Even as the smells of Christmas still linger–the special baking, the pine boughs, the wintergreen scented candle, the cinnamon spiced cider–we catch a whiff of something different. Something else is wafting in, on a breeze from the Sea of Galilee. Do you smell it? Something smells a bit…fishy! And there is the splash of oars as the boats head out on the lake, while the early morning mist still lingers.
Maybe you are not ready to let go of Christmas. You might still have your tree and decorations up at your house. Maybe you would like to linger a little longer in the glow of the candles around the manger. It is nice to see the festive lights outside on these wintry days.
But here we are on the first Sunday of the new year, by the Sea of Galilee. The adult Jesus, walking down the shoreline, calling out, “follow me!” It can feel a little jarring! Especially since we don’t have extensive stories of Jesus’ childhood to ease us into this part of his life story. The gospel accounts don’t give us much time or space to move from the birth stories of Jesus to his adult ministry. Are you ready? To wade into the Sea of Galilee, climb into a fishing boat, haul in the nets, walk along this rocky shoreline. Are you ready for a cross-cultural experience? For a journey to the first century, and a renewed invitation to follow Jesus? Ready or not, here we go!
Galilee is a beautiful place with the lake, the fertile valleys and the slopes with their vineyards and fields, pastures for sheep and goats. But fishing for a living is hard work. Later in the day the fishers that headed out to sea will haul in their nets and return to shore. And then comes the counting and the weighing. Always counting. Did we get enough today to feed our families? Are there a few extra to sell to the servants and peddlers who will carry them to the larger towns around. To the cities. Sepphoris. Tiberius. A city on the hill. Built by Herod Antipas. Named after the Roman ruler. To remind us who has the power around here.
Of course there will be a price to pay for today’s work. Not only will the nets need to be cleaned and repaired of any holes, but taxes will have to be paid at some point for the profits made today–if it was a good catch, barely leaving anything to show for a day’s work, if it was a bad catch, leaving us to the ire of the tax collector–maybe even sinking us into debt.
It can be a wearisome way to make a living, and yet, here by the water, the sparkling cerulean blue of the water, the rugged, majestic hills in the background, the warmth of the sun, the call of the gulls, even under the cruel and watchful eye of the Tenth Roman division, this is an astonishingly beautiful place.
A refreshing wind off the water reminds us that something is stirring. There is something new blowing on the breeze. It started with John, the Baptizer, we call him. Out there in the wilderness by the Jordan. He is quite a character! Not much care for his clothes or physical appearance! He is preaching, “repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near” (Matt 3:2). And live a life worthy of your repentance (Matt 3:8). Don’t just assume that your respected religious heritage puts you in good standing with God, but your life must bear fruit (Matt 3:8-10). Otherwise “every tree…that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (Matt 3:10). And people responded to him, followed him out the region along the Jordan, and “were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins” (Matt 3:6). Including Jesus. At first John didn’t want to baptize Jesus, but Jesus convinced him–said it would fulfill all righteousness (Matt 3:15).
And now what John started continues with Jesus. Since John was arrested, Jesus has moved to Galilee, settling in Capernaum, on the Sea of Galilee. Jesus is preaching a similar message to John the Baptist–“repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near” (Matt 4:17).
Our hope for this winter worship series is that you might feel that breeze on your cheek, blowing in something new. You might hear the waves of the Sea of Galilee lapping on the shore. You might feel your senses stirring, you might catch a whiff of that fishy smell. You might encounter Jesus in a fresh, inspiring way. You will find yourself immersed in the stories of Jesus as told to us in the gospel of Matthew. Maybe you will even put on a bath robe and follow your imagination into the story. We have the props, complete with a fishing boat (thanks to Kandace) and costumes right here! And we hope many of you will.
You will notice that our worship headings in the bulletin have that kind of flavour–like we are stepping into a dramatization. We find ourselves drawn into the story of Jesus. Something catches our attention. We take notice. Something stirs in us. We are moved. And then we rehearse the story. That is what we do each week here. We retell, we sing, we pray, we explore, we go deeper, we wrestle, we ask questions, we listen, and we interpret together how this story speaks to us in our time and place. And the story shapes us and inspires us. Shapes the kind of community we are together and when we go from here into our relationships and our families, our workplaces, our neighbourhoods, it shapes how we live out there. We get the story on its feet when we renew our commitment to be disciples of Jesus, when we put into practice what we have heard and seen and learned from Jesus. When we hear the stories through “an imagined set of first-century Jewish ears” and then translate them for our time and place (Amy-Jill Levine, Short Stories by Jesus: The Enigmatic Parables of a Controversial Rabbi, p. 19). One of the first songs we sang this morning does come with a warning though…we are not likely to be coddled and comforted by our encounter with Jesus (although that may happen). If we leave ourselves open to his call to “follow me” we may find that we can “never be the same” after an encounter with Jesus (see Voices Together, #540 Will You Come and Follow Me).
