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Third Sunday after Epiphany

Birchcliff Bluffs United Church – 22 January 2006 – Michael Kooiman

Mark 1
14After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. 15"The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!"
16As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 17"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." 18At once they left their nets and followed him.
19When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. 20Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.


I have to say I'm pretty unhappy with the way the disciples were selected. I've been reading online about how to conduct a successful job interview, and I think the whole thing would have gone better if Jesus had simply used some of the "best practices" found on the net. There are websites with practical tips for employers, sample questions, and even guidelines on what to wear and how to sit.

So I've decided to recreate the "call of the disciples" and do it in a more professional manner: (msu.edu/user/leedyjen/business.htm)

Gentlemen, what skills and abilities do you possess that will help make you successful in today's job market?

Well, we can fish. We fish all the time, in fact. So, I would say "fishing."

What prior work experiences have you had? What were your accomplishments in these prior work experiences?

You mean aside from fishing? Nothing really, just fishing. Sometimes we fish from the dock. Does that count?

Can you tell me about your toughest job assignment? Please tell me about a conflict situation and how you resolved it.

We often fight about which side of the boat to fish from. And whether to let down the nets or go for beer. Sometimes one of the guys will threaten to walk right out of the boat, but we haven't seen that happen yet!

Are you willing to relocate? Do you mind traveling?

You mean like to other parts of the lake? Or another lake? We don't travel much, so I don't know.

What starting salary do you expect as an employee? What company benefits are most important to you?

You mean the number of fish? Like more fish? Sure, we'd like more fish, and maybe bigger fish. And maybe a dental plan. Have you seen Peter's teeth?

***

As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." At once they left their nets and followed him.
When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.

It would easy to suggest that the disciples didn't have a hot clue what they were being called to. As a matter of fact, I would suggest that if they were fully aware of what lay ahead of then, they may well have pushed off and headed back onto the lake or went to the pub instead. When you recall the confusion, the arguing, the terror that awaited them in Jerusalem, and all the moments they felt helpless or lost, it would be easy to imagine them politely declining the invitation.

The call, in fact, was rather cryptic. "Follow me and I will make you fishers of men and women" would have meant little to the group: enough to peak their interest but not enough to imagine the types of experiences they would have. This, no doubt, was intentional. Assuming Jesus knew the broad outline of what was to come, it would be unhelpful to share this and scare away any potential disciples.

One might say that the disciples were drawn to Jesus, much in the way we might be drawn into a really good conversation. Imagine a gathering where all the small conversations end as everyone in the room is drawn into what seems a really interesting exchange. It may be the intensity, or the energy given off, or simply the use of words that will cause us to leave what we were saying and turn our attention to somewhere else in the room. And this, as we know, was the defining characteristic of Jesus: he drew people to himself.

***

Why did you select our company? What are your expectations? What do you know about our company?

Once called, the disciples began the long road of discovering the purpose of this common endeavor. Months would stretch into years as they worked to piece together a sense of the work they were doing. Was it simply a case of follow his lead? They were companions, to be sure, but they were also partners and the first example we have of a "Christian" community: Christian as an adjective and not a noun.

Along the way they would have picked up a thing or two that we still point to as we try to define the nature of this work and how we move it forward.

“‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’(Mt. 22)

19Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. (Mt. 28)

***

It's all well and good to quote the scriptures that define us, that constitute our vision and mission and task and all the rest. But I don't think people review corporate mission statements or look at profit and loss statements before deciding to submit a resume. I think the process of deciding to apply is more nebulous, like how do I feel about the company, or what they're doing in the marketplace? How do others perceive them? Does it seem like a "good" place to work? But what does "good" mean?

It might be helpful to back up a little bit and try to discover what this idea of discipleship means. Why follow Jesus? Beyond the tasks and the challenges and the opportunities for travel, what reason exists for dropping everything and following in his way?

C.S. Lewis, the late professor of literature and famous author, tries to define "the whole of Christianity," the reason that the church exists and why we would choose to follow "the way." He draws an analogy between the purpose of the church and the purpose of the state. He begins this way:

The state exists simply to promote and to protect the ordinary happiness of human begins in this life. A husband and wife chatting over a fire, a couple of friends having a game of darts in a pub, a man reading a book in his own room...

And so he argues that unless the state is working heard to safeguard these simple experiences, it is failing its citizens. All the laws and parliaments and economies are a waste of time if these simple pleasure are not possible. He then turns to the church:

In the same way the church exists for nothing else but to draw men [and women] into Christ, to make them little Christs. If they are not doing that, all the cathedrals, clergy, missions, sermons, even the Bible itself, are simply a waste of time.

God entered our world for no other purpose than to draw us to himself in the person of Christ Jesus. And the disciples were simply the first. It wasn't recruitment or selection but rather the very core of who we are and should remain: a church that exists to draw people into fellowship and allow them to become the Christ-like people they were meant to be.

***

Jesus spared the details day. He didn't speak of trials or betrayal or Calvary or the cross. He didn't speak of a body broken or of blood shed, nor did he speak of empty tombs and locked rooms. He didn't share any stories or pithy sayings, there were no targets set or concrete plans made. He simply said "follow me."

He simply said follow me and I will teach you to fish for people in the same way I was fishing for you. We will bid them follow, we will reach them with a kind word and a loving smile, and they will take the first steps toward transformation. It is not complex, or wordy, or even well presented. It is simply an invitation to follow.

***

What I conclude with is what I call the "dirty little secret of church growth." I caution you that I am no mathematician, but I think my numbers will hold up to scrutiny. If each of us takes on the responsibility of drawing one person into our fellowship each year, then every year the church will double in size. One person each year. You can even blame me: Michael says I have to bring you. Come with me. It does not need to be complex, or wordy, or even well presented. It is simply an invitation to follow Jesus and follow in his way.

posted by michael jacob kooiman @ 3:30 AM