Third Sunday after the Epiphany
January 22, 2006
Rev. Harlan Limmer
Text: Mark 1:14-20
Grace and peace from God our Father, and love of Jesus, and the power of the Holy Spirit be with you. Amen. In the name of Jesus. Amen.
God calls us and we respond in some way. In the Gospel reading for today (Mark 1:14-20), Jesus went to the region of Galilee. There, he proclaimed the Good News. The Good News was that the time of the Messiah, promised centuries before, had come. The Kingdom of God was near. It was now. Jesus called the people to repent and believe.
Jesus walked along the shores of the Sea of Galilee and saw two fishermen, Simon and Andrew, in particular. They were fishing by throwing nets into the sea. He called to them to come and follow him. He called them to learn from Him. He would be their teacher and they would become His students. He promised them that He would make them fishers of men. They would become evangelists. They responded. They dropped their nets and followed Him.
Jesus went further and saw two more fishermen, two brothers, James and John. We learn that their father’s name was Zebedee. They were mending their nets with some other fishermen. Jesus called to them and they left their father and the others and followed Jesus.
Notice. Jesus simply called the fishermen to follow Him. This call meant Good News. They responded to this Good News. The kingdom was near. The King had come. The ruler, the master, and the Provider of good things had called them. This King would live, suffer, die, and rise from the dead for them and the whole world. He would save them from the punishment deserved for sin.
The call to be a disciple of Jesus and to follow Him meant preparing for a definite task and responding with a total commitment to be fishers of men by bringing the Good News of Jesus to people. Notice the promise. It is Jesus who will make them fishers of men. It is not something they can do on their own. They will become evangelists. They will be witnesses to the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus. They will tell what they know about Jesus. That is what evangelists do.
In the Old Testament reading today (Jonah 3:1-5,10), we hear another calling. God calls Jonah to go to the people living in the city of Nineveh. They are gentiles. They are sinners. They are a wicked bunch. They do not believe in the grace or mercy of God. They ignore God. They have become their own Gods. Jonah is to warn them, “You are wicked. You will be punished.”
Jonah resisted at first. After all, he thought the people deserved to be destroyed. He wanted them destroyed. He tried going in the opposite direction. He ended up in a great fish - as good as dead for three days. But, he ended up on shore ready to go to Nineveh to carry out what God called him to do. Jonah went, but he was reluctant.
Jonah did give the people of Nineveh that stern message from God. He warned them about the consequences of their sin. In forty days, God would punish them for their wickedness. The Ninevites believed God. They took the prophet’s warning seriously and acted. They fasted. They repented. They changed their ways - all signs of true and humble repentance.
The people of Nineveh genuinely turned to the true God. The king did too! He commanded them to repent and change their evil ways. God saw what they had done. He saw their change of heart. He had compassion for them. He did not carry out His threat to destroy them.
God called a man named Paul to warn the Christians at Corinth. He told them that the time is short for doing the work of the Lord. The Second Coming of Christ, the Lord, is closer than they think. They are warned that they should not be overly concerned about the affairs of this world. They are to give up their evil ways immediately. Husbands and wives are to honor one another. Material things always change or disappear. They are to be concerned about ways to please God. They are to put their faith in Jesus Christ.
Paul warned them about divided interests. They need to focus on Jesus Christ. They claim to be Christians and follow Jesus, but they live as if things of this world matter most. They cannot give devoted service to Jesus Christ when they are distracted.
God provides us with ways to keep us focused on Jesus Christ. God, the Holy Spirit, calls, gathers, and enlightens us, the church, by the Good News of Jesus Christ –His life, suffering, death, and resurrection. We call that the Gospel. We can be focused after receiving the benefits of being baptized with water and the Word of God – faith, forgiveness, and the promise of salvation. We receive the same benefits thorough His Words of promise, as we receive the body and blood of Jesus Christ in Holy Communion.
What is our response to this call by the Gospel to repentance and service? We may resist His call like Jonah did at first. Ignore it or run away, or, reluctantly, follow Jesus. We may respond as the Ninevites and repent of our sins and believe. We may drop all distractions, leave home and family, and follow Jesus … becoming Fishers of Men by telling people what we know about Jesus.
What pleases God? Being totally committed - by faith in Jesus Christ - to whatever God has called us to do in life, no matter where or what that is, pleases God. That is our godly vocation, our calling. God comes to us with His mercy, grace, and love even before we repent and believe. He sent His own Son, Jesus Christ, to the cross to take our guilt of sin. Jesus loves us. God has canceled our punishment for the sake of His beloved Son, Jesus Christ. Thanks be to God! God calls: We Respond. Amen.
