Mark 1:14-20
Third Sunday after the Epiphany - 21 January 2018
Vicar Nathanael Jensen
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, called by Christ,
It’s been a very prominent theme these past two weeks – the Lord calling men into the public ministry. In our first lesson, the Lord called Jonah to be his prophet to Ninevah. In our second lesson, the Lord called Saul and Barnabas to be his missionaries throughout the Mediterranean world. And in our gospel lesson, the Lord called Andrew and Simon and James and John from their life of fishermen to be fishers of men. Last week, we heard how the Lord called Samuel to be his prophet, as those Seminary students who were with us reminded in a very concrete way how the Lord still calls men into the public ministry as pastors, not directly but through the church. But even if you have not been called into the public ministry, the Lord has called you with a calling that is very real and very personal. To each one of us, Jesus has called and continues to call, “Come, Follow Me.”
“Come, Follow Me” – when we hear those words in our lesson, Jesus is calling those four fishermen to be his disciples. He’s calling them to literally get up out of their boats and follow him. And they do, right away. We too have heard Jesus’ call, Come, Follow Me, not literally but in a similar way, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, we’ve listened and followed. We’re Christians, followers of Christ. And yet, that sweet and simple invitation from our Savior isn’t one we always want to listen to. In fact, our sinful nature objects to all three of those simple words – “Come, Follow Me.” And we’ll consider them in reverse.
“Come, Follow ME” – Just before Jesus called his disciples, we’re told of the message that Jesus was preaching. He was preaching the good news. But he was also preaching “Repent!” Listening to Jesus’ call, “Come, Follow ME” requires us to admit that we need Jesus – admitting that we are totally dead in sin on our own, totally lost on our own, totally dependent on Jesus for everything. And that’s not something we like to do. Sure, we love to have Jesus to lean on when times get tough, but to confess that we are absolutely nothing without him and absolutely need him and his forgiveness absolutely all the time – we don’t like doing that. Because our sinful nature always wants to make it about me. It says, “I’m not so bad. I can do something, I can do plenty on my own. I know my own way.” So sometimes when we hear Jesus call, “Come, Follow ME,” we sometimes respond with, “I am doing just fine myself. I’ll call back if I need you.
And then there’s the next word – “Come, FOLLOW Me.” Again, the thoughts of independence can arise, saying, “I don’t need to follow anybody.” But there’s also the question, “Well, where Jesus is going to lead me?” Just think of those disciples. They were familiar with John the Baptist. We know for sure that Andrew had been a disciple of John the Baptist and had heard him proclaim about Jesus, “Look the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” And where had John the Baptist’s ministry gotten him? Put in prison – where he eventually would lose his head.
And maybe the disciples weren’t thinking of it that way at the time, but where would being intimately connected with and following Jesus get them? Three years later, that eagerness and willingness to follow Jesus wasn’t there anymore when Jesus said he was going to Jerusalem to be handed over and crucified. They all deserted him in the Garden of Gethsemane, because they saw where he was leading them, and they didn’t want to be a part of it.
Do we find ourselves in a similar situation? We’ve followed Jesus eagerly and willingly, but, then we see where he sometimes leads. We see him leading us to an opportunity to stand up for our faith and to speak up and confess Jesus and his Word, but it won’t be the most comfortable or convenient road. We may even see persecution coming, whether physical or emotional, a moment where we may be put down for listening to Jesus’ call, Come, FOLLOW Me, so we say, “Thanks, but no thanks, Jesus. I’ll be happier and better off over there. I’ll come back when you’re leading somewhere I like better,” and we head off in the other direction for the meantime.
And then there’s the word “Come” – “COME, Follow Me.” Again, just like “Follow,” there’s the thought of going somewhere. But with this word I’d like to focus on the idea that when you “Come,” you may have to leave something behind. Think, what were the disciples leaving behind? Their careers and income as fishermen, their homes, their families and friends – the entire life they knew.
