Jesus is now being followed by Peter, Andrew, James and John. They have all left their fishing nets (Matthew 4:20) to follow Jesus; and James and John have left their Father Zebedee to follow Jesus (Matthew 4:22).
I know that some of you have left things behind to follow Jesus, left things behind to be where Jesus wants you to be, left things behind to do the things that Jesus wants you to do. Something which I am finding hard right now is the fact that very soon I am going to leave you behind, leave Fair Oak and Horton Heath behind, leave developing relationships behind. However, the future is bright! I must leave to go where Jesus calls me, to be where Jesus wants me.
During his earthly ministry Jesus had an early opportunity for to be fast tracked in his ‘career’.
Jesus had the opportunity to avoid hard work, and the opportunity to own great wealth. Doesn’t that sound great? Isn’t that what we’re all aiming for: promotion, an easy life, and great wealth? (Matthew 4:8-10) “The devil took [Jesus] to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendour. ‘All this I will give you’, he said, ‘if you will bow down and worship me.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Away from me Satan! For it is written: Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’”
Jesus knew that God’s call was taking him away from his home town and place of childhood security. We read elsewhere (Luke 4) that Jesus was rejected in his home town of Nazareth and it is in Luke 4:24 that we hear those words of Jesus: “I tell you the truth …no prophet is accepted in his home town.” So, in response to God’s call Jesus leaves his home town, avoids the temptation of a devil-inspired career, and calls others to leave their security to follow him.
A question: does any of that resonate with you right now? Perhaps God has already asked you to leave certain things, certain places, certain splendours, even certain people behind during your journey of following him. Perhaps God is asking you now.
So, Jesus now has Peter, Andrew, James and John with him. They have left behind the security of their small business income, and they are with Jesus as he goes throughout Galilee (4:23). “Come follow me and I will make you fishers of men”, said Jesus (4:19).
Something new is now happening: Jesus begins to impact the lives of many people, and how we long for something similar in our communities today. That the message of Jesus would be taught, that the good news of the kingdom would be preached, and that every type of disease and sickness in our community would be healed (4:23). Jesus was in the synagogues and out in the community. He was both in and out.
During the last part of 2005 we sensed that God was calling us into a time of rest and consolidation, ready for the next phase of God’s plans for us. That phase, or that season must soon end.
For Jesus, the season of quietly learning, increasing in wisdom and stature and gaining favour with God and men (Luke 2:52) was over. The time for action had come. The time for action is coming soon for us!
It’s a fact that conservative sections of the evangelical church stress personal conversion and commitment to Jesus; recognising our need of forgiveness, and thanking God for the cross on which Jesus died to set us free from the consequences of sin. I include myself in this because it was central to the mission of Jesus. However, we sometimes stress this aspect of Jesus’ mission and neglect matters of compassion and justice for those who are suffering, and a world that is being torn apart.
Liberal Christianity tends to stress care for the poor and marginalised, fighting injustice, alleviating poverty and treating people with dignity; whilst neglecting to call people to personal faith in Jesus Christ.
Where are we as a church? Where are we in our Home Churches? Where am I? Which one wins the day: personal conversion or compassion?
Jesus went to where people were. A church that simply runs services on a Sunday and puts up a notice board with times of services, and then expects people to come, has missed the mission of Jesus. A church that simply feels sincerely sorry for the thousands of people who go to the temples of St. Michael, St. Mary, St. Mother Care and St. ‘Toys ‘R’ Us’, has missed the mission of Jesus. In our baptism, Jesus has called each one of us to join in with his mission. His ways are higher than our ways, and his mission priorities are higher than our priorities.
Jesus went to where people were. Teaching in the synagogues (4:23) was a priority for him, and it must remain a priority for us too; but we will not stop there.
Last week’s Bible reading (Colossians 3: 15-17) contained these words from Paul: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom.” Central to Jesus’ work was his teaching and it must remain central to ours as we teach one another. Teaching is primarily for the church as we build one another up and learn to become faithful disciples, knowing Jesus better!
After Easter we will spend a week teaching one another using the Beatitudes – the beautiful attitudes of Jesus; attitudes which he is calling us to put on; attitudes which formed part of his teaching as he taught in the synagogues of Galilee. He wanted the religious community to grow in their knowledge of God. He wants us to grow in our knowledge of God.
