Jesus Begins His Ministry and Calls the First Disciples

Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested he withdrew to Galilee.  He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernum, by the sea, in the territory of Zebulan and Nephtali, so that what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled,

"Land of Zebulan, Land of Nephtali,

on the road by the sea, across the Jordan,

Galilee of the Gentiles-

The people walking in darkness have see a great light

and for those who sat in the region

of the shadow of death a light has dawned."

From that time Jesus began to proclaim, "Repent, the kingdom of heaven has come near."  As he walked by the see of Galilee he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea - for they were fishermen.  And he said to them, "Follow me and I will make you fish for people."  Immediately they left their nets and followed him.  As he went from there he saw two brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee mending their nets, and he called them.  Immediately they left their boat and their father and followed him.  Jesus went throughout Galilee teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people.

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The texts for this Sunday include two references to light - In Matthew we read from Isaiah 9: "the people walking in darkness have seen a great light and for those who sat in the region of the shadow of death a light has dawned." And from Psalm 27: "The Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I fear?" The Lord is the stronghold of my life of whom shall I be afraid." Matthew is the only gospel that includes this piece from Isaiah - Jesus is going forth into the very places that Isaiah foretold and from there into all the world.  This is really happening - the Kingdom has come and is coming in Christ!  Together during Advent grades 1-6 began to explore the concept of Jesus, light of the world and the truth that we too are lights in this world.  In the season of epiphany it is apt to gather around these truths and to ponder them.

Psalm 27 picks up on the tensions that we live in the midst of, both the confidence we hold in God - what is there to be afraid of?  The Lord is the stronghold of my life! - and the fears that we know all too well.  The psalmist names some of his fears: enemies that assail, our anxieties, violence, the fear that God might forget about us or even turn his face from us.  I am always grateful that the stories of scripture are full of people who struggle with being stubborn, fearful, who are sometimes lacking vision, conflicted and are yet loved and chosen by God to be his people.  I read some of the story of Elijah this week; Elijah was somewhat of a reluctant prophet who at one point amidst immense struggle begged God to let him die.  And in the midst of this terror and anxiety God came to him twice - with bread to sustain him and in the sound of sheer silence.  Many of us have experienced the feeling of wanting to hide or to run from God only to discover that we can turn to him in our fear, in our profound disappointment and grief and say with the psalmist - "he will hide me in his shelter; he will conceal me under the cover of a rock." Indeed God hid Jonah in the belly of the whale; he came to Elijah; he will take care of us; he is with us. And might we say with the psalmist, "I believe that I will see the goodness of the Lord, in the land of the living.  Wait for the Lord, be strong, let your heart take courage and wait for the Lord."

Though our lessons focus on the calling of the disciples I included that bit from our Psalm today because I think it also sheds some light on being a disciple.  The disciples were not super-human Christians, they were utterly human.  And though they were with Jesus they knew what it was to be fearful, to sacrifice, to fail and to trust; they too could find themselves in the words of the Psalm.  In this story we see them filled with faith - stepping away from all that they know - their work, their families, their routines - to follow Jesus.  Have you ever been filled with such boldness?  I can think of a few times in my life when I have been filled with boldness; boldness that even befuddled those closest to me.  And what followed was not only exhilarating but stretching and difficult and joy and grief mingled.  

Recently I had the realization, after some hard learning, that I have become increasingly risk averse - choosing to maintain status quo rather than speak to conflict, choosing what is safer and more common sense, choosing security over vulnerability, the list goes on.  I think this is part of my nature and because circumstances have changed, as the responsibilities have piled on and the priorities have shifted.  But, if I go beyond that I begin to discover that I am in some way those familiar, old, deep-seated fears are at work in me, again. However it has happened, I find myself more and more content in the Shire than ever.  Safe to say if I was Ma and Pa Ingalls I think I would have just raised my family in the Big Woods and never ventured West!  And though leaving the Shire or heading out west in a covered wagon are perhaps dramatic examples - I think it is worthwhile to reflect on what it means to step out and follow Jesus. Because anyway you look at it being a disciple is radical and it is risky.  But we don't make decide to follow Jesus after a carefully weighed risk analysis - we follow Jesus because we, like the first disciples have been compelled, pursued by the hound of heaven.

"Peter, Andrew, James and John looked up at this man on the shore.  And they couldn't explain it: their boats needed to be put away, their nets needed mending, fish were still wriggling on the shore.  But something about this stranger made the just drop their nets and their fish, leave their boats and everything - and follow him.  This God-Man was like no one they have ever met.  When they looked at Jesus, their hearts filled up with a wonderful, forever sort of happiness and inside it was if they were running free it an open field... Meeting Jesus would change all of them forever."

(Sally Lloyd Jones - The Jesus Storybook Bible)

In Jesus God is doing something new, he is not writing the law on stone tablets, like Moses did.  He is writing it on the very hearts of the disciples and anyone else who might hear and receive the message of the Kingdom of heaven.  (Lauren Winner, The Voice of Matthew)

Might we also hear and receive God's word to us, may his law be written on our hearts that we might go forth into the world as light bearers who proclaim the good news to all people.  May the silence of our actions - the love we show our neighbours, the way we care for the world, and attend to the most vulnerable, resound.  When we speak may our words be potent, full of truth and grace. May we be given the gift of faith. hear your call and follow you with our whole lives.