Sermon: Who were you meant to be?

Note, I borrowed the idea for the middle part of this sermon from an article written on the “Theolog” blog which is a blog sponsored by the Christian Century magazine. The author was Jonathan Marlowe. I utilized Jonathan Marlowe’s letter reflecting on being 39 as a model for my own. Jonathan Marlowe is pastor of Shiloh United Methodist Church in Granite Quarry, North Carolina.

The Rev. Peter M. Carey
St. Mark’s Episcopal Church
27 January 2008

Isaiah 9: 1 – 4; PSALM 27: 1, 4 – 9; 1 Corinthians 1: 10 – 18; Matthew 4: 12 - 23

Matt 4:12

Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. 13 He left Nazareth and made his home in Caper'naum by the sea, in the territory of Zeb'ulun and Naph'tali, 14 so that what had been spoken through the prophet Isai'ah might be fulfilled:
15 "Land of Zeb'ulun, land of Naph'tali,
on the road by the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles--
16 the people who sat in darkness
have seen a great light,
and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death
light has dawned."
From that time Jesus began to proclaim, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near."
18 As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea--for they were fishermen.
19 And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fish for people."
20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him.
21 As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zeb'edee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zeb'edee, mending their nets, and he called them.
22 Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him.
23 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people.

Jesus had heard the news that his cousin John had been arrested, and so he withdrew to Galilee. Galilee was made up mostly of non-Jews in the city of Capernaum. Capernaum was a thriving Roman port city, a place of great diversity of goods, foods, peoples, and ideas. A rich place to begin a ministry; and perhaps a busy enough place to get some needed distance from those who arrested John. This move to Galilee also fulfilled the prophesy from Isaiah, “on the road by the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned.” Those hearing this story in the early church would see Jesus as the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophesy, and would perhaps be puzzled a bit by Jesus’ move to the land of the Galileeans, mostly non-Jews (pagans) – those who the rabbis often argued about-would they receive the promise of the covenant?

In this area of commerce and industry, of diversity of opinion and ideas, of ships and merchants, of tax collectors and Roman legions Jesus begins his great invitation to those who would be his disciples. However, as he begins this work, he repeats the message that probably got John into trouble back in Jerusalem, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” Repentance had a deep meaning for those who spoke Hebrew and Greek, and those Jews and Gentiles listening would hear these words and would hear Jesus saying: “change your mind,” “turn yourself around,” “get yourself oriented in the right direction,” “get oriented in the right direction so that you can have reconciliation with God!” This new orientation is the right response to the kingdom having “come near.”

In this port city of Capernaum, Jesus had been around boats enough to learn that one’s orientation is key. Setting one’s compass and one’s rudder is so important. A minor adjustment at the start of the journey could cause a person to end up in a radically different place. Just think how radical the directional change Jesus was proclaiming. “Turn yourself around!” Metanoia – Turn yourself around to God’s way.

With these challenging and radical words on his lips, Jesus encounters these fishermen. We have heard this story before and perhaps these words have lost some meaning. However, this encounter with these fishermen was unexpected and miraculous. Unexpected, because rabbis did not seek out students, neither did Greek teachers, philosophers, or most holy people of that time. Rabbis were approached by would-be students. By contrast, Jesus seeks followers, and calls them to follow him. While he is a Rabbi in many ways, he encompasses far more than just a Rabbi. Jesus comes near to these fishermen who are working. He comes near and proclaims that the Kingdom of God has come near. This encounter is miraculous because, well, he says “I will make you fish for people,” and they immediately follow him. We are met here with Jesus first miracle. His command, his word causes the fishermen to turn from their work, and follow. Jesus spoke a word, and then it was so. Not unlike the Creator in Genesis 1 who created by speaking, and it was so. Jesus is seen as far more than a mere holy man. When he comes near, the kingdom of God comes near, and when he speaks a word, people follow.

