Following Jesus - Sermon for the Third Sunday after Epiphany Year A

Following Jesus

Epiphany 3A

January 22, 2023

Christ, Preston, MN

Matthew 4.12-23

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near. … and follow me.”

With the arrest of John the Baptist it is now “Go time” for Jesus, the start of his public ministry. We’re done with the preparatory work, getting ready for Jesus’ birth, then celebrating his birth, hearing about his baptism, and getting John off the stage so that Jesus can take center place, albeit in a dramatic fashion. As we do so, Matthew wants us to know some significant things about Jesus. First, that his ministry will be primarily in Galilee, roughly the size of Fillmore County, in the northern area of Israel.

As is typical for Matthew, this move is in fulfillment of Scripture. As in Isaiah’s time when the people were under the dark thumb of the Assyrians to the North, the people are now under the darker thumb of Rome, looking for a light to save them. In mentioning Gentiles, Matthew hints at the expansiveness of Jesus’ ministry, which will find expression in the Great Commission in chapter 28, to make disciples of all nations. Matthew also wants us to know that Jesus will be a different kind of savior-Messiah. He will be not a warrior-king like David but a teacher, preacher, and healer who recruits not soldiers but rather fishermen, tax collectors and other ordinary folk.

When Peter, Andrew, James, and John drop everything to follow Jesus, we wonder if they had prior knowledge of Jesus or encounters with him. As intriguing as that question is, it’s irrelevant to Matthew. Rather, he wants to show that Jesus is an authoritative presence and that his mission is compelling. Just as significant, it’s important to know that in Jesus’ time rabbis didn’t select their disciples. Instead, people would decide which rabbi or teacher they wanted to follow, which was often a sign of popularity. By contrast, Jesus chooses the four (and other eight) for whatever gifts they will bring to ministry.

We read this story of the call and can feel overwhelmed or inadequate. It is natural to wonder if we would do that. Would we drop everything and follow Jesus, leaving everything behind? Is that what the story is telling us? And frankly, the idea of “fishing for people” sounds manipulative, that we need to “hook” them for the kingdom or gather them unwillingly, wiggling and gasping for air. But it’s important to note that Jesus calls them as they are with their particular gifts and skills. Even more importantly, Jesus says that he will make them disciples much as a potter molds clay. As always, it is Jesus who will do the heavy lifting even as the disciples learn what it means to follow him.

Early on in my business career I’d been promoted to store manager and transferred to the suburban Chicago area. I’d also recently rejoined the church, having left after Confirmation due to a crisis of faith. I still had many questions but figured the church was the place to find the answers. Marty, one of my salesclerks, took pity on a guy who was in a strange town with no friends and invited me to dinner where I met her husband, Floyd, and two-year-old daughter. A friend from Michigan, Mark, was visiting and Marty thought we’d get along. We did and we had a great conversation. Somehow, as we were relaxing over coffee and dessert, I found myself talking about my faith (unfaith?) journey and recent return to church. I wasn’t fishing for converts but simply telling of my experience. Mark, a lapsed Catholic, would energetically reengage with his faith. Marty would begin to explore her spirituality and I’m not sure about Floyd.

Now, at that time I had no idea what following Jesus meant, let alone doing evangelism. Frankly, I’m still figuring the whole “following Jesus thing” out. That brings us to one more significant aspect of today’s reading: it leads into the Sermon on the Mount. It’s the first and largest of Jesus’ five blocks of teaching in Matthew and is a primer in following the kingdom way. We’ll explore this kingdom-way in the next few Sundays, how Jesus invites us to true life. Meanwhile, my Siblings in Christ, Jesus calls you to turn away from those things that draw you from God and to bring your whole selves while following him. Amen.

My sermons often preach a little differently than written and you can find the video here.