A WORD FOR TODAY, January 20, 2021
Peggy Hoppes
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Blessings. Peg
A WORD FOR TODAY, January 20, 2021
Scriptures for January 24, 2021, Third Sunday after the Epiphany: Jonah 3:1-5, 10; Psalm 62; 1 Corinthians 7:29-31 (32-35); Mark 1:14-20
“God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way. God relented of the disaster which he said he would do to them, and he didn’t do it.” Jonah 3:10, WEB
My grandparents lived on a farm. They didn’t grow large crops, but did have a huge garden with plenty of fresh vegetables. There was enough land to build a sports complex, which was used by local teams. There was a creek in the woods at the back of the property and they had a huge pond in the front. There was also a hidden pond in the woods. I usually spent a week or so every summer, sometimes with my cousins and we took hikes, swam in the creek, and fished in the pond which was stocked with catfish. I caught a few, but we always threw them back. As is true of many home grown ponds, there was a mythical catfish that was everyone’s goal; we all wanted to catch the huge, old fish that had avoided capture for years.
I think I liked visiting the woods and the creek most of all when I went to visit the farm. I enjoyed the peace and quiet. I enjoyed reading on the bank of the creek and watching the water bugs skim the top. I liked to visit the hidden pond because it was a secret place. Though those were my favorite things to do, I enjoyed fishing and I was always excited when I caught something on my hook.
I have always pictured this passage in terms of those quiet moments on the pond with my grandpa’s fishing pole, catching the occasional fish. It was such a peaceful occupation. But I heard a description this week about the text from Mark that changed my thinking. Fishing is violent, even those quiet moments on the pond. Think about it: to catch a fish you have to hook a metal pointy hook into its mouth, causing it pain. The fish will not cooperate and come, but will fight every inch until it is in the boat. We always threw the fish back into the pond, but not until after we dug that hook out of its mouth. It spent time out of water, unable to breath. Fish that are caught for food are often gutted while they are still alive.
It was even worse for those fish caught by professional fishermen like Simon (Peter) and Andrew, James and John. They went out on boats with huge drag nets which caught hundreds of fish at a time. Modern fisherman cut the gills of the fish and let them bleed to death or the fish are thrown onto ice to freeze or suffocate. I don’t know how the fishermen in Jesus’ day dealt with their catch, but it wouldn’t have been any less violent.
The people to whom Jesus was talking were familiar with the notion of fishing and the Old Testament understanding of being “caught.” This is from the post, “A ‘fisher of men’ is a violent, judgment-laden image in the Hebrew prophets, not a quaint play on words. When you are the ‘caught fish’ in the Old Testament, life as you know it is now over; something very new is about to begin. What’s more, seas and waves are emblems of chaos and the Gentile world in the Old Testament. When, through Hebrew eyes, we read about Jesus calling his disciples to be fishers of men, this background changes our perspective on their mission.”
Their job was to change lives, and quite frankly that is not always a pleasant thing.
Most scholars will tell you that Peter, Andrew, James and John 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?
Perhaps understanding that Jesus was calling them to this kind of hard work helps us to see why Jesus would pick them. They knew by His words that the work was not going to be easy. As fishermen, they weren’t respected. People relied on them for their food, but they would not have been invited to dinner. As fishers of men following Jesus, they would be rejected, persecuted, and mocked. But they would also have an incredible impact on the lives of those who believe the Gospel.
What does that mean? We often think of the Gospel as “God loves you,” and it is. But the call to repentance is necessary, too. We have to know that we are sinners in need of a Savior to benefit from the grace of Jesus Christ. Salvation comes with turning from our old lives and trusting in God. We are to die to self and through faith we are raised to new life. Though this is not violent in the ways we think of violence in this world, it is a dramatic change between our life swimming in the chaos of the seas and waves and the life of following Jesus Christ. Something new has begun in our life, something is radically changed.
That radical change is seen in the story from Jonah.
Nineveh was a troublesome place, especially for their Jewish neighbors. 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 wrath 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 affect on the people of Nineveh. They believed the prophet, they repented and God spared them His wrath.
God threatened to destroy Nineveh, but He changed His mind and spared them when they repented. We wonder 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 hoped that they would change. That’s why He sent Jonah. We see in this story that it is OK to change our mind. God calls us to share His grace and expects us to be merciful even if we don’t think they are worthy. If God, who is perfect, can change His mind, we can be like Him and change ours, too.
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 think we all do. 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 I can’t. My heart aches when they say something that reminds me of the pain; I lay 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 actually 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.
We might have faith, but we still ask the question “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. The call of God is never easy. We’d rather focus on the benefits of being loved by God, the promise of eternity and His provision in our lives. God blesses those who trust in Him, although we must be careful what we consider blessedness. Some tell you that God has promised big cars, big houses, and rose gardens. They promise easy work. They insist that if you love God enough, 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. It is like the work of fishermen: hard, sweaty, and smelly. It is work we’d rather not do. We don’t want to go into the enemy camp and tell them to repent. The Saints throughout the ages would 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.) The promise of God is that He will be with us through it all and in the end we will spend eternity with Him.
In the meantime, we are called to a life of obedience to His Word. We are called to follow Him. The work may be hard; we may think we are completely unqualified, but we can trust that God will be with us through it all. When God calls He equips, provides, qualifies and enables. We may not be called to do something that is comfortable, but God will give us all we need to accomplish it.