Matthew’s Gospel
With Matthew as our guide, we will meet a Jesus who inspires us and makes us decidedly uncomfortable. We will get to know a Jesus who cares profoundly for each one of us, and has sharp words for any hypocrisy–when our actions don’t live up to our beliefs. A Jesus who loves and treasures his Scriptures and tradition, and shakes them up. Who reaches out to heal us, and also heals the “other” the outcast. (see Matt 8:5-13). Who invites us to be his followers–to be part of a movement–and also invites those we might call enemies to be part of the same movement (see Matt 9:9-13). Who asks us to step out of the boat of our tradition, our comfortable assurances, our familiar geography, and wade ashore to follow him.
Matthew’s biggest themes
We will engage more deeply with Matthew’s gospel as we go through this winter series. After this Sunday we will get into some of Jesus’ most comforting and provocative teachings in the Sermon on the Mount, and we will hear many of his parables, hopefully with keen and ready ears. For now let me just highlight a couple of key themes in this gospel (from Richard B. Gardner, Believers Church Bible Commentary: Matthew, 423-425).
- The kingdom of heaven has come near. The Advent of God’s reign or rule, both future and present is here. This is good news. “That reign is taking hold of history, contending with the forces of evil, and creating a new order in the midst of the old” (424).
- Emmanuel. God is with us. “The same God who acted powerfully in Israel’s story in days of old is now at work again in the person of Jesus” (424).
- “Jesus comes to fulfill Israel’s story” (424). There are ten fulfillment prophecies in the gospel of Matthew, and many more allusions and references that tie Jesus to the Hebrew Scriptures (what we call the Old Testament). This helps to counter a Christian temptation which is to judge the OT as bad and the NT as good, and then to judge Judaism as bad, and Christianity as good. It is an assumption that can easily lead toward both anti-Semitism and anti-Judaism, according to Amy Jill Levine, who is a Jewish New Testament expert. She reminds us that we don’t have to make Judaism look bad to make Jesus look good.
- Another key theme in the gospel of Matthew is that the calling and forming of disciples is at the heart of what Jesus is doing. His call to “follow me” was not limited to 12, in his inner circle, but extended to the wider community. He “seeks to create a righteous community…that serves as a light to the world” (424-425). Jesus sends out “co-workers to extend and complete his mission” and to “make disciples of all nations,” as we read at the end of the gospel of Matthew (Matthew 28:19-20).
Reflecting on the ‘Holy Geography’ of our Faith
Most of all, our hope is that this series causes you to reflect on your own journey with Jesus. So particularly today, as we experience the story of Jesus calling some of his first followers, we are invited to hear that call anew, and see what it stirs in each of us. I am going to invite us to reflect on what I am calling the “holy geography” of our faith (Gardner, Matthew, p. 78). The where and when of our faith journey. The who and the how of our decisions to follow Jesus. To consider the places that nurtured our faith. The people that discipled us. The times when we encountered “Emmanuel” God with us. And the choices we made, the behaviours and actions we took as a result of those. So the big question for all of us today is, what is the geography of our faith journey?
–Reading the Signs of the Times
The story we encountered this morning begins with the phrase, “from that time Jesus began to proclaim” (v. 17). What time are we talking about? If we zoom out a bit and look at the context of this story, we notice that “from that time” means after John the Baptist was arrested. That is when Jesus began his public ministry. According to Matthew, it would seem that Jesus is picking up the mantle of John’s ministry. It would suggest that the harsh treatment of John prompts Jesus to withdraw to Galilee, and make his home in Capurnaum.
At first glance we might think Jesus is heading to safer territory, up there in the north, out of the reach of those hostile to John. And perhaps there is some of that. He may be wanting to buy more time, to get his message out. But I think, mostly he is looking for fertile soil to plant the seeds of his good news, and help it to flourish. Galilee is not some backwater, out-of-the-way region. It is on a major trade route, the Via Maris–the Way of the Sea. It was an ancient trade route that followed the Mediterranean coastal plain, before turning east and running through Galilee, including Tiberius and Capernaum along the shore of the Sea of Galilee. Along with being an important trade route, it was also a gateway to other nations, and the wider world. Capernaum itself was a busy and prosperous community. It had a tax office, and a detachment of Herod’s troops. So I don’t think Jesus is hiding.
