Called and Caught
By Griff Martin
A
Sermon on Matthew 4:12-23, Isaiah 9:1-4 and Psalm 27
For
The Third Sunday of Epiphany (Jan 26, 2020)
For
the Beloveds of First Austin: a baptist community of faith
Incarnate and Coming Christ, we ask
that you once again take the Word and transform it into a living and breathing
new reality we can all together experience. Make us aware of your presence here
in this space and in these words, God; for if we are present to you then nothing
else will matter, but if we are not present to you then nothing else will
matter. In the name of the Creator, the Christ and the Comforter. Amen.
Two
Sundays ago, after a baptism, I walked around the sanctuary to put my shoes
back on. I don’t wear waders in baptisms because I think it’s a funny
theological practice to pledge to someone ‘we are all in this together’ and to
not actually be in the water with them. So, baptism Sundays involve a complete
wardrobe change for me. So, I was finishing that up, tying my shoes, sitting on
the stairs right back there outside the sanctuary space and I had the perfect
view for what was about to occur.
It
was the children’s sermon. Claire Jordan was doing a fantastic job describing
baptism to the kids. At the point of the story when Claire talked about the
dove landing on Jesus’ shoulder, one of our brilliant kids asked, “is that why
the baptistry looks like a dove?” And then I got to witness this collective
aha-moment; I saw so many of you glance over and then turn to the person next
to you and say, “Have you ever noticed that?”
This
space, this sacred space, has some brilliant design elements that contribute to
our theology or that match our theology or that have led to our theology. A lot
of thought went into this space – something we will soon celebrate on our 50th
anniversary of being here. And one of the main elements, the main features of
this space, is the nets.
The
nets stir a lot of discussion about this space. Almost everyone says something
about the nets. Typically, what is first said is ‘those nets are so stunning,’
and then they ask, ‘do they mean what I think they mean?’ To which I always
say, “well, what do you think they mean?” And the answer that I get most of the
time, from those seeing them for the first time and from many of you who have
seen them thousands of times… fishers of men, fishers of people.
I
think that answer reveals that we might need to do some further thinking about
that question. First off, fisher of men – give that image, that metaphor,
more thought. It’s good for the fisherman but pretty bad for the fish. If you
think about this metaphor too much you realize it needs some work. Second, that
is not a great summary of the story. It reminds me of when I tell the kids on
Saturday morning, “okay, here is all we have to do today: we need to put up
laundry, clean our rooms…” and so on and so forth, and then I end it by saying “and
if we do all that by noon, we will go to P. Terry’s and get burgers and
milkshakes.” And then, to make sure we are all on the same page, I ask “now,
what are we going to do today?” And someone responds by saying we are going to
P. Terry’s to get milkshakes. Which is kinda, maybe potentially true, but not
the point.
I
think our reply to what do the nets mean? (fishers of men), might mean
we need to do what I do with the children – let’s go over that again. I think
we need to hear this story again, in order to truly hear Christ, because there
is a Gospel message in this text that is so beautiful and hopeful, we all need
to catch.
Matthew
begins by giving us an update on John the Baptist, who has now been arrested
for the scene he created, and when Jesus hears about John getting arrested,
Jesus gets out of dodge. Maybe Jesus knows it’s not his time to be arrested
just yet (but note that pivotal word yet – it would appear, based on the
Gospels, getting arrested is a pretty standard part of our job). Maybe Jesus is
upset and already feeling alone. After all, John knew what he was about when no
one else did. Maybe Jesus just wants a change of scene, and what better place
than Galilee? By the sea, which is really a lake, a really big lake, about 13
miles long and eight miles wide. Maybe it’s just part of the big plan that the
prophet Isaiah saw, and Jesus is making it a reality. We don’t know.
And
we don’t have a clear timeline here. What we know is Jesus arrives at Galilee
and then he continues John’s ministry. Look at Jesus’ first sermon: “repent,
for the kingdom has come.” And we know he walks – Jesus is a walker and
wanderer. And maybe he walks the shores for days and months and maybe he makes
relationships with the fishermen, so this is not as out-of-the-blue as it
seems. Or maybe this is a “love at first sight” moment – maybe it’s the perfect
story to go with that famous prayer from Augustine, “our hearts are restless
until they find rest in Thee.” We don’t know if there is a prior relationship
with the fishermen or not.
What
we know is there are 4 fishermen; two sets of brothers. Peter and Andrew are
fishing with their nets, which tells us they fish from the shore. It gives us a
clue about their economic level. And then the other two brothers, James and
John, are in the boat with their father, Zebedee. They are not fishing; they
are mending their nets. They don’t have to fish from the shore because they own
a boat, which gives us a clue about their economic level. Two sets of brothers,
all 4 fishermen, on the shore.
And
Jesus calls them to follow and off they go.
And
we have heard this story so many times that we skip right past the strangeness
of it all.
Like,
if you were Zebedee and you were out teaching your sons a trade, and some man
who you don’t know or maybe barely know came up and called them to Follow him,
to leave everything to go with him, what would your response be? It seems to be
the opposite of a lot of safety lessons we are teaching our children, right? Of
course, maybe there is a parenting lesson here: the best parenting gets our
kids ready to follow Jesus the moment Jesus calls. But it is strange because
it’s not safe.