Peter, Andrew, James and John left their fishing boats “immediately” and followed Jesus. There is urgency in the book of Mark; he uses the word “immediately” 41 times. 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.
Yet, the response of these disciples amazes me. Even with the Holy Spirit urging them to 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 some hiking boots?
It seems like they heard the call of a stranger and just left everything for him. Yet, those four fishermen were familiar with Jesus and the work He was doing. As a matter of fact, Matthew does not tell this story until chapter four. 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 that 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? Jesus was calling them to hard work that would not lead them in the direction they thought it would go. Though they weren’t educated as those in the religious establishment, they would have been familiar with the prophecies. The Messiah was supposed to become king over Israel. They were rough and tumble, though not military they were strong and ready to fight. As fishermen they were ready to take on the chaos and tame it for their God.
Jesus may have had a different reason for choosing those disciples: they were clay that could be molded. The religious establishment was too set in their ways, there was too much for Jesus to overcome. He chose people who weren’t afraid, who could learn, whose hearts were open to the Holy Spirit’s guidance. They weren’t perfect by any stretch of the imagination. Even after traveling with Jesus and spending all their time with Him, they did not understand. Even to the cross, the disciples thought that they were picked for a different purpose. James and John thought that Jesus would choose them to be His right and left hand men when He became king. None of them expected Jesus to surrender. They wanted to follow the Messiah. Would any of them have really followed immediately if they thought Jesus would end up on the cross?
I can’t imagine what it must have been like to be those first disciples. Did they know what they were getting themselves into? Did they know that Jesus would be taking them on a long and dangerous journey? Or did they hear Him talking to them in language they understood?
Did they know they’d have to speak God’s Word into the lives of people who would not listen or believe? 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, like the Ninevites, they heard the Word and believed. They turned to God and followed Him into the unknown.
I confess that I am not sure I can be so obedient; I have so many doubts, fears and frustrations about the world in which I live. Now that my children are grown I have more freedom to follow God’s call on my life, but it was much harder when my children were small. I had opportunities to travel, to speak, to teach, but I always had to consider the cost. Could I get away for a few days? Could Bruce be there for them when they got home from school, to cook them dinner and tuck them in at night? I worried that Bruce might get deployed while I was gone; I wondered if I could get home in the case of an emergency. Even now I have to consider my relationship with my husband when I make decisions, just as he does the same for me. We find it difficult to follow God because we’ve made promises to each other.
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 like marriage, family or our comfortable homes. 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 the relationships and responsibilities. Our hearts are torn every time we have to choose between a family need and the calling of God.
Peter, Andrew, James and John were busy when Jesus happened by their boats and called them to follow Him. They dropped everything to obey. This was an incredible commitment, particularly since James and John had to walk away from their father. They could have just as easily told Jesus they’d be along when the nets were prepared or the fish caught. Instead, they went immediately.
I think, sadly, we are more like Jonah. I’m sure he was a devoted Jew, willing to obey God, except for this one thing. We jump with excitement when we hear God calling us to work we like, but we tremble with fear or drag our feet when it seems His calling is something uncomfortable. Sometimes we even run away. We get angry when God accomplishes a work that seems to be against our best interests. We have to remember, though, that God doesn’t call us to worthless or unimportant work. He calls us to follow Him. That might take us to places we’d rather not go.
In today’s passages we are reminded that while our attachments in this world might be gifts and they might be useful for our ministry, God demands to be first. When He calls, He expects us to hear. His calling is urgent and our obedience should be immediate. Can God accomplish the work without us? Of course 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 might be more like Jonah thinking that we have a better understanding of what is happening. We are easily distracted by the world, using every excuse to keep from following immediately. We’ll think about joining Him later, after we’ve fixed the nets or brought in the catch. Maybe then we will have a better idea of what He’s planning to do. After all, what if He calls us to take the Gospel to our enemies?
But the mission is urgent. Now is the time. We can’t wait until tomorrow. We need to go forth in obedience to do whatever it is He is calling for us to do. Even if it is hard. Even if it seems like we can’t possibly be the right person for the job. Even if we don’t want to go.
The psalmist writes, “Trust in him at all times, you people.” The psalmist, probably David who was having troubles of his own, 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 had to wait on God, for God’s plan is always right and good.
God has mercy. He had mercy on the Ninevites. He has mercy on us and He calls us to have mercy on our enemies that they might hear the call to repentance and the Good News of forgiveness that is found in the blood of Jesus Christ our Lord. The Psalmist reminds us that God alone is our salvation, that He is our hope, our rock, our rest. Jesus Christ is the Living Word of God who came into time and space to draw people into the kingdom of God. We are really nothing, our stuff is useless and time is fleeting, but God is strong and loving, our refuge. This God calls us to follow, to join Jesus Christ in sharing His Kingdom with the world. Fishing for men is not a peaceful day on the pond, but we need not worry that we are unprepared because He will provide us with all we need to accomplish His work in the world. We are invited to cast out the nets, calling for repentance. He will fill those nets with people whose lives need to be changed by His grace. There will be rejection, persecution, and mocking, but God will see those who turn from their evil ways. He will relent of the disaster which He said He would do to them and save them. When we are obedient to His call, we will be blessed to see the impact of the Gospel on those who believe and follow Jesus with us.
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