The ancient words of Isaiah, which are quoted just before this story that we read here, refers to “Galilee of the nations” or “Galilee of the Gentiles” (Isaiah 9:1). It says “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” (Isaiah 9:2b). “Galilee [is] the place from which God launches a program of salvation” that eventually will spread to all the nations (Gardner, Matthew, 77). Jesus feels drawn to this region, to these people, to this geography. Maybe they will be particularly receptive to his message. Jesus is reading the signs of the times and speaking to the needs of the people in that time and place.
What are the signs of the times telling us today? What do followers of Jesus have to say into that context? As the calendar turns over to 2026, I am not sure how to best describe the times we are in. We could spend the whole morning on that.
As it was back then, It is fair to say now that people are walking in darkness and living in a land of deep darkness. In lots of ways we should be a people enlightened–with more access than ever to information and knowledge at our fingertips. And yet there is so much data, so many ideas, and input, it is overwhelming. So many viewpoints and perspectives as to leave one baffled and confused. And there is such an erosion of trust in sources of information, and so much communication that is muddied, distorted, manipulated, exploited, twisted, warped. Misinformation and disinformation.
And with the flood of communication has come a harshness and a nastiness and a recklessness about respect and decorum, without boundaries, or checks and balances. A willingness to use communication for negative purposes. And in some cases a doubling down on certainty, such that any other viewpoint is mocked, ridiculed, vilified, and the people who share them are criticized, attacked, belittled and abused, to the point that it has a chilling effect, and people are afraid to speak. In the midst of all that toxic noise, can we even hear the call of Jesus to “follow me.”
And what on earth does the life and teachings of Jesus have to say in this kind/form of deep darkness? I hoped to have some wise and witty way of analyzing what is going on today, and how Christians might speak into it. Unfortunately, I didn’t get any brilliant words for that. But I do notice what Jesus does. He calls a group of people together to join him. And not the most powerful ones, or the noisy ones or the most successful influencers. He calls, and people respond and follow him. And they are not some neat, cohesive, homogeneous group. They are unique and different. Some of them could even be described as enemies of each other – like the tax collector Matthew (aka Levi) and the fishermen, or Simon the Zealot, or Susannah, the wife of Herod’s servant. I think today Jesus would call someone who was a vaccine skeptic into his movement, along with someone who had all their vaccinations up to date. I think he would call people of all political stripes to join his movement. I think he would call people from a variety of gender identities, skin colours, and socio-economic backgrounds.
And with that group, that Jesus will teach about the kingdom of God and about loving enemies, he goes toward the people with crutches, and bandages, and troubled hearts and minds. That is how he reads the signs of the times.
The truest, most trustworthy expression of anything is when it is lived, put into practice. When it is no longer just words, but it is also actions. The Kingdom of heaven is near, he says. The influence, dream, vision, activity of God is here, now. We can be a part of it.
-Reflecting on the Call to Follow Jesus
In this story, Jesus calls Andrew, Peter, James and John from their life of fishing. Immediately, they drop their nets and follow him. These are ordinary people aren’t they? Hard working, struggling to make a living. Why do they respond to Jesus’ call? Andrew and Peter were casting their nets when Jesus called them. To do that for a living they must have some measure of hope and optimism, some sense of trust that all will be well. As fishermen, they are especially good at reading the signs of the water, the sun, the wind, and the weather. They need to be tuned into their surroundings and aware of their setting in order to be successful and safe at fishing. Maybe they can read the signs of the times better than most. Perhaps this means their hearts are especially open and receptive to the message of renewal Jesus brings.
Where were you when you first sensed the call to follow Jesus? Where did you hear that call again and again? What were you doing at the time? What were your first impressions of Jesus? What motivated you to want to follow Jesus? What is it about Jesus that makes you want to follow him?
When I was little I was still sensing enough of the angry God image, that my first childhood expressions of faith came from a place of fear. Later in my life I was drawn to a Jesus that had women followers, who treated women with dignity and respect. Other times his call for social justice, mercy, turning things around for the most vulnerable, speaking truth to power with courage and determination resonates with me.
Who were the mentors that guided you, that inspired you, that tapped you on the shoulder, that called out your gifts? Did you grow up in this church, or another one, hearing the story of Jesus from Sunday School teachers, and a flannelgraph story board? Or did you hear the story for the first time later in life? Have you had a clear sense of call, like a one-time event, or is it more something you have grown up with, and grown into. Perhaps more important, have you continued to hear that call to follow Jesus throughout your life? How have your experiences and impressions of Jesus changed over your life?
James and John were in the boat mending their nets. They are trying to refresh and repair what they have. To continue to use their old, familiar nets, but adding in new threads to extend the life of those nets. They are resilient and resourceful. I think many of us can relate to that feeling of needing to manage, to keep things together, to mend and tend and keep going with what we have, with our familiar ways of doing things. And yet they need to be open to adding new threads.