And, so we are here, perhaps we are working mending our nets, or throwing our nets out in the sea. Perhaps we are writing legal briefs, checking our Blackberrys, picking up our kids from school, grocery shopping, attending a seemingly never-ending meeting. I hear about the immediacy of the response of these people and I am a bit scared. Am I ready to leave it all behind? Is this even responsible? I may not even have the courage to step away even a bit, to follow the charismatic leader in a cause for justice. And I think of those people in every age who step out of their own circumstances, who re-orient themselves to God, and to their neighbors.

I was thinking this week of the example of those who worked to ensure voting rights for African Americans in the ‘60s. I was thinking of Martin Luther King and Mohandas Gandhi. I was thinking of Rosa Parks and Ruby Bridges who worked to integrate a bus system and a school system. I think also of Jonathan Daniels who was an Episcopal seminarian from EDS who picked up his life in order to join the Freedom Rides in the 1960s. Jonathan Daniels worked for justice, and was martyred in the process. These seem to be steep bars to cross – tough examples for me, and perhaps for you as well. Looking through the long lens of history, it seems like it was easier back in Galilee. And, so I wonder about how I measure up….?

Martin Luther King was 39 years old when he was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. This June, I will turn 39 years old. What have I done with my life, compared with what Martin Luther King did with his?

Well, not much. But that’s OK.

Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams once said that when he gets to heaven, God will not ask him why he was not Martin Luther King; God will ask him why he was not Rowan Williams. I figure when I show up at the pearly gates, there’s a good chance that God will ask me, “Why weren’t you Peter Carey?”

God will ask: why didn’t you do the things I called you to do? Why didn’t you do the things that I uniquely equipped you to do?

I may not lead a civil rights movement, but I can help people see that we should be judged on the content of our character, not the color of our skin or our sexual orientation. I may not win a Nobel Peace Prize, but I can live peacefully with my neighbor (especially since my neighbor at work is Howard Pugh!). I won’t give a speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, but I can do my best to preach here in this pulpit and at chapel this week. We sometimes focus on the great movers and shakers of history and forget that God usually works through ordinary people like you and me. What about you? What are you uniquely equipped to do?

Martin Luther King Jr. did not set out to be a great American hero. He set out to be faithful to God one day at a time. A scholar of the Civil Rights Movement reminded me that Dr. King began by just taking care of those people in his congregation, listening to their concerns, and then he tried to work for solutions. Eventually he found himself the leader of a nation-wide movement for freedom and equality.

The “change of orientation” that Jesus empowers us to do begins in our hearts and minds, and extends to our actions. We should begin with the little things—being faithful to our partners and spouses, patient with a friend, gracious with an enemy, merciful with those who need our help, and generous in giving. We shouldn’t be afraid to call a spade a spade. Where we see injustice we should name it. Where people are being treated badly, step in, voice your concerns. Where you see ignorance and hatred manifested in small but cruel jokes, have the courage to say something. It may not seem as exciting as a march to Birmingham, or a bus boycott in Montgomery, but you can do a lot, right here!

I doubt I’ll ever spend the night in a Birmingham jail, but I can visit someone in a Richmond jail and I can write letters to political prisoners through Amnesty International. I may never organize a bus boycott, but I can do my best to get to know all the members of our community. I won’t integrate a school system, but I can reach out to people who live across the lines of race and class. I may never preach against war before a national audience, but I can raise the question about the ethics of an ongoing and seemingly perpetual war. What about you? What can you do that emerges from your own specific concerns and interests? You have unique gifts and we need you to use them!

We read about Jesus calling people to repent, to “reorient themselves,” so that people might encounter God and be reconciled. We read about Jesus coming near to those fishermen, and calling them to leave behind their tangled nets and smelly fish, and their old, tired, narrow lives. They are empowered to turn and embrace the people they were meant to be.

We were not all called to be Martin Luther King, Jr, or Mohandas Gandhi or Rosa Parks, or Ruby Bridges or Jonathan Daniels, but we are called to be us – fully, without reservations, with courage and conviction.

I need my family, friends, this church, and this community to help me be faithful so that God won’t have to ask me, “Why weren’t you Peter Carey?”

How about you? Are you ready for the question?