3 Epiphany A

Charlotte Collins Reed
Christ Episcopal Church
January 26, 2014

3 Epiphany A

Every year right after Christmas I head to the grocery store in search of discounted Christmas candy, particularly red and green M and M's.  The first day, there is a large display of discounted Christmas merchandise right inside the door.  I need the red and green M and M's because when we celebrate Christmas in July, the rest of the country is celebrating Independence Day and all the M and M's are red, white, and blue.  By the second day after Christmas, the sale merchandise has been moved to a more remote location, because the Valentine's Day candy needs a prominent display.  Christmas is over.  Done.  By now, at the end of January, even those of us who keep the 12 days of Christmas have put away the decorations, finished the leftovers, and Christmas is a distant memory.  We would not think of singing "O Come all ye faithful" at the end of January.

And yet, the lectionary gives us a reading that sounds very familiar.  Did we not just hear this reading from Isaiah?  "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."  If you think you just heard those words, you did.  This is the reading for Christmas Eve, although on Christmas Eve the reading continues with the even more familiar words "For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

Our reading this morning is the passage of Isaiah that Matthew picks up as Jesus begins his public ministry.  Matthew quotes from the very passage we heard this morning and then Jesus proclaims "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near."  Next, Jesus calls his first disciples, Peter and Andrew, who leave their nets and follow Jesus.  Then Jesus calls James and John, who put down the nets they are mending to follow Jesus.  And we can easily hear this passage to tell us that we are to put down everything and follow Jesus, which actually seems pretty irresponsible to me.

In fact, this passage calls us to something far more radical than walking away from all of our responsibilities to follow Jesus.  When we think about the passage from Isaiah and the images of the Christ child that the passage invokes for us, our thoughts naturally turn to the baby in the manger, the star, the shepherds, and all the wonders of Christmas.  Matthew is telling us, however, that this baby Jesus demands something of us.  If we believe that Jesus is the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, then we are called to live like we believe that. If we believe that Jesus is the light that shines in the darkness, we are called to walk in that light.

The idea that we are to walk in the light and live as people who believe Jesus is the promised child is well and good, but what does that life look like?  This morning, as we watch Jesus call his first disciples, we hear what Jesus demands of us.  First, Jesus says "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven has come near."  Jesus does call us a brood of vipers like John the Baptist did.  Jesus says "Repent" because the Kingdom of Heaven is in our midst. If we want to be able to see and experience that Kingdom, Jesus calls us to turn from those things that draw us away from God's kingdom.

Then Jesus says "Follow me."  Jesus call us to follow him as he goes around teaching in synagogues, proclaiming the good news, and curing every disease and sickness among the people.  Think of this as an internship of sorts for those who follow Jesus.  Before we can talk with others about the Scriptures, or proclaim the good news, or pray with people, we have to study and practice.  One of the ways we do that is by following Jesus through the gospels and in people who have gone before us.  We follow Jesus so we can learn to be more like Jesus.

Lastly, Jesus tells his newly minted disciples that he will make them fish for people.  This is where I get stuck, because images of nets and hooks to engage people with the good news is just not what I think we are called to do, even if we are talking about metaphorical nets and hooks.  But, Jesus tells the new disciples that he will make them fish for people because they are fishermen.  But fishing is not the only metaphor Jesus uses for his followers.  Jesus tells plenty of parables that involve bakers, merchants, people who clean house, gardeners, and so on to tell us how to follow Jesus.  We don't have specific stories about Jesus calling teachers or artists or electricians or moms or dads.  But if we did, I imagine Jesus would say something like "Follow me, and I will make you a teacher of the gospel," or "Follow me and I will make you a spiritual parent to many," or "Follow me and I will make you a creator of art through which the Spirit will speak."  The point is not that Jesus is going to send us all out with nets and hooks to fish for people. The point is that Jesus calls each of us to use the gifts we have been given as a way to proclaim the gospel.

Christmas may be over, and the manger may be a distant memory.  But the one we call Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace is just getting started.  The Kingdom of Heaven has drawn near.  Following Jesus does not mean dropping our gifts off at the manger and walking away.   Jesus invites us to bring all of our gifts with us and follow him where ever he goes.

Amen.