We are reminded over and over again in Matthew’s gospel that Jesus did not come to condemn or abolish the teachings he grew up with, but to fulfill them. Help them reach their potential. Extend their life. Speak to the unique times and places and circumstances of those who would hear them.
Doubling down into certainty and tradition doesn’t seem to suit Jesus, but neither does he throw out his Scripture and tradition. He digs into the depths, the essence, the heart of this tradition to see how it speaks into the new time and place it finds itself in. This is a faith that needs to be road worthy.
There is a wonderful Jewish tradition called Midrash, of engaging, even arguing with the text. Struggling with it to see how it might apply in its context. It is always being worked out. Vanessa Lovelace defines midrash as “a Jewish mode of interpretation that not only engages the words of the text, behind the text, and beyond the text, but also focuses on each letter, and the words left unsaid by each line”. Interpretation and commentary (Wikipedia) There is always more to find. I think this tradition continues in Jewish communities today. When I was on a learning trip in Israel and Palestine several years ago we heard a number of Jewish speakers who shared their perspectives openly. A couple of them approached our group leader later and wondered why our group didn’t engage more. We were being polite Canadians, respectful and tolerant. They were used to spirited conversations with lots of push back and robust debate. They were anticipating a more lively exchange.
Jewish New Testament scholar Amy-Jill Levine shows us how stories in the gospels, rather than replacing the tradition, “tease us into recognizing what we’ve already always known. [They] tap into our memories, our values, and our deepest longings, and so they resurrect what is very old, and very wise, and very precious. And often very unsettling” (Amy-Jill Levine, What the Prodigal Son Story Doesn’t Mean). I find it helpful to remind myself that Jesus studied and treasured his Hebrew scriptures, and wrestled with them. They formed him and his ministry and mission. He came, not to abolish them, but to fulfill them. It wasn’t without struggle. He dared to question and challenge how they were interpreted, and what was emphasized. One of the most faithful things we can do is wrestle with the text. Insist that it holds good news and wrestle with it together to understand what that is.
What is at the heart of our tradition that we should mend and tend? What are the new threads that we should be willing to tie in so that the story still speaks into our time and our place? What is it that we may need to leave on the shoreline behind us?
For me one of the things I have left behind is certainty. Someone wise has said the opposite of faith is not doubt. Rather the opposite of faith is certainty. Doubling down. Insisting on one, narrow expression of faith. I have needed a faith that is robust enough for me to express deep and troubling doubts and questions. Having doubts, being critical or cynical about the track record of Christianity shouldn’t make us ineligible to follow Jesus. Maybe you have had doubts, questions, skepticism and cynicism about faith and church. Or you have felt embarrassed at the track record of Christianity over the centuries. What have been the challenges, the barriers, the stumbling blocks on your journey of following Jesus?
The story we enacted this morning talks about the three parts of Jesus ministry: teaching in the synagogues, proclaiming the good news (preaching), and healing every disease and every sickness among the people. Teaching, preaching, healing.
Jesus’ message is simple. Repent. The Kingdom of heaven has come near. Repent means turn around, change your direction, adjust your focus, look up, look around, redirect your attention, your purpose, your effort. Is it possible we are looking in the wrong direction? Is it possible we are putting our hope and faith in things that will not last, will not satisfy, will not?
I think particularly of the increased militarism these days, in Canada and in Europe, and other parts of the world. The increased spending on defence, the debates over where to procure fighter jets, the musings about how to recruit and retain military personnel, even musing in some places about a kind of required military service. Jesus was always creative in the face of violence and threats of violence. We must not lose sight of the creativity of Jesus’ message in the face of threats of violence. And we must pay attention to Jesus’ focus. He moved toward that crowd of people with bandages, and crutches, and broken hearts, and troubled minds. And in their encounters with him they were healed.
If you imagine yourself meeting Jesus, what would you bring to Jesus for healing? What part of your life needs a touch of compassion, mercy? Who would you bring to Jesus for healing? Who needs that touch of compassion and mercy?
This story takes place by the shoreline. Here Jesus meets us and calls us. When Shirley and I were planning for this service, we chose Voices Together # 629 Here By the Water as our song of response. What we like about this song is it doesn’t shy away from naming what is difficult–it talks about encountering storms, feeling frozen or numb, and seeing blood on the road. It also recognizes that we each bring who we are with our unique experiences, rough as they are, into this journey with Jesus. So as we begin this worship series, we mark a new beginning, another beginning, a renewal of our desire to follow Jesus, setting down stones here to commemorate our sense of calling to follow Jesus anew.