Sunday, January 21, 2024

Third Sunday after the Epiphany
Jonah 3:1-5, 10
Psalm 62
1 Corinthians 7:29-31 (32-35)
Mark 1:14-20

Immediately they left their nets, and followed him.

Simon (Peter) and Andrew, James and John were fishermen. Most scholars will tell you that they were not educated beyond the schooling they received as children. They were surely familiar with the scriptures, learned at the feet of their mothers. They may have had enough knowledge in the common languages of the day so that they could conduct their business. It is likely, however, that they were strong, dirty and rough, mouths filled with foul language. Though they could have recited the psalms, they were probably more likely to tell an off-color joke. They were surely not prepared to follow Jesus. They were men of the sea, hardworking, patient and willing to endure hardship, but the life of wandering the wilderness or hanging with crowds in the villages was beyond their experience. Worst of all, they were not preachers or teachers. How could God possibly call these guys to this life?

I think most of us, at some time or another, ask the same question of our own lives. “How could God possibly call me to this life?” I don’t mind following Jesus, although I’d much rather if He led me in the direction I want to go.

Jonah had to go to Nineveh. Over and over again Jonah tried to find ways to avoid the work God has called him to do, but God kept calling. Jonah struggled with the assignment because he knew it meant his enemy would benefit. He fought God’s grace. God drew him into the mission, not forcing him to do something he didn’t want to do but convincing him that it was right and good and true. Jonah gave in and went to give the Ninevites the message from God.

The scriptures for this week teach us that faith means changing our point of view. It means seeing the world from a whole new perspective. Jesus turned our world upside down, calling us to live in the world even though we are no longer of the world. Faith means that we are called to take God into our neighborhoods, to share a word of hope that comes from the reality of God’s grace. It means trusting in God, leaving our burdens at His feet, and letting Him bring about the change that will truly make a difference. It means looking at those parts of our life that matter to us, like our marriages, from a new point of view, remembering that God is not only a part of our individual lives, but that He’s in the midst of our relationships, making them new as well. Faith means doing a whole new thing. “Let go and let God” seems almost cliche, but it is the best word for those who are in the midst of uncertainty and transition. Trust in Him. He is there, taking care of everything. We make it harder for Him to accomplish His good purpose for our lives when we try so desperately to stay in control. Jonah fought God all along, but God knew that Jonah’s heart was right. He kept offering Jonah the chance to change the world, calling him over and over to help the Ninevites to get back to Him.

I used to watch those reality television “nanny” shows. Those shows featured a family in desperate need of help in caring for and controlling their children. Many of the children were violent, nasty, rude, and extremely willful. They wanted what they wanted and they wanted it immediately. The most common problem with the parents was their lack of consistency. Though they told the children “no,” over and over again, they always gave in. They didn’t stand firm in the right answer. They gave up too easily because they didn’t want to fight with their children. It always seems easier to let them have their way than to be a disciplinarian.

Some parents don’t know how to discipline. Others are so busy with their lives and work that they do not have the time to be a good parent. Many parents do not listen to their children and are completely blind to their needs. Some just want to be their kids’ friends, and so think they need to be more permissive as if they are scheming together, getting away with something together. They think the children will then do what they want to do, and don’t understand why they do not reciprocate when the parents need cooperation.

The nannies taught the parents different techniques that would help them overcome their problems. The nannies were very honest in their assessment of the situation. If the parents were wimps, they said so. If they were lazy, they told them. The parents were usually offended by the evaluation and they complained about the work that needed to be done, but they eventually they saw the difference in their children when they used the nanny’s suggestions and worked hard at better parenting.

The nannies often focused on consistency. It does no good to threaten a child over and over and over again if the child never experiences the consequences of their disobedience. The parents learned how to give a warning and then follow up on it. In this way, the children realized that the parents meant what they said and said what they meant. Children learn how to act appropriately when parents are consistent.

I confess that I liked to watch those nanny shows because it helped me appreciate my own children. They were not perfect. They misbehaved. They were sometimes disobedient. They had moments when they were rude, self-centered, and demanding. They even uttered the dreaded “I hate you.” But I have wonderful children and I am proud of the people they have become. Despite those moments when they drove me crazy, I am blessed to be their mom.