Jesus’ call to you probably hasn’t required you to leave your career or home or family behind, but it could. When Jesus says COME, he calls us to be willing to forsake everything else for his sake, to be willing to let go of everything else to hold onto and come with him. Our one true source of comfort and joy has to be him. The number one object of our love has to be him. He calls us to a life which may be much more difficult, which may include many sacrifices – to a life which leaves our will behind and seeks his will, to a life which leaves the love of earthly things behind and seeks his spiritual blessings. If ever forced to choose between anyone or anything and Jesus, we have to choose Jesus. He calls us to COME no matter what the cost. Again, how many times haven’t we heard Jesus’ call, “COME, Follow Me,” and said, “I like the life I have now. I’m good where I’m at and there are plenty of things I don’t want to change, so I better just stay here. If I give this up for Jesus, who knows what will happen. Can’t I have both?”
And Jesus could just wave and be on his way, leave you on your own, following your own path, set in the life you like, knowing what your life is really like and where it’s all going to lead, but he doesn’t. He could go on to look for new and better disciples to replace us who won’t be so wishy-washy, but he doesn’t. Jesus keeps on calling us.
“Come, Follow Me.” He calls you with the same message he was proclaiming – Repent and believe the good news! And Jesus himself is that good news! John the Baptist had proclaimed that the Savior was coming soon and had pointed the people to Jesus. Jesus says, “Come, Follow ME,” because the time has come for him to reveal that he is true God and the Lord and Savior of all, the only one to follow. With those words, Jesus confesses that he is the one, the good news who brings you into the kingdom of God. Despite all the times we’ve tried to do it on our own, he says, “I know you can’t, but I have already done it, and I’m freely giving it to you. Come, Follow ME.”
Jesus calls, “Come, FOLLOW Me. I will lead the way. I am the way.” He walked down the path that should have been ours to walk alone – the path that led him to the cross where he took on our sin and faced the punishment of hell in our place. While we know following Jesus will lead us to face persecution, we know that he is leading the way. We know that he is with us. We know that no matter what comes our way in this life, he is working through it to lead us to our eternal home with him, which he won for us, saying, “Come, FOLLOW Me.”
Jesus calls, “COME, Follow Me.” It’s not a reason to fear what we may have to leave behind because he is freely giving us himself and everything else that comes along with him – knowledge, peace, hope, comfort, joy, and eternal life. It’s a free invitation to be with him and enjoy all these wonderful blessings he freely gives. He doesn’t say, “Do this and this and that and then you’ll be worthy, or then you can follow me.” He himself came to forgive us and purify us. He was willing to come even though he knew the cost would be everything, even his life, so he could just say to you, “COME, Follow Me.”
But as we’ve been focusing on the words, let’s not forget whom Jesus is calling. He calls simple, lowly fishermen – people who were nothing in the eyes of the world – to hold the honored positions of being his closest disciples. What’s more, he calls lowly sinners – people who on their own were absolutely nothing good at all – to be his friends and companions his coworkers in preaching the good news, to be fishers of men. He calls us – simple, lowly sinners to be his brothers and sisters, his followers, his friends and companions, and his coworkers in preaching the good news, to be fishers of men.
Being a fisher of men is a part of the blessed calling each one of us has as a Christian, to willingly and eagerly go out and spread the net of the good news of God which has been brought to us, to share the message of Jesus and everything he has done which you treasure so much with those around you, to tell them, “The kingdom of God is near! Repent and believe the good news!” Perhaps all it takes to start is a simple invitation like “Come, follow me, I’m going to church on Sunday” or “I’ll bring you with me.” Invite them to come, follow Jesus.
In addition to all of us being fishers of men, the Lord does call public ministers, pastors whose fulltime work is to be fishers of men, to use the Word to bring people closer to God. Maybe you could be one of them, or maybe it’s your child or grandchild or someone else sitting here in this congregation who could train to make it their lifetime work to share that good news of Jesus with others. Think about it. Talk to them about it. Encourage them about. Pray for them about it. Pray that God will continue to call and train such men to serve in our congregations and to reach out to those who don’t know Jesus and what he has done, to share with everyone the simple yet beautiful invitation our Savior Jesus extends to all, Come, Follow Me.
Those words, Come, Follow Me, I don’t think Andrew and Simon and James and John could have ever imagined how much those words and listening to those words would change their lives, and it’s hard for us to try to imagine either. But we’re willing and eager to follow because we know who it is who says them to us, Jesus, our Savior from sin. We know where he leads us, to the perfect home in heaven he won for us. And just as he has and will be with us through all of this life, we know he’ll be there to welcome us with open arms, saying, “Come, Follow Me.”