Sunday, February 6, 2022

Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany
Isaiah 6:1-8 [9-13]
Psalm 138
1 Corinthians 14:12b-20
Luke 5:1-11

I heard the Lord’s voice, saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ Then I said, ‘Here I am. Send me!’

Parents are not the only ones who deal with being unheard, but anyone with teenagers will understand what I am about to say. Teenagers sometimes hear but they don’t really listen. For example, I once told my kids to put their laundry away. They both yelled, “In a minute” because they were busy with schoolwork or something. At the end of the day, after they went to bed, I realized they had never gotten around to the task. This is just one example of all those times I spoke but was not heard.

Perhaps my words were heard, because they did respond, but they were not acted upon. We learn in those days that “In a minute” never means in a minute. It means “when I get to it,” and then they wait so long that they forget. I have to wonder if I would have ever become a mom if I’d known how often my words would be ignored. It is hard enough to deal with teenagers as they naturally respond to their world in those years that I certainly would not want someone telling me to make the kids hard of heart and unable to hear.

Imagine what it must have been like for Isaiah to receive a call from God which was accompanied by this caveat, “Go, and tell this people, ‘You hear indeed, but don’t understand. You see indeed, but don’t perceive.’ Make the heart of this people fat. Make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heart, and turn again, and be healed.” God was sending Isaiah to the people not to make them turn to Him, but instead to make them turn away. His task was to make them not want to hear what God had to say. God wanted their hearts hardened so that they would not turn to Him.

The people of Israel repeatedly turned away from their God to worship other gods and to ally themselves with other nations, setting God aside to satisfy their own desires. Over and over again God sent prophets to speak the Word into their lives to turn them around and bring them back into His presence. Over and over again they turned back to God for a season, but then quickly returned to the old ways. With Isaiah God offered a new way. The people would have to suffer the consequences of their unfaithfulness, but through it all there would always be hope for restoration. This exile was God’s way of showing His people life without His presence so that they would never want to turn to other gods again.

That day when the children forgot to put away their laundry was the day I decided they were old enough to do their own. It was time to give them the responsibility so that they would learn what it is like to not have a clean pair of underwear available. I didn’t mind doing it, and it was good to have full loads. The kids were incredibly busy with school, sports, and other activities, but it forced them to become more responsible.

That was God’s intent through Isaiah: to harden their hearts for a season so they would learn to appreciate His grace.

There were some sent into exile in Babylon whose hearts were not hard. Daniel was a young man, one who was training to be a leader in Israel, whose love of the LORD ran deep. We are very familiar with many of the stories found in his book because they are favorites to use to teach the children valuable lessons about faith and trust. Daniel did not turn to the ways of the world, even when the world promised him great things, but he found that trusting in God put him in a place where he could do great things for God’s kingdom. Daniel was an old man when the Israelites returned to Jerusalem, and he did not go with them, but he accomplished God’s work in powerful ways during his sojourn in Babylon.

We enjoy the stories from Daniel as lessons for children, but they also teach us how to face the end times. The stories give us keys to the character of those who lives in hope and peace when facing difficulty. The stories teach us how to be faithful people of prayer. In his 80 plus years, Daniel had different vocations. He was a wise man, an example of faith, a prophet and encourager. In his final years, Daniel was a prayer warrior.

As a government official for the Babylonians, Daniel was never in a ministerial job, but faith was always part of his life and work. His vocation was not religious, but he served God even in a pagan, secular world. His calling was dramatic: he was taken captive and exiled to a foreign land. The stories are incredible: near death, a fiery furnace, a lion’s den. Yet, he lived a simple life. He trusted God, did his job and in the end was greatly rewarded by God and by the kings of Babylon.

We often think of vocation as a special calling from God in ministry. However, Martin Luther’s understanding of vocation goes much deeper. Vocation is living out our faith in the world, no matter the circumstances in which we find ourselves. Martin Luther’s teaching on vocation came out of a mistaken notion that serving God in and through the Church was a higher calling. Life in a monastery or convent, being a priest or a bishop, was considered more important, spiritual, and holy than life as a farmer, carpenter, housewife, or father. Luther’s doctrine of vocation went against this attitude that the religious life is more holy or pleasing to God than the ordinary life. He once said that a washerwoman and a bishop were of equal status as long as both were faithful to their calling to serve Christ and others in their daily life and work.