It is easy to watch those nanny shows and believe when people say that my children are great because we were great parents. I suppose that’s true, but we have been far from perfect parents. No one is perfect, except Jesus. We are, as Martin Luther liked to say, “simul justus et peccator,” which means, “We are at the same time saint and sinner.” We made mistakes. Sometimes, in the heat of battle, we made threats that were too harsh for the offense. Since we knew the importance of consistency, we often stood firm on our warning even when it would have been best to have mercy.

That’s the lesson we can learn from God in today’s lesson. Sometimes it is right to repent. God had disobedient children who needed to experience the consequences of their actions. In this case, it was the destruction of the wicked city of Nineveh. God is consistent, but He’s also merciful. There is a place for a loving parent to change their mind. Sometimes the punishment is too big for the crime, and in God’s grace, complete destruction was too big. So, He sent Jonah to warn them. They repented, changed their ways, and mourned their failure to be all they could be.

God had mercy on Jonah, too. He sent Jonah to Nineveh, but over and over again Jonah tried to find ways to avoid the work God had called him to do. God kept calling. Jonah struggled with the assignment because he knew it meant his enemy would benefit. He fought God’s grace. God drew him into the mission, not forcing him to do something he didn’t want to do but convincing him that it was right and good and true. Jonah gave in and went to give the Ninevites the message from God.

Jonah was a Jew and the Ninevites were the mortal enemies of his people. Border skirmishes between the nations caused too much suffering; Jonah could not forgive. That’s why he ran away when God called him to preach to Nineveh. Jonah did not want them to repent; he wanted them to experience God’s pain so that they might suffer, too. But God had plans for them, so he sent his reluctant prophet into the city of sin to warn them to repent or die. Jonah’s hope was that it wouldn’t work, that they would just go on sinning. Yet, the word of God had an awesome effect on the people of Nineveh. The people of Nineveh believed the prophet, they repented, and God spared them His wrath for a time.

Sometimes we would rather hang on to anger and bitterness rather than love our enemies. I once heard someone ask, “Is it ok to wish someone were dead?” She was upset by someone who had hurt her family and she just wanted them out of her life. We can all identify people in our lives, either past or present, that were like enemies to us.

I know what it is like to harbor bad feelings, to withhold the words “I forgive you” from someone who has done me harm. I also know what it is like to say the words in a meaningless way. It is fairly easy to say “I forgive you” but it is a lot harder to show forgiveness. I’ve said the words, I’ve written them on my heart, I’ve tried to return the relationship as it had been, but sometimes I can’t. My heart aches when they say something that reminds me of the pain; I lie sleepless, writing letters in my head to remind them of the wrong. Even if I say, “I forgive you,” those are just words if the relationship remains broken.

Rev. Walter Everett was the father of a young man who was murdered. When he heard the news, he became very angry at the murderer. His anger began to destroy his life. At the hearing, the young man who had done this horrible act stood before the court and said he was truly sorry. A few weeks later, Rev. Everett wrote to the young man, confessed his anger, and asked some questions. Then he wrote that he was glad to hear what he had said in court and though it was hard, he wrote, “I forgive you.” Those three words brought the young man to his knees in his cell, and he prayed for forgiveness from God. Rev. Everett and the young man continued to write and visit, sharing their faith journeys together. Rev. Everett then testified at the young man’s parole hearing. He was released early, and they remained friends. They both learned about the true freedom found in forgiveness. It was also a lesson in mercy.

God forgives, but He’s also merciful. It is fairly easy to say “I forgive you” but it is a lot harder to show forgiveness. Rev. Everett not only spoke the words but became a traveling companion through the journey of faith in Jesus Christ with the man who killed his son. He shared the Gospel, encouraged the young man’s faith, and helped him become free in both spirit and flesh. That’s mercy. That’s what God did for Jonah and for the Ninevites. And it is what God wanted Jonah to do for his enemy.

The young man was an enemy to the Reverend. It does us no good to hold on to our anger; it is harmful to our spiritual and physical health. However, when we forgive, we open a world of new possibilities. Perhaps, such as in the story of the preacher and his son’s murderer, we may lose an enemy and gain a brother in Christ. I’m not sure I could do the things Jonah or Rev. Everett did, but I hope that God can give me the grace to do so.