What good is knowledge if it is never acted upon? I think back to some of my lessons at school such as Latin and Chemistry and whilst I think I enjoyed them at the time, they were nothing more than head knowledge. I have never practised either outside of the classroom. If our knowledge of Jesus is nothing more than head knowledge then we have not yet grasped what Jesus was about.
Jesus did not just teach. Jesus also preached the Good News of the kingdom (4:23). Preaching is different to teaching since it usually engages with those who are outside, and that is where Jesus went. Now at this point we often get a bit nervous and twitchy because we start thinking, “Well that’s OK for a few evangelistic, extrovert enthusiasts, but that’s not me.” I was at a conference yesterday where one or two Vicars were very unhappy about the suggestion that we should actually speak Good News with a view to calling people to faith in Jesus.
The ‘good news’ is that they were in the minority. Most of the people at the conference were enthusiastic about the Bishop of Southampton’s call for the Anglican Church in Winchester Diocese (Basingstoke, Winchester, Bournemouth and Southampton) “to be intentional in its evangelism.” The Bishop said that “growth …comes through intentional evangelism and discipleship.” Hence Alpha, Money management courses, The Fountain, The Kware Fun day on 1st May, work in our schools, conversations in the playground, meals with our neighbours, membership of a local club or society etc. will all remain as part of an intentional strategy for evangelism. If you heard those words ‘meals with our neighbours’ and thought, “Oh, I can do that!” then can I encourage you? Building relationships of trust will always lead to future opportunities to very gently and often very quietly share our faith in Jesus, and that is evangelism. Jesus went to where people were and he calls us to do the same.
Jesus did not just teach, and Jesus did not just preach. If we just teach and preach then people will not know what God’s Kingdom will look like. If we just teach and preach, then people will not see the love of Jesus Christ in action.
The Lord Jesus had a heart beating with compassion. Jesus ‘[healed] every disease and sickness among the people’. Jesus healed every type of disease and sickness. He probably did not heal every single person in the whole of the region, but he had authority over every disease and Jesus showed people that he loved them.
It’s a strange kind of love which never does anything to reveal that love. A so-called love which is only about words and never includes an action is a love which has been stunted in its growth; but we are called to “become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Eph 4:13).
Jesus was concerned about the spiritual needs of people. Jesus was concerned about the physical needs of people. Jesus was concerned about both, and so he spoke of good news and he demonstrated good news.
How about us? Is our see-saw in balance? Blessing the people of Kware is wonderful. Having an opportunity at the Light Party on 31 October, or Carols in the square before Christmas to preach good news is wonderful; but what about during the ordinary day to day stuff that we are involved in? What about the people that we mix with regularly? Is our see-saw in balance? Jesus spoke of good news and he demonstrated good news. Jesus calls us to represent him in the world, to be ready to speak good news and to demonstrate good news, literally to be good news to people, because God’s Kingdom is breaking in to the lives of real people now.
Perhaps you’re here this morning and need to know the touch of Jesus. There will be opportunities for someone to pray for you.
Perhaps Jesus has challenged you. Jesus did not stay within the safe confines of the synagogue. He was out there with real people. Is Jesus reminding you that we are called to represent him in the world by spending time with real people?
Perhaps Jesus’ ministry of compassion is challenging you to pray in faith, in Jesus’ name, for people who need to know the very real presence and the very real touch of Jesus.
Jesus had a ministry of teaching in the synagogues. Jesus preached the Good News of the kingdom throughout the region, and Jesus demonstrated God’s compassion by meeting the physical needs of those who were brought to him.
(4:24) News about him spread. (4:25) Large crowds followed him.
What would it take for crowds to follow Jesus in our local communities? What is Jesus saying to us? What is Jesus saying to you? What is our response?
I am praying for crowds to follow Jesus, to become disciples of Jesus in this community. Yet, I also know that the same crowds later turned on Jesus: Mt 27:20, “…the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed.”
My prayer for you today is that you will know Jesus better, that you will be ready to make him better known, and that you will stand firm in your faith all the days of your life.
Amen.