In the scriptures for this week, we get a peek into the stories of some of the biblical characters that served God. Isaiah had an incredible vision. Peter witnessed a miracle. We even get a glimpse of Paul’s life of ministry in the letter to the Corinthians. Their stories in the Bible show amazing and unusual circumstances that brought them to their position and purpose in the world. All three recognized their unworthiness but heard God’s call and responded with humility and obedience.

Most pastors and church workers do not have such powerful and life changing stories. As a matter of fact, most of them will tell you that the decision to enter into ministry came after a long period of discernment during which they argued and avoided God until it was finally clear in their hearts and their minds that God was indeed calling them to ministry. I doubt that their positive response came with the expectation that God was sending them to speak to people who would not listen.

I don’t think you find people outside the church telling miraculous accounts about how they came to work in their job. As a matter of fact, most would not even consider their work in the sense of a “calling.” They might have family in the business, so they follow them in their work. They might choose a career because of the availability of jobs or the financial rewards. They might choose because they have a talent that would best be demonstrated through a particular job. In whatever way they came to their career choice, it is unlikely that they have experienced some vision or miraculous call from God.

The scriptures this week do not talk about God calling people into ordinary jobs. Isaiah, Paul and Peter were all called into extraordinary situations of serving God. The jobs might be extraordinary, but God called ordinary men out of ordinary circumstances to do His work in the world. None of them felt they were worthy of the call. They were sinners and could not possibly be able to do what God wanted to accomplish. As a matter of fact, they feared for their very lives having come face to face with God.

But vocation is all about living out our faith in the world so that we will honor God with our work. The higher calling is not working in the church or becoming a minister. The higher calling is serving God in whatever circumstances we find ourselves. Our journey will bring us not only face to face with God, but with our unworthiness, our failures, and our doubts. We will face the reality of our sinfulness, but God has a word for us. To Isaiah He said, “Behold, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away, and your sin forgiven.” To Peter He said, “Don’t be afraid. From now on you will be catching people alive.”

When He calls out our name and asks, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” we need only remember that God will give us everything we need to accomplish the work. His call might not seem to be something special; we might be called to an ordinary job in an ordinary workplace. Yet, our calling is always extraordinary. We are to live out our faith in the world with our eyes on the Lord so that all the world will see Him and come to believe. Every Christian is to live out their faith in daily life using their particular gifts and talents in service to God. While it is hard to see the holiness in the ordinary, God has called us to see Him in the ordinary and to live out our faith in the everyday. No matter if you are a Bishop or housewife, do everything in faith and commit it to God and you will see Him do extraordinary things. We are to follow Jesus, and nothing we do in His name is ordinary.

There is a theater in San Antonio which has beautiful and ornate decorations. I love to attend shows at this theater. They say there is not a bad seat in the house, and that might just be true. This theater has the stage at one end of the auditorium with orchestra, balcony, and mezzanine seating. Other theaters have different types of stages, such as raised or theater in the round. Every type of stage is designed to present the show in the best way and separate the audience from the actors. I’ve been in a pressing crowd, and it is uncomfortable. It is hard to see and hear the actors if they aren’t separated from the audience. That’s why Jesus went into the boat. It was not that he did not like being with the crowd, but they were pressing on Him. He was unable to preach to the whole crowd because some of the people were too close. The boat offered better acoustics so that Jesus’s sermon would reach everyone.

When Jesus finished speaking, He told Peter to go out into deeper water and let out his nets. Peter started to argue, “But Master, we’ve been fishing all night and there are no fish,” but he changed his mind. He answered, “I will if you say so.” When they tried to pull back the net they found it so full of fish that they could not lift it into the boat. They called another boat to help. How do you think you might react if Jesus touched you in a very real, miraculous way? Peter was a fisherman; he knew everything about fish. Jesus was a carpenter; He knew little or nothing about fishing. Yet, Jesus told them to cast their nets and they found them full.