The call of God is never easy. We’d rather focus on the benefits of being a child of God, the promise of eternity and His provision in our lives. God blesses those who trust in Him, although we must be careful about what we consider blessedness. Some will tell you that God has promised big cars, big houses, and rose gardens. They will insist that if you love God enough, that He will ensure your health and wealth. They tell you that you will have nothing to fear because God will put a hedge around you and will protect you from all harm.

We know, however, that faith in Jesus does not guarantee warm fuzzies. The Saints from throughout the ages will tell you that it means persecution, and possibly even martyrdom. It means rejection, especially when we begin living a new and different life under God’s Word. We will still get sick, and we will die. We will still experience the troubles of life like lost jobs, broken relationships, natural disasters, and human sin (both the harm of others’ sin and the consequences of our own.) God will call us to do things that we just don’t want to do. Like Peter, Andrew, James, and John, we may wonder if we are really able to do what God is calling us to do, but we the life of faith is a life of confident trust in God, even when He is sending us to a place or giving us work we don’t want to do. His promise is that He will be with us through it all and in the end we will spend eternity with Him.

Mark often uses the word “immediately,” indicating a sense of urgency to the mission throughout his Gospel. The kingdom of God was at hand and Jesus knew He would not have very long to teach the disciples. Jesus never forced faith on anyone. He was received and believed through the grace of God. “Now” was the time to act; there was no time to wait or think or consider the cost.

Peter, Andrew, James, and John left their fishing boats “immediately” and followed Jesus. This has always struck me as amazing. Even with the Holy Spirit urging them toward faith and obedience, I find it difficult to identify with someone who would leave everything without thought or consideration for the cost. I’d want a few answers, first. Where are we going? What will we do? How will we survive without nets, or jobs, or our families? Can we go home and get a change of clothes and hiking boots?

It seems to us that they heard the call of a stranger and just left everything for him. Yet, as we look at the whole story, we realize that the four fishermen were familiar with Jesus and the work He was doing. As a matter of fact, this story does not happen until chapter four in Matthew. In Luke, Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law before He called the fishermen to follow Him. We don’t know how long it was between the wilderness temptation and the calling of these disciples. It could have been months or even a year. We do know from Mark that the time was right; John the Baptist was arrested, decreasing so Jesus could increase. These fishermen didn’t drop everything at the call of a stranger. Andrew was a follower of John and heard John tell the crowds that Jesus was the One for whom they were waiting. He told Peter that they had found the Messiah.

The fact that these guys had time to think about it doesn’t make it any less amazing. As a matter of fact, thinking about it might have been the worst thing they could do. Who really walks away from a good living without considering the cost? Here’s the most amazing thing: Jesus could have chosen far more capable people to be His disciples. What made him pick this rag-tag group of men? Why would He choose fishermen? Why would He pick men that have no experience with ministry?

He chose them because they were clay that He could mold. He chose people who weren’t afraid, who could learn, whose hearts were open to the Holy Spirit’s guidance. They weren’t perfect; even after traveling with Jesus and spending all their time with Him for three or so years, they did not understand. Even to the cross, the disciples thought that they were picked for a different purpose. They wanted to follow the Messiah. Would any of them have really followed immediately if they thought Jesus would end up on the cross?

The psalmist wrote, “Trust in him at all times.” David wrote this psalm in the midst of his own troubles. He knew that the best way to deal with trouble was to trust in God. David had so many enemies. His enemies wanted him dead or at least off the throne. His life and his honor were at stake. However, he knew that he could not defeat his enemies on his own. He waited on God because God’s plan is always right and good. He wrote that God is a rock and a fortress. He is the foundation on which our life is built and He is the refuge to which we can flee to be safe. He is our strength and our hiding place. In Him we can find rest and restoration. We need not carry our burdens because He will carry them for us.

Trust in Him, for He will take care of those who rely on Him alone. This is especially important to remember as we face the new things to which God is calling us in this world. We may not always like the assignment. We may have to face our enemies. We can respond to the calling like Jonah by trying to find ways to avoid it. Or we can let God turn our world upside down and realize that He is drawing us into His presence by offering us a chance to share His grace with the world.