Second
part of the strangeness: it’s not custom and tradition. There is certainly an
element here of a standard religious practice at play: a rabbi and his
disciples. This was a tradition that was well known back then, so Matthew
assumes the reader knows this, as well. However, the traditional practice was
that a Jewish boy would find a rabbi whose theology and practice appealed to
him, and he would prepare to ask to follow the rabbi. This preparation was
memorizing the Torah and Hebrew scripture and knowing the Rabbi’s teaching. He
would be quizzed by the rabbi extensively on his knowledge of Torah and
teaching. The Rabbi would watch how he lived. Very few passed the test and were
granted permission to be a disciple of the Rabbi, and it was quite an honor to
do so. This is the tradition. And Jesus comes along breaking that – you
don’t have to prove anything, and you don’t ask me; I ask you.
This
call story is strange because it goes against all understanding of safety, of
tradition, of custom, of how things had always been done…. Pay attention to
that. If you are trying to discern Jesus’ call on your life, those are some
pretty good questions to ask. Does this feel too safe? Does this go along too
well with the way things are and always have been? Because Jesus does not seem
real concerned with those things.
And
then the big one… Leave it all. We will learn that for Peter this means leaving
a family of some sort because later in the Gospel he mentions an ill mother-in-law,
so there is some sort of family structure. For James and John, this means
leaving their father and the family business. For all of them this means leaving
the very life they know, the future they had planned, and the world as they
knew it. And notice they don’t leave it for some great promise. Jesus promises
them nothing except this image, you will be fishers of men.
They
leave it all because of potential, not promise. They leave because of what this
could be and could become, and there is no guarantee.
They
leave it all because they have heard the voice of love. And if you have ever
experienced true love in your life, well… it makes you do crazy things. It
makes you willing to take risk; it makes you imagine more; it makes the
impossible seem possible. Love is strong like that.
So
off they go to become fishers of men.
And
here we sit. And we hear this story and I think most of the time we do that really
horrible dangerous thing… the best way I can describe it is this: one Sunday I
called my GranGran after church and we were talking and I asked her about
church and her response, “Griff, the sermon was about gossip, and I will tell
you I was looking around and there were some people there that really needed to
hear that.”
We
hear this story and we make it about anyone besides us because we aren’t fishermen
and isn’t this entire idea of “call” about those who do ministry work full-time?
And we don’t do that; we already got our degrees and jobs.
Another
story: at University Baptist Church Baton Rouge we put on a living nativity
every Advent. This was a tradition for the church, not something I suggested or
brought in or even bought into, mainly because even though it was seen as
outreach, every person I met who came to it came from another church. We were
fishing in the small pond already fished (which is what a lot of evangelism is
today, and if we stick with the fishing metaphor, that is not fishing; it’s
poaching, and that sounds even worse… Follow me and be poachers of people.)
Anyway,
one weekend things were getting placed for the Live Nativity, and I was sitting
with Blake in her room talking about it. She was probably 4 at the time. We were
going over what this was going to be, how lots of the church people who she
knew were going to be dressed up in costumes and playing parts in the Nativity
story. Her eyes got really big because from early on she has loved drama,
acting, and costumes.
A
few hours later she came out and said, “Dad, I have a costume and I want to be
in the Jesus play.” Now I will tell you I really thought she was going to be an
angel or Mary and I will confess that immediately I started thinking about what
a great sermon image this was going to be, like this is as preacher story as it
gets. So, I walked back to her room to see what I expected to be the sweetest
little angel or Mary costume.
And
instead there is a complete Alice in Wonderland outfit, including a
horribly cheap wig.
“Huh,
what?” were the only words I could utter. That perfect sermon story was gone
(or so I thought, obviously). And so I sat there, somewhat stunned until I
finally said, “Baby girl, Alice is not in the Christmas story.”
“But
Dad, I really love Alice right now. I feel really called to her and I think the
story would be better if she was in it.”
And
here is the truth: it might be a better story with Alice in it, for lots of
reasons but mainly this one: because it would have had someone following their
calling and passion right then at that moment and playing the part they wanted
to play, not trying to conform to the roles already cast.
Jesus
told these brothers to be fishers of men not because that was some great image,
Jesus told them to be fishers of men because fishing was what they knew, what
they enjoyed, what they loved. It was the perfect role for these 4. If they had
been doing something beyond fishing, I think he would have used another image.
Fishers
of people because they were fishermen. Jesus speaks the language that our
hearts and lives know best. Jesus wants us for our passions, for the things
that make us odd and the things that make us great, for our curiosity, for what
we are good at, for what we love, for all of that. Jesus wants us for us.
Jesus
is not cast calling some perfect play with this set list of pre-written roles;
Jesus is open casting for a very big play and Jesus wants you as you in that
play.
Follow
me and I will make you _____, and you and Jesus fill in the blank for whatever
it is that speaks to your heart and that the world needs.
Now
this does not mean I think the nets are not really important still. In fact, I
am hoping the nets will be even more important to you now. Because the nets are
about calling you and catching you. The nets remind us that we are called and
caught by Jesus.
That
Jesus is still wandering around and watching us and waiting for that perfect
moment to speak…. To call.
That
Jesus is watching and saying “hmm, that one loves art and music, what can we do
together?”, or that one over there, “she has a mind built for law and
interpretation and a passion for justice, what can we do together?” Or that one
over there, “he’s good at yoga, what can we make of that?” Or that one, “she
loves plays and singing and has a really big heart, what can we make of that?”
And
suddenly his eyes light up, “oh I know what we can do together…. We can change
the world if they are willing to follow me. And before we know it, being braver
than we ever knew possible, we answer the call, and before we know it we are
all caught up in this grand story that we know as the Kingdom of God.”
May
you be called and caught. It’s how you change the world.
Amen
and Amen.
*artwork: Jesus Calling Disciples, Serigraph by John Mosiman, sacredartpilgrim.com/collection/view/96
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