Peter was so awed by this incredible catch of fish that he dropped to his knees to ask for mercy. “Go away, I’m no good,” Peter said. He recognized that this was a sign of invitation, but it was an invitation to something Peter did not really want to do. He did not feel worthy. When Jesus gave him a word of encouragement, he left everything to follow.

I did not think I was worthy several times when God called me to ministry. The beginning of this devotional was somewhat accidental. I was helping moderate a discussion group and began posting daily messages of inspiration. A few months after I began, someone suggested that I post them on a website. This was before websites made blogging easy. Just as I was about to reject the idea, a friend offered to help. He helped me find the right website and taught me some coding.

If you don’t know anything about web pages, you might wonder what I mean about code. When you open a web page, you see pictures, words, colors and whatever else the programmer wants you to see. However, to make you see those things visible on the Internet, the programmer must use special codes to make it happen. Certain letters or phrases are written into the code to give the page its color, dimensions, font styles and graphics. More difficult codes are used for forms and for movie or sound files. To the uneducated, the code is just a jumble of letters and symbols and without any recognizable meaning.

The same is true of foreign languages. When you hear someone speaking a foreign language you do not recognize, their words are little more than random sounds. It makes no sense and does nothing to enlighten you as to the topic of conversation. This can also be true of the spiritual language of tongues.

You don’t need to know coding to enjoy the millions of web pages that have popped up on the Internet over the years. You don’t even need to know much about the code to build your own webpage or blog anymore because there are programs that will do it for you. However, you need to know at least some of a foreign language to have a conversation with someone from that country. Sometimes the person does not even have to be from a foreign country.

We lived in England for four years, and during that time we had several interesting experiences with language. My mom and dad came over to visit, and we spent a couple of weeks wandering around the country in search of adventure and heritage. My mother’s heritage was Cornwall and Wales, and her dream was to visit places that might have been called home to her ancestors. During our travels we went into a restaurant that is much like a Denny’s. My mom was having a lot of trouble with the waitress’s accent. They were both getting frustrated with one another, unable to understand what each other meant. Finally my mom said, “I just can’t understand your English.” The waitress answered, “It is our language, you know.” They say that America and England are divided by a common language, and that is often true.

I stopped in a Disney store during a trip to France to buy some gifts for my children. I had a few years of French classes when I was in school, so I tried to communicate using my limited knowledge. He answered me with a long monologue in his native language. I stood there with glazed eyes as his words just passed by me without understanding. I said, “Wait, I don’t speak that much French.” He said, “I know, I'm joking with you” in perfect English. He just wanted to have some fun. We could not communicate because his words seemed like gibberish to me. After he spoke English we could actually conduct business.

There was a problem in Corinth. The worship services were not being conducted in an orderly manner; the worship did not glorify God. Paul’s letter to the people in Corinth had to deal with multiple problems with the young church, including the misuse of tongues. Paul was not suggesting that we should rid ourselves of the use of tongues; it can be a powerful form of prayer. However, he was teaching Christians to speak God’s Word in a manner that would be understood by others so that the church would be edified. Unfortunately, we still have difficulty sharing the Word of God with others because we use theological terminology and other words that can cause confusion and chaos.

How many times do we expect people to understand what we are saying, even when we are saying it in a way that they cannot understand. Even if we speak the same language, we can become confused by the various uses of certain words. This is becoming a problem beyond religion these days. We have difficulty having any sort of conversation because we do not even agree on the definitions of the words we use. Too many people use words with their own definitions, making it impossible to understand one another. God is not glorified if we muddy the conversation with confusing terms. It is good for us to ensure that we mean what we say and say what we mean, using language common to our neighbors so that they will understand. Then God will be glorified and people will experience the saving grace of God.

Paul understood the importance of the spiritual gift of speaking in tongues and he rejoiced over his gift of tongues. But he also understood that it was a self-serving gift unless the spiritual language could be translated for others, otherwise it is useless. We are to use our spiritual gifts to build up the church and edify one another. A prayer language can be vital to our own spiritual growth and maturity, but we should also seek gifts that will lift others in their faith.