Rev. Harlan Limmer
Text: Mark 1:14-20
Grace and peace from God our Father, and love of Jesus, and the power of the Holy Spirit be with you. Amen. In the name of Jesus. Amen.
God calls us and we respond in some way. In the Gospel reading for today (Mark 1:14-20), Jesus went to the region of Galilee. There, he proclaimed the Good News. The Good News was that the time of the Messiah, promised centuries before, had come. The Kingdom of God was near. It was now. Jesus called the people to repent and believe.
Jesus walked along the shores of the Sea of Galilee and saw two fishermen, Simon and Andrew, in particular. They were fishing by throwing nets into the sea. He called to them to come and follow him. He called them to learn from Him. He would be their teacher and they would become His students. He promised them that He would make them fishers of men. They would become evangelists. They responded. They dropped their nets and followed Him.
Jesus went further and saw two more fishermen, two brothers, James and John. We learn that their father’s name was Zebedee. They were mending their nets with some other fishermen. Jesus called to them and they left their father and the others and followed Jesus.
Notice. Jesus simply called the fishermen to follow Him. This call meant Good News. They responded to this Good News. The kingdom was near. The King had come. The ruler, the master, and the Provider of good things had called them. This King would live, suffer, die, and rise from the dead for them and the whole world. He would save them from the punishment deserved for sin.
The call to be a disciple of Jesus and to follow Him meant preparing for a definite task and responding with a total commitment to be fishers of men by bringing the Good News of Jesus to people. Notice the promise. It is Jesus who will make them fishers of men. It is not something they can do on their own. They will become evangelists. They will be witnesses to the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus. They will tell what they know about Jesus. That is what evangelists do.
In the Old Testament reading today (Jonah 3:1-5,10), we hear another calling. God calls Jonah to go to the people living in the city of Nineveh. They are gentiles. They are sinners. They are a wicked bunch. They do not believe in the grace or mercy of God. They ignore God. They have become their own Gods. Jonah is to warn them, “You are wicked. You will be punished.”
Jonah resisted at first. After all, he thought the people deserved to be destroyed. He wanted them destroyed. He tried going in the opposite direction. He ended up in a great fish - as good as dead for three days. But, he ended up on shore ready to go to Nineveh to carry out what God called him to do. Jonah went, but he was reluctant.
Jonah did give the people of Nineveh that stern message from God. He warned them about the consequences of their sin. In forty days, God would punish them for their wickedness. The Ninevites believed God. They took the prophet’s warning seriously and acted. They fasted. They repented. They changed their ways - all signs of true and humble repentance.
The people of Nineveh genuinely turned to the true God. The king did too! He commanded them to repent and change their evil ways. God saw what they had done. He saw their change of heart. He had compassion for them. He did not carry out His threat to destroy them.
God called a man named Paul to warn the Christians at Corinth. He told them that the time is short for doing the work of the Lord. The Second Coming of Christ, the Lord, is closer than they think. They are warned that they should not be overly concerned about the affairs of this world. They are to give up their evil ways immediately. Husbands and wives are to honor one another. Material things always change or disappear. They are to be concerned about ways to please God. They are to put their faith in Jesus Christ.
Paul warned them about divided interests. They need to focus on Jesus Christ. They claim to be Christians and follow Jesus, but they live as if things of this world matter most. They cannot give devoted service to Jesus Christ when they are distracted.
God provides us with ways to keep us focused on Jesus Christ. God, the Holy Spirit, calls, gathers, and enlightens us, the church, by the Good News of Jesus Christ –His life, suffering, death, and resurrection. We call that the Gospel. We can be focused after receiving the benefits of being baptized with water and the Word of God – faith, forgiveness, and the promise of salvation. We receive the same benefits thorough His Words of promise, as we receive the body and blood of Jesus Christ in Holy Communion.
What is our response to this call by the Gospel to repentance and service? We may resist His call like Jonah did at first. Ignore it or run away, or, reluctantly, follow Jesus. We may respond as the Ninevites and repent of our sins and believe. We may drop all distractions, leave home and family, and follow Jesus … becoming Fishers of Men by telling people what we know about Jesus.
What pleases God? Being totally committed - by faith in Jesus Christ - to whatever God has called us to do in life, no matter where or what that is, pleases God. That is our godly vocation, our calling. God comes to us with His mercy, grace, and love even before we repent and believe. He sent His own Son, Jesus Christ, to the cross to take our guilt of sin. Jesus loves us. God has canceled our punishment for the sake of His beloved Son, Jesus Christ. Thanks be to God! God calls: We Respond. Amen.
posted by Luther Memorial Chapel at
1/23/2006