God changed His mind and spared Ninevah. I think in this world where consistency is so important, many are bothered by the idea that the omniscient God who knows everything from the past into the future could, and would, change His mind. Was He wrong when He threatened destruction? No, He wasn’t wrong, He had hope that they would change. We, as parents and as His children, can learn from this that it is OK sometimes to change our mind. We can be merciful and should be merciful because we know that we often fail. If God, who is perfect, can change His mind, we can be like Him and change ours, too. Even when we try to put off God’s plan, He has a way of turning us back onto the right path in His time and way.

Faith means focusing our lives on God and what God wants. God wanted the Ninevites to be spared. God wanted the disciples to follow Jesus. Despite the fears and doubts, Jonah and the disciples went forth in faith to do what God called them to do. It could not have been easy to change the direction of their lives. For Jonah, even entering Nineveh was frightening because the Ninevites were his enemy. The disciples knew how to fish, how did Jesus ever expect that they would know how to teach people about God? Who would listen to them? Who would listen to Jonah and the disciples? Who will listen to us?

Does it matter? The call to faithful living is about turning our attitudes around, trusting God and letting Him guide us into a new life. Paul knew what it was like to have his world turned upside down. He met Jesus on the road to Emmaus; he was traveling there to destroy those who believed in Jesus. After a brief, unexplainable encounter, Paul became a new man. Instead of destroying the Church, he embraced it. Instead of hurting Christians, he spoke God’s Word into the lives of many, many more people so that they, too, would believe.

Today’s epistle lesson is written in the context of marriage. Paul believed that it was best for Christians to stay single because there are far fewer distractions than those who have chosen the married life. However, Paul does not believe that everyone can or should choose to remain single. Instead of reading this text as a call to celibacy, we should read it as a call to change our mind, to turn our attention to God. In the text, Paul is adamant about keeping oneself from distraction. The time had grown short, and Christians needed to keep their eyes on Jesus. In this passage it meant even living as though one did not have a spouse. It meant turning away from family and friends, ignoring the things we love most. It meant giving up all their stuff. It meant giving up all dealings with the world.

Paul honored marriage, but in today’s epistle lesson he talks about a reality that we do not often consider. Paul wrote that the time had grown short and that Christians should keep their eyes on Jesus, even living as though one did not have a spouse. It meant turning away from family in their greatest time of need. It meant ignoring the joyous times of life. It meant giving up all their stuff. It meant giving up all dealings with the world. This seems rather extreme to us, after all Jesus was not against marriage.

Paul is not telling us to reject earthly things. Paul is more concerned about sparing the Christian from the trials that occur when distracted from their calling from God. A spouse, the responsibilities of work and children, the care of a house and property keeps us from time that might be devoted to Christ. It is not only a matter of time. It is also a matter of the emotions that come with relationships and responsibilities. Our hearts are torn every time we have to choose between a family need and the calling of God.

I can’t imagine what it must have been like to be those first disciples. Did they know what they were getting themselves into? Jonah knew that God would have mercy on his enemy, so he tried to run away. Did they know that Jesus would be taking them on a long and dangerous journey? David was constantly harassed by enemies both foreign and family. Did they know they’d have to speak God’s Word into the lives of people who would not listen or believe? Paul spoke hard words to his churches through his letters. Did they know they would face demons and persecution? I find it hard to believe that they knew what they were getting themselves into when they left their nets by the sea. And yet, they heard the Word and believed. They followed Jesus. Immediately.

The texts remind us that God should be first in our lives. His calling is urgent, and He expects our obedience to be immediate. Can God accomplish the work without us? Yes, He can. Can we accomplish anything without Him? No, absolutely not. When God calls us to join Him it is because He has chosen us to the task. He does not need us, but He wants us to follow. We may want to make excuses, try to follow later, but we should not be encumbered by the cares of the world. Though we might want to focus on other things, He should be first in everything. The things of this world do not offer us anything but vain hope. Through it all, we can trust that when God calls, there is power in His Word. God alone is our salvation; He calls us to see the world through His eyes. Jesus calls us to change direction, to respond to His Word, and to follow Him immediately wherever He might lead.