How do you think Isaiah felt when he found out about the work he was being sent to do? Do you think he had second thoughts? Do you think he doubted that he could do it? Do you think he thought the whole idea was ridiculous? “Why do I have to convince them to reject you? I’d much rather convince them that you are forgiving and merciful and just.” He didn’t vocalize these doubts or misgivings, but if he’s human like you and I, he probably had them.

I can relate to Peter. He has a similar but different experience as Isaiah. Peter spent the night fishing on the lake with his companions and they did not catch anything. It was a wasted night; they were tired and ready to go home to rest. Jesus entered the story and their lives were changed. Peter was a fisherman. He knew about fishing; he knew it was a bad day on the sea and that it would be better to just try again another day. Jesus was not a fisherman; Peter was more qualified but he agreed to try again. Their luck was so great that they needed a second boat, and even then they nearly sunk under the weight. The sign was so out of the ordinary that he could clearly see what Jesus was saying. Peter realized that he was looking into the face of God, hearing the voice of God. Peter and Isaiah’s experiences were so astonishing so that there would be no doubt that they had experienced the presence of God. Isaiah and Peter were being called to something extraordinary.

I would probably respond much like Peter. He wasn’t unwilling to follow Jesus, he just thought he was unworthy. “Go away, Lord” Peter said, not because he did not want to be near Jesus but because he was afraid. A sinful man can’t stand in God’s presence without being changed. Isaiah thought he would die. Perhaps Peter thought so, too. But God’s grace overcomes our fear and uncertainty. “Don’t be afraid,” Jesus said, “I have an incredible offer for you.”

Peter and his companions dropped everything and followed. I wonder how long it was before they began to question whether they made the right decision. They believed, but they didn’t believe. They understood, but they didn’t really understand. Jesus had a powerful message of love and hope and peace, but He also spoke harshly, warning sinners of the coming judgment. The perceived promise of a position in a palace near the throne of a king was exciting, but the risks were great. How many times did they say to themselves, “What was I thinking?” It isn’t hard to see ourselves in the apostles. It didn’t help that so many of the people heard Jesus without really listening. When Jesus called them to follow, they answered “In a minute,” but never really had faith.

We are going to have doubts and uncertainty when it comes to the work God is calling us to do. Sometimes it is ridiculous. Sometimes it is impossible. Sometimes we insist that we are the wrong person for the job. This is especially true when we discover the people to whom we are sent might hear but they won’t listen. God has a plan and will make it work, even if it means hardened hearts. Sometimes our listeners need to suffer the consequences of their unfaithfulness, but we can rest in the promise that there is always hope for restoration. Exile can be God’s way of showing people that life without His presence is so unpromising that they will never want to turn to other gods again.

Our task is simply to live in the faith which by God’s grace we have been given. We might experience something extraordinary, like a vision of God in heaven or the tangible evidence of God’s power like a boat load of fish. More often, though, we are ordinary people doing ordinary things for God’s kingdom. Whatever our circumstances, God is calling us to believe, to live in His grace, and to share what He has given to us. He might just call us to something specific like Isaiah, Peter, or Paul. However, we learn from this week’s passages that the work we do will not bring us a position of honor or glory. Instead, the visible manifestation of God’s power will bring us to our knees. We will clearly see our own unworthiness. We will also see God’s mercy and His grace. He won’t let us do His work alone. He will be with us, giving us everything we need.

We are to go forward into the ordinary and the extraordinary with hearts filled with thanksgiving and praise. As the psalmist sings, “In the day that I called, you answered me. You encouraged me with strength in my soul. All the kings of the earth will give you thanks, Yahweh, for they have heard the words of your mouth. Yes, they will sing of the ways of Yahweh, for Yahweh’s glory is great!” As we keep our eyes on God, He will guide our footsteps and lead us into the work He has called us to do. Perhaps we will find, someday, that there is something extraordinary for us to do. It might even seem ridiculous to us. But let us never forget that God’s grace is made manifest in His will and purpose for our lives. The greatest calling is not to be a powerful prophet or a prolific apostle, but to serve God in the ordinary and ridiculous opportunities to share His love with the world.