January 26, 2020 – Matthew
MATTHEW 4:12-23
Today, our scripture lesson is one that anyone who has gone to Sunday School or Bible School is familiar with. My guess is that everyone sitting in this sanctuary today knows the song, I Will Make You Fishers of Men. I will make you fishers of men if you follow me! When you think about these words, you realize that they provide an image that we can all relate to, one that points us directly to what is expected of us as disciples of Christ.
Matthew shows Jesus as the itinerant preacher that He was, one who constantly wondered the country side, preaching and healing. Jesus life here on earth was not one of comfort and luxury, but one of searching out those in need of God’s word wherever they might live. An itinerant preacher who called men who were just ordinary people like you and me to be His disciples.
If we close our eyes for a moment, we can imagine that day. There they were that day standing waist deep in the water, pulling in their nets in the warm sun, hoping that they had caught enough fish in the nets to make a living that day. One wonders why they would just drop everything immediately, leave their families, and follow Jesus. Perhaps it was Jesus’ words of, “I will make you fish for men.” Those words would certainly have piqued my interest. Regardless, Jesus’ call was powerful and profoundly inspired, just as He calls each one of us today.
How many of you had a pet fish when you were growing up? Perhaps many of you got your pet fish like I did. At the carnivals, I would throw coins at the gold fish booth and eventually one would land in a bowl, and presto, I had a new pet. Of course, once a week I was responsible for changing the water in the fish-bowl. I had a little net that I used to chase the fish around so I could put them in a small bowl while I did the cleaning.
Peter, Andrew, James and John’s nets were a lot different than my little net. They could scoop up many fish of many different types in one swoop. One wonders if they fully understood at that time that Jesus’ words of making them fishers of men meant that they would be fishing for men and women of all races, creeds, and nationalities just as they fished for fish of all type.
This was a new beginning for each of the men and the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. New beginnings can be exciting and scary at the same time. They can fill us with hope and be full of challenges. Yet, starting with a clean slate can be attractive to many of us. Perhaps that is why we make New Year’s resolutions as the new year signals that it is also a new beginning with the new year stretching fresh and clean before us. A year that we can live differently if we want to. A year that as yet has no mistakes in it, or any of life’s ups and downs. Also, beginning something new is filled with the unknown, an adventure into the future.
Christ Lutheran too is being called to a great adventure, an adventure that will lead to a stronger and more vital church that can weather the changes of time. We have taken many positive steps in the past couple of years that have made us stronger as a congregation. God has called all of us to be his disciples and given us all various types of spiritual gifts that we can use to be fishers of men. As we begin this new year, fresh and clean, we will be resurrecting our Evangelism Team, a team that needs all types of people with different spiritual gifts to help the church discern the types of things that God is calling us to do. There will be many assignments that will only take a short amount of time, and some that will take a bigger commitment. Some tasks will be one shot deals, and some will be longer in nature. So, even if you only have a small amount of time to give, there is a job for you. I would like to state right up front that, NO, this team will not be going door by door spouting Scripture to whoever opens the door. Instead the team will be brainstorming ideas, and researching the needs of our local community to find additional ways we can serve those around us. The team will also work with new ideas that are aimed at providing church members with additional opportunities to grow spiritually. I have my fishing rod in hand, but I can’t catch a thing without your help. Afterall, someone has to bait the hook, (I don’t do creepy, crawly things) and someone needs to tell me where the good fishing spots are in Perry County.
Jesus used the words, “Follow Me” many times during His time here on earth. When I was in seminary one of my professors used to say there was a difference between saying we were a Christian and saying we were a Christ-Follower. Many people call themselves Christians, but a Christ-Follower claims that they follow Christ no matter where He leads. Where Christ leads may not always be exciting and wonderful. It may be a difficult situation and circumstance, but Jesus calls us to follow regardless.
As we leave here this morning, Jesus calls each of us to drop the worldly things that tug us “to and fro,” and follow Him. There is not an immediate answer to the question, follow Him where? We are called to follow Him in faith. Jesus’ call to us is one to contemporary action, to fish for human beings by serving Him. We are being called from our everyday lives into service and community.
I know that there are several talented quilt makers in our congregation, and I know for sure that am not one of them. Several years ago, when I lived in Virginia, a friend and I met on Sunday afternoons for fellowship and quilt making. I finally finished a small lap quilt, and I do mean very small lap quilt, with every stich in it done by hand. Some of my stiches were invisible but many of them were not, and some of my squares were not perfectly square. Yet, all the same, my lap quilt served the purpose that it was made for.
We can be assured that Jesus will lead each of us and this church as community in one of the greatest adventures of our lives as we fulfill His mission. The question is, will you accept Jesus’ call and walk with this congregation on the road of faith? Faith that God will provide for this church so that we can serve Him in implementing whatever He desires. We are like my little lap quilt. We have lots of little pieces of difference sizes but together that make up the fabric of this congregation. It is this patchwork fabric that make us the community of God’s people that we are. We will never be perfect, some stiches will stick out and some squares will not be perfectly square, but that is okay, for God calls us to step forth and serve the purpose He has made us for. Will you answer God’s call?
Amen