REPENT. FOLLOW. FISH.

Matthew 4: 12-25

Sunday, January 27, 2008

Matthew has made it plain from the start. It is about Jesus.

At the very beginning of his telling Jesus’ story in the Gospel, he tells us who Jesus is. He is the One who comes to fill the promises full. He is Son of David. He comes as King, filling full that promise God made to David that a descendant of his would rule forever. He is Son of Abraham, coming to be the Seed promised long ago through Whom the families of the earth would be blessed. This is who Jesus is. Matthew makes it clear.

Jesus is One who comes also to change everything. He comes to do more than fill our expectations—He comes to fill full His Father’s promises, in ways we could never expect. He is Son of David. David is called “a man after God’s heart.” He was obedient. Jesus is obedient to His Father’s will—that’s not usually how we think of kings, being obedient to someone else. Jesus finds His throne on a cross of wood and His crown is made of thorns. Jesus changes everything.

Jesus comes as Son of Abraham. Remember that first son? Isaac, who was rescued from serving as the sacrifice and the ram caught in the thicket was substituted. John calls Jesus the “lamb of God.” This Son of Abraham comes to be the Substitute and the Sacrifice—He is the Lamb and we are set free. Jesus changes everything.

Today we catch up with Jesus in Matthew’s telling of the story as Jesus begins His ministry. Jesus announces that ministry in ways we would expect: The reigning of God has begun—He is near! God Himself has entered our timeline—He has entered our flesh. Wow! How this news can excite the imagination.

You know people who get excited about the possibilities of God, the Infinite, touching the human. There are all kinds of expectations that can be born in such an imagination—such a possibility. But before we can join those friends and imagine along with them, Jesus says something else: Repent!

Repent? Our imaginations run smack into that call. Stop it, Jesus says. Stop doing what you’re doing with your expectations and imaginations and start listening. When I think about the impact of Jesus’ call, I remember an English television comedy troupe that was popular in the 1970s—maybe you heard of Monty Python’s Flying Circus. They were known for many things but especially for abrupt transitions—the announcing voice would simply say, “And now for something completely different.” Jesus calls us to something different than we expect. Matthew would remind us that things don’t start with you and me—they start with Jesus. So even definitions and expectation s do, too.

Jesus can call us to repentance because He is Who He is—not who we consider Him to be. You know people who say they know all about Jesus. They consider Him as a philosopher, a teacher, a good man. They might even agree that He was sent by God, come to lead us into some sort of better understanding of the Universe. Jesus is in charge of Who He is—and so also of whom He calls us to be.

He is God, come into our flesh to meet us at our level with His call—Repent!

Before you cry out, “Wait a minute! I’m already a baptized child of God. I don’t think like my friends! What do I have to repent of?” remember what Jesus is calling you away from. Yes we are baptized children of God. However, our flesh still clings to us—remember how Luther speaks of us as “saint and sinner at the same time.” There are ways of thinking that we need to be called away from.

Think about the First Commandment. We should have no other gods before Him. Remember Luther’s explanation? We should fear, love and trust in God above all things. Do you?

What are you afraid of? What/whom do you fear? If there are financial or health or family or any other concern that, even for a moment, obscures your awe of God and focusing on His ability to carry you through and above such fears, then you are not fearing God above all things. The same can be said of love and trust. If there is something you desire—something that you say, “if I only had …,” my life would be complete—and it’s not God, then you’ve crossed the line with the First Commandment. If you have ever counted on your skill set rather than God’s leading or on someone else more than God, well….I think you get the idea. We have things that need to change.

Jesus calls us to repent and calls us away from ourselves to Him. Change your heart. Change your head. Change your life We’ve already proven ourselves captive to the desires and fears of our flesh, how is change going to happen? Remember. Matthew tells you it begins with Jesus.

Jesus who came to be enthroned on a cross to rule over sin and death—our sin and our death. Jesus who was crowned with thorns so that He would be King over your heart and life. Jesus who came as the Lamb to die in your place to ransom you from the captivity to fear and desire and Who rose from death to seal your freedom—as He has been raised, in that baptism we talked about before, you and I have been raised to a new life. Living that new life is something completely different. It is life under and in the reign of God.

The reign of God Jesus announces and brings begins with Him. It also begins in us. Jesus’ second call on our lives invites us into this. Repent. Follow! Simon Peter and Andrew, James and John leave their nets and follow Jesus.

It is hard to follow. It’s hard to follow when you can see. I hate following. Especially when I’m driving a car in a strange city, following another driver. I hate that. You know what’s going to happen. The light will change, the other driver goes through and I’m left behind—not knowing where I’m going. I hate that. If it’s hard to follow when you can see, how hard is to hear Jesus and follow when you can’t see? I want to lead—at least, I want to question where it is that I’m being led.

Jesus calls, “Repent.”

The reign of God brings faith. His ruling in us by His voice that calls and His Holy Spirit creates faith and faith leads to trust. Trusting Him in all things means we give Him our lives—hearts, heads, all of it. Placing ourselves into His hands—knowing that those nail-scarred hands love us and call us Himself. Now the First Commandment is possible. We can, by His grace, fear, love and trust in Him above all things. Follow.

Repent. Follow. Then, Jesus calls us to something really unexpected. He says, “Fish.” Fish?

These men He calls first by the Sea of Galilee are fishermen. They made their living with nets. Jesus calls them to now use their “nets” to share the life that He accomplishes with the ruling of God in their hearts. What was formerly theirs to use for them, Jesus calls them to put into service for the Kingdom.

You and I don’t need “nets.” You have talents and gifts that you use to make your livelihood. God “wired” you before you were born with a skills set and abilities. God has shaped you through the experiences of your life to enjoy certain activities and you have taken those gifts and talents to make your living, to make your way in the world. Now, Jesus calls you to “fish.”

Let Him use those talents and abilities and skills. That fear creeps back into our hearts and wonders how we could ever do that—give Him our livelihood and our talents and time. He calls, Repent. Follow. His reign has begun in your heart and life. We can fish.

Matthew would remind you that Jesus’ reign has begun. He changes everything. Our expectations are turned upside-down and inside-out. He fills our expectations fuller than we could ever imagine. We can, by His grace and reign, trust Him with our lives—and livelihoods.

As Jesus called Simon Peter and Andrew, James and John to use those things which they used for making their living to share life, He calls us to the same adventure. Put those things into service for the Kingdom to share that life that Jesus calls abundant—the new life of His resurrection and His reign.

How can you and I do that? His Word, His call always brings His help. But, Mount Olive is also going to help. This last week you should have received in the mail our Time and Talent Survey. Please prayerfully consider how Jesus is calling you to fish and fill it out and bring it back next Sunday. Now, if you’re thinking, “I did that last year and no one ever called me,” understand that we have a new system in place and someone will follow up with you on your offer to fish. Repent. Follow. Fish.

Matthew reminds us that it begins with Jesus. It is about Jesus. And, it is for Jesus.