3rd Sunday of Epiphany
Rev Indrea Alexander
Isaiah 9:1-4, 1 Corinthians 1:10-18, Matt 4:12-23
Maybe those fisherman would have been wise to be warier. A call to discipleship is not a call to an easy life. But maybe an easy life is not the ultimate goal. Maybe some people light up at the prospect of a meaningful life, a purposeful life, a productive life, or a godly life.
John the Baptist called people to repent—to turn from their old ways and commit to a new life. People flocked to him, many were baptised by him, and some stayed as his disciples. But he wasn’t inclined to go out of his way to “win friends and influence people”. He denounced some of the Pharisees and Sadducees who came to him seeking baptism, describing them as slippery snakes, vipers fleeing destruction. He told them fiercely that they needed to “bear fruit worthy of repentance.”
He was also outspoken about the local ruler’s personal life as well – denouncing Herod for killing his brother and marrying his sister-in-law. It is not surprising that John was arrested and imprisoned. Jesus then picked up where John left off.
The gospel text says, somewhat curiously, that Jesus “withdrew” to Galilee, on hearing of John’s arrest, but actually he was walking into the lion’s den. Galilee was governed by Herod Antipas, the one who had imprisoned John. Jesus goes to Capernaum and echoes the arrested words of John, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near”. This message immediately identifies Jesus with his out-of-favour predecessor, and begins his public ministry in courageous defiance of the authorities. It is a wonderful declaration that God’s work and message will not be thwarted or silenced.
Having drawn his line in the sand, Jesus then began to call specific people to follow him— first those four fishermen: brothers Simon Peter and Andrew, and the rather volatile James and John, nicknamed elsewhere as “sons of thunder”. When Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people” they responded immediately. We don’t know what they may have already heard about Jesus, whether they had seen and heard him issuing his call to repentance. But they get up, and follow him.
“Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.” This simple invitation holds two roles for his disciples. They are to follow Jesus, and bring others to Jesus. The role of a Christian disciple is the same today. To follow Jesus, and to bring others to Jesus.
The first disciples followed Jesus as he went throughout Galilee, teaching in the synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people. In time, this became their ministry too.
What is our ministry as disciples of Christ in Ashburton? How do we proclaim the good news of the kingdom in word and action? How do we teach the people the good news about Christ and the good news Christ carried? And how do we participate in the in-breaking of God’s kingdom of healing, hope, restoration, justice and peace?
One inspirational disciple of Jesus in the 1950s and 1960s was Martin Luther King Jr. Last Sunday, Jan 15, was the 94th anniversary of his birth in 1929. Martin Luther King was an African-American Baptist minister and one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his death in 1968.
Inspired by his Christian beliefs and the nonviolent activism of Mahatma Gandhi, he advanced civil rights for people of colour in the United States through nonviolence and civil disobedience. He led targeted resistance against discriminatory laws and practices such as segregation. He sought the vote for African-Americans, and highlighted historic injustices by settlers against indigenous Americans. In 1964, King won the Nobel Peace Prize for combating racial inequality through nonviolent resistance.
At Theological College Martin Luther King got a C for public speaking and preaching. He has, however, left an astounding legacy in his subsequent preaching and teaching — perhaps most famously his “I have a dream” speech. He was addressing 250,000 people from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC when a friend called to him, “Tell them the dream, Martin, tell them the dream.” He departed from his notes and made history.
“I have a dream that my four little children
will one day live in a nation
where they will not be judged by the color of their skin
but by the content of their character.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day … right there in Alabama
little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands
with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.
I have a dream today.”
In beautiful, powerful, lyrical language he expressed his dream for justice, reconciliation, and the opportunity for the flourishing of all people in America.
In todays reading from Isaiah it says, “the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness—on them light has shined.” And it goes on to say that the people rejoiced for the yoke of their burden, and the bar across their shoulders, and the rod of their oppressor, had been broken by the Lord.
Martin Luther King echoed this Biblical pairing of light and justice. “The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.”
His speeches were filled with echoes of Biblical texts. “With patient and firm determination we will press on until every valley of despair is exalted to new peaks of hope, until every mountain of pride and irrationality is made low by the levelling process of humility and compassion; until the rough places of injustice are transformed into a smooth plane of equality of opportunity; and until the crooked places of prejudice are transformed by the straightening process of bright-eyed wisdom.”
In explaining why he espoused non-violence, he said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”
“Hatred paralyzes life; love releases it. Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it. Hatred darkens life; love illuminates it.”
In reflecting on repentance he said, “Not only will we have to repent for the sins of bad people; but we also will have to repent for the appalling silence of good people.”
“Every (one) must decide whether (to) ... walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness.”
Martin Luther King Jr chose to courageously live out his faith, and was assassinated on April 4, 1968, a martyr at the age of 39. He had said, “Like anybody, I would like to have a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will.”
“There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must take it because his conscience tells him it is right....”
And he had said, “No one really knows why they are alive until they know what they'd die for.”
How are we living out our commitment as disciples of Christ?
How shall we respond to the spiritual, emotional and physical pain around us?
How shall we tackle the injustices of pain and deprivation affecting our community? The awful things going on behind closed doors?
How shall we, as individuals and as God’s Church, engage in the in-breaking of God’s kingdom of justice and love “on earth as in heaven.”
How will we respond when Jesus says, “follow me.”
Acknowledgement: Online material and quotes from MLK Jr