Sunday, February 9, 2025

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

When they had brought their boats to land, they left everything, and followed him.

Have you ever felt that you aren’t heard when you speak? I am sure mothers of teenagers know exactly what I’m talking about. As my children matured, they became responsible for chores around the house. One of their tasks was to take their clean clothing to their rooms after they were washed, dried, and folded. I like to do all the laundry on a specific day of the week, and they knew it was laundry day. When I finished one day, I told them to get their laundry. They answered, “I’m busy. I’ll be there in a minute.” I trusted that they would complete the task and went on to other work. Later that evening they wished me a good night, passing the clean laundry to find me, then went to bed. It wasn’t until I went to bed that evening that I discovered neither one of them took their clothes. “In a minute” never means in a minute, it means “when I get to it,” and we all have moments when we forget. Would any of us become parents if we really knew how frustrating it would be? Would we think twice about being parents if we knew how often our words would be ignored?

It was even worse for Isaiah. He received 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 sent Isaiah not to make people listen, but to turn their hearts away from God! He was sent 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.

Israel was fickle. Over and over again they turned from God to worship other gods and ally themselves with other nations. They often set 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, quickly returning to the old ways. God was trying something new through Isaiah: the people would suffer the consequences of their unfaithfulness, but God is merciful and always promised restoration, giving them hope despite their struggles. The exile was God’s way of showing His people what life was like without His presence so that they would never want to turn to other gods again.

I sometimes wonder if life might have been better without the frustration of having teenagers that do not hear, but I will never regret having children. My vocation as a mother is the greatest blessing of my life. As with all things in human existence, I had to learn how to do what was best, to find a way to raise them to be responsible adults. It started with having them do their own laundry. It took time for them to learn and remember, and there were moments when they realized that the clothes they wanted, or needed, were not clean. It wasn’t easy for them to make the adjustment, especially since teenagers (and young adults) rarely have enough time, get through an entire cycle of laundry, but sometimes we have to cause a struggle to set our children on a good path. That’s what God was doing with Israel. He hardened their hearts for a season so that they would appreciate His grace.

Martin Luther understood vocation as living out our faith in the world, no matter the circumstances in which we find ourselves. There was 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, more spiritual, and more holy than life as a farmer, carpenter, housewife, or father. Luther’s doctrine of vocation went against the attitude that religious life was more holy or pleasing to God than 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 call in the letter to the Corinthians. These three tell amazing stories of unusual circumstances that put them in a place to serve the Lord. Most pastors, however, do not have such powerful and life-changing stories. As a matter of fact, most of them will tell you that the decision 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.

People outside church ministry don’t really think about God calling them to their work; most would not even consider their work a “calling.” They might choose their career because of family, following a father or mother into the same line of work. Some look at what jobs are available or financially lucrative in their time or place. Some choose careers that can best exhibit their talents or intelligence. However they come to make their career choice, it is unlikely that they have experienced some vision or miraculous call from God.

Isaiah, Paul and Peter’s callings were extraordinary situations. In their stories, however, we see that God called ordinary men out of ordinary circumstances to do extraordinary things. None of them believed that they could do what God was calling them to do; they did not think they were worthy. They were sinners and did not think they could possibly be the one whom God wanted to accomplish the task. As a matter of fact, they feared for their very lives because they had come face to face with God.

But that’s what vocation is all about. We are called to live out our faith in the world so that we come face to face with God in ways we would never expect. As we live out our vocation in ordinary and extraordinary ways, the world sees the One from whom all good gifts come. 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 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 will probably not be to something extraordinary, but to an ordinary job in an ordinary workplace. Yet, our calling is always extraordinary because it comes from God. 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 holiness in the ordinary, God has called us to see Him in the ordinary and to live out our faith in the every day. We might have to struggle as we grow into maturity, learning to understand our place in God’s Kingdom, but God has promised us that He will be with us through it all. He doesn’t want to hear “in a minute,” He wants us to answer “Yes,” and obey. We will fail, but He gives us hope in His forgiveness. It does not matter if you are a bishop or housewife, just do everything in faith and commit it to God and you will see Him do extraordinary things.

The Harlem Globetrotters have been around for nearly a hundred years. They are an American exhibition basketball team that combines athleticism, theater, entertainment, and comedy in their style of play. They play exhibition games all over the world against deliberately ineffective opponents, and therefore always win. They’ve been to San Antonio many times, and we went to see them a few years ago. I’m not much of a sports fan, so I was sometimes bored and distracted, but the show made me laugh hysterically when the players were goofing off.

“Showtime” Gaffney was a Globetrotter for fifteen years, and his antics kept my attention. Showtime was not necessarily a spectacular basketball player. As a matter of fact, there were other players on both teams that did much more impressive feats of athletics during the game. Showtime drew our attention because he was the vocal member of the team. He wore a microphone and was able to keep our attention wherever he intended.

