across a show where the contestant is hooked up to a lie detector and then asked some of the most invasive questions imaginable, all the while with the spouse prominently featured as the key spectator. If the contestant asks the invasive questions “truthfully,” he or she wins the big bucks. “But at what cost?” asks the announcer. Good question. Your stable family life? Your marriage? We were both so repulsed by what we saw that we switched off the television. We still live in a world filled with darkness, a darkness that persecutes the Body of Christ, the Church (that’s you and me), and threatens to swallow up those who have not yet seen the light of the world.
This text from Matthew teaches us several things. As those called by Christ in our baptisms, we are called to repentance, and we are also called to appeal to others to repent. Not by being overly confrontational and judgmental. Instead, we are called to be beacons of light ourselves. People should be attracted to the church because they see that there is light there, a light that will overcome the darkness that drives people to despair and lost hope. And we are called to be that light, by repenting from sin, loving our neighbors, and exhibiting God’s kingdom through our response to his call to be missionaries of his light to the world.
Story Two – Following
So the first story in our text, about Jesus moving in with the gentiles and proclaiming that the light of the kingdom of heaven is best seen repenting and rejoining the way of the kingdom of heaven, we now move to the next scene, the call of Simon, called Peter, Andrew, James and John.
Most readers of Matthew’s gospel are captivated by the radical acceptance of Christ’s call to follow him to become his disciples responsible for spreading the good news throughout the world. But wait! To say that now is putting, in a way, the cart before the horse. At this point of Matthew’s gospel account, the disciples have no idea what it is there are being called to do. All they hear are the words “follow me,” and they follow. By accepting the call without condition, their acceptance turns out to be even more radical than we tend to image. All we know is they follow him, and that they remain with him. As retired Presbyterian Pastor John C. Purdy puts it:Peter, Andrew, James, and John are being called into a great adventure, great because it is heading towards a completely uncertain destination. All they do is leave their worldly occupations behind and zoom into the unknown.
Some commentators on this passage suggest that not everyone is called to leave their day job to pursue their baptismal vocation of faithful discipleship and service to the church. And I think this is true, to an extent. The fact is that the nature of God’s call frequently does call us into some kind of radical change. God’s call might cause you to leave your job. It did with me. Or, rather, the job left me. But maybe the call involves radical revision of how your approach the work you do, so that you’re no longer just a doctor, or a lawyer, or an investment banker, or a farmer, or a nurse, or an accountant, or a husband, or a wife, or a son, or a daughter. Instead, you are a disciple of Jesus Christ, willing to follow Him wherever he might lead, taking comfort in the fact that, while He may lead you to uncertain or even uncomfortable places, you nonetheless never go it alone.
Perhaps you’re in a situation that needs to change. Are you ready to embark on what will likely be the greatest adventure of your life? That’s the question prodding us as we read about Jesus’ call to the first disciples. I can promise you this – if you take Him up on the call, He will never be absent from you, because God’s faithfulness endures, even when our faithfulness wanes.
And just as the Light of the World is connected intimately with the call to repent, so is his call to repent intimately connected with his call to follow him. And that brings us to the third part of this story.
Story Three – Teaching First, then Proclaiming, then Healing
Matthew takes a slightly different approach to Jesus’ than found in Mark’s gospel. For Mark, Jesus’ miracles are an important witness to the word of Jesus. For Matthew, the miracles are important, but they always come after the teaching and preaching. Teaching, preaching, and healing are almost always referred to in order of importance, as is found in verse 23:Teaching first, then proclamation of the news, and then healing.
In fact, this is the key to understanding an important aspect of our calling as those baptized into Jesus’ death and resurrection. The model for discipleship and evangelism in Matthew’s gospel is based on a persuasive model, not a coercive model. Jesus’ work begins with about teaching basic moral Christian lessons, relates those lessons with the good news that God’s kingdom has come near and is breaking.
Douglas Hare, in his wonderful commentary, illustrates the importance of teaching and preaching to the reader of Matthew’s gospel. He writes:The “mixed state of the church.” There are “too many Christians whose lives to not match their profession.” They have heard the gospel but have not headed the teaching. Does any of this sound familiar? I once attended a conference where Eugene Peterson was a speaker. He has a nifty saying, “chronological snobbery,” which is uses to describe the conceit where we “modern” Christians are so much smarter and better informed than our brothers and sisters now singing in the great choir invisible. The facts are different. The challenges the Church faces are frequently persistent in nature – so persistent, that for me it proves John Calvin’s case for our total depravity.
But the good news is this: Despite the fact that we are not really any better or superior than our ancestors, we still have the hope and promise of a Savior who calls us into a grand adventure – an adventure that might, at first, appear mysterious or troublesome, even unwanted, but one that tugs at us while we’re sleeping, or perhaps while we’re daydreaming at home or at work. It comes to us in the still, small voice of the breeze, even the chilly breezes we’ve been experiencing lately. And if you listen carefully, you’ll hear that the voice saying – “Follow me.” Are you ready to take the path of adventure ahead, as one baptized by Christ? If you are, pull me aside after the service and let me know, or let one of the Elders know. The adventure of teaching, preaching, and healing will take you down paths of hope and joy that you might otherwise miss. May we all repent, turn to God, and enter into the adventure of living fully for Christ.
Let us pray.
Loving God, through your Son you have called us to repent of our sin, to believe the good news, and to celebrate the coming of your kingdom. Like Christ’s first apostles, may we hear his call to discipleship, and, forsaking old ways, proclaim the gospel of new life to a broken world; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.4
Given at First Presbyterian Church, Portland, Texas.
1Old, Hughes. Leading in Prayer. Grand Rapids: W.B. Eerdmans, 1995, p. 163. ↩
2Purdy, John C. “Returning God's Call: The Challenge of Christian Living.” Religion Online. Accessed January 25, 2008. Available online here. ↩
3Hare, Douglas. Matthew. Richmond: John Knox Press, 1993. ↩
4Theology and Worship Ministry Unit. Book of Common Worship. Louisville: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1993, p. 207. ↩