During the show we attended, the Globetrotters played against the New York Nationals, and their biggest problem was that they were too distracted by Showtime’s antics. While Showtime did his thing, the other Globetrotters ran circles around the opposing team until they ended up scoring points before the other team knew what was happening. On at least a few occasions, the ball and points were stolen from the team by Showtime’s silliness. Showtime kept us laughing hysterically, interacting with the audience, picking on the referees, talking to team members on the sidelines, stealing munchies from people on the sidelines. He hid behind the goalpost, getting the crowds to clap along with him to the music. He stole a woman’s purse and carried it around for a while until it ended up on the shoulder of one of the opposing team members. When the referee asked where they got the purse, Showtime blamed the other team. Kids were asked to throw the ball and elderly ladies to dance. He managed to get more than a few kisses and throw water at a large portion of the audience.

While our attention was on Showtime, it was not on the ball. This made it easy for the Globetrotters to razzle and dazzle the Nationals and score. The antics were all part of the fun, which is why we went. The game itself was not terribly exciting, but the show made us laugh. Our daughter was not enthused to attend the event, but even she managed to smile during the evening.

The psalmist says, “I will bow down toward your holy temple.” Some religions emphasize bowing in the direction of a specific place during prayer. This may seem like a useless practice to those of us who know God is everywhere, there is some benefit. It is a tangible reminder to the faithful to keep our eyes on God, though the things of this world often distract us from doing what He has called us to do. The witness we bear to the world by our attention toward God will give God glory and honor Him. As we keep our eyes focused on God, whether we do so by facing a place or by doing all that He has called us to do, the world will see Him and know that He is God. Otherwise, we might be distracted like we were by “Showtime” Gaffney and miss the ball.

Our daughter was far more interested in visits to theaters to see plays. We have attended multiple events at a theater in San Antonio which has a beautiful and ornate stage façade. The building is worth any visit. They say there is not a bad seat in the house, and that might be true. Some of the seats are certainly better than others, but each has their advantage. Orchestra seats put the participant closer to the action, right at eye level of the stage, but it is easier to miss something on a distant part of the stage. Balcony and mezzanine levels are much higher and farther away, you can see the whole stage, but the actors are much smaller, and it is harder to catch the details. It is a great experience to visit the theater wherever you sit for whatever kind of show.

Different types of stages are used in different venues for different purposes, but no matter the kind of stage, there is one thing they all do: they ensure that the audience will have the best experience possible. The right state offers the right acoustics and line of sight. The right stage does not allow pressing crowds which are uncomfortable for both the actors and the audience. I’ve been in a pressing crowd, and it is not enjoyable. It can even be dangerous, and no one gets much out of it. It is hard to see and hear what is happening. That’s what happened to Jesus; He was unable to preach because the crowd was pressing in on Him. Those who were just a few feet away could not even hear His voice. He solved the problem by getting into the boat which offered better acoustics so that Jesus’ 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, “Master, we worked all night and caught nothing,” he said, but trusted Jesus, “...but at your word I will let down the net.” When they tried to pull in the net, they found it so full of fish that they could not lift it, so they called another boat to help. What would you do? How would you react if Jesus touched you in a very tangible, 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.

Did they want more or were they simply awed by the work of God, so much so they didn’t even consider stopping. After all, they were doing what Jesus told them to do. Despite the incredible success of their fishing trip, Peter did not focus on their great catch but on what was happening. He was so awed that he dropped to his knees to ask for mercy. “Go away, I’m no good.” Peter realized that this miracle was an invitation, but it was an invitation to something that he did not really want to do. He did not feel worthy to do it. Jesus gave him a word of encouragement, so he and the other disciples left everything to follow without really knowing what they would face as disciples of Jesus.

Paul’s letter to the people in Corinth had to deal with multiple problems with the young church. There was a problem in Corinth. The worship services were not being conducted in an orderly manner; the worship did not glorify God. This included the misuse of tongues. Paul was not suggesting that the use of tongues should be rejected; 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.

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 certainly happening in the political discourse in our world today. It even happens in conversations between different types of Christians. 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.

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 is a self-serving gift unless the spiritual language could be translated for others. We are to use our 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? Was he like the parent that wonders if they should have had children once they became teenagers? Do you think he doubted that he could do the work? 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 thought them.

Peter’s experience was similar but different from Isaiah’s. He 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 was no doubt that they had experienced the presence of God. Isaiah and Peter were called to something extraordinary.

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 lived in faith.

We are going to have doubts and uncertainty when it comes to the work God is calling us to do. Sometimes our calling seems ridiculous. Sometimes it seems 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 respond as we hope they might. 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 on 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, following Him wherever He might lead.