Isaiah 9:1–4; Psalm
27:1, 5–13; I
Corinthians 1:10–18; Matthew
4:12–23
A homily by Fr. Gene Tucker given at St. Thomas, Salem, Illinois on Saturday, January 25, 2014; and at St. John's, Centralia, and Trinity, Mt. Vernon, Illinois on Sunday, January 26, 2014.
“ANSWERING GOD’S CALL”
A homily by Fr. Gene Tucker given at St. Thomas, Salem, Illinois on Saturday, January 25, 2014; and at St. John's, Centralia, and Trinity, Mt. Vernon, Illinois on Sunday, January 26, 2014.
“ANSWERING GOD’S CALL”
(Homily text: Matthew 4:12–23)
Let’s think about the call of God, for our gospel reading from Matthew, chapter four, and our Collect for the Day today are remarkably well matched, both having to do with God’s call
Our Matthew reading recounts the Lord’s call to His first disciples, Andrew and Simon Peter and James and John, while the Collect asks that we may “answer readily the call” of the Lord.
Let’s take a few moments to think about God’s call to us, and as we do, let’s examine the things that were involved in these first disciples’ answering of the Lord’s call, applying those lessons to our own situation as God calls us to follow Him.
The first thing we might consider has to do with just who is called by God….This is an important issue, because (I think) we often think that only those persons who are called to ordained ministry are the ones who are called. To be sure, having a definite call from God to be ordained is extremely important, for being in ordained ministry isn’t just another career choice to be made.
But the truth is that each one of us is called by God. Our first call comes at baptism, for as we enter the water of baptism, it is God who calls us into a relationship with Him. In baptism, He claims us as His very own daughter or son. That is where the journey of being called begins (though it doesn’t end there.)
These disciples of Jesus, Andrew and Simon Peter and James and John, received their initial call along the shores of the Sea of Galilee. As they answered the call, dropping their nets immediately, Matthew tells us, their lives changed forever. And, by the way, the course of human history also changed as a direct result of their answering of the Lord’s call.
In a very real sense, we share the same path that these disciples walked, for we, too, are called into a relationship with God, not for our own benefit alone, but for the betterment and the welfare of the entire world. Our Collect today puts that idea this way: “Give us grace, O Lord, to answer readily the call of our Savior Jesus Christ and proclaim to all people the Good News of his salvation, that we and the whole world may perceive the glory of his marvelous works….”
Jesus called some very suitable men that day along the shores of the sea, for these fishermen had been engaged in a trade that required patience and perseverance. In addition, they lived in an area in the village of Capernaum which was near a major trading route, so it was likely that they encountered people from many different geographical areas and cultures. In time, the skills they learned fishing for fish would come in handy as they began to fish for people. Their facility with dealing with varying cultural backgrounds would enable them to carry the Good News out into the known world.
The lesson for us is that God will call us into a ministry to which we are suited in some way or another. We can be sure that the original disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter, James and John and all the others the Lord called possessed some good raw material with which the Lord could work. But they all had to be trained, as well. At times, that training must have been a source of disappointment to the Lord as He tried to get them to understand His ministry, and to prepare them for their role in sharing in that ministry.
We, too, will often undergo some sort of change as we prepare to answer God’s call to go out, bearing the Good News. Sometimes, like the disciples, it will take awhile for us to grow into our role as God’s emissaries.
God’s initial call in baptism will be followed by any number of other calls as we make our way through life. The Lord’s disciples answered many such calls during their training, and in the mission work they took up as they left the Holy Land and made their way out into the world. At each decisive point, the Lord’s call changed, sometimes in small ways, sometimes in major ways. For us as well, the Lord’s call to serve will come again and again, sometimes demanding that we make major changes in our lives in order to follow that call.
May we, by the power of the Holy Spirit, be enabled to answer readily the call of our Savior Jesus Christ, that we and the whole world may come to know His salvation.
AMEN.
Let’s think about the call of God, for our gospel reading from Matthew, chapter four, and our Collect for the Day today are remarkably well matched, both having to do with God’s call
Our Matthew reading recounts the Lord’s call to His first disciples, Andrew and Simon Peter and James and John, while the Collect asks that we may “answer readily the call” of the Lord.
Let’s take a few moments to think about God’s call to us, and as we do, let’s examine the things that were involved in these first disciples’ answering of the Lord’s call, applying those lessons to our own situation as God calls us to follow Him.
The first thing we might consider has to do with just who is called by God….This is an important issue, because (I think) we often think that only those persons who are called to ordained ministry are the ones who are called. To be sure, having a definite call from God to be ordained is extremely important, for being in ordained ministry isn’t just another career choice to be made.
But the truth is that each one of us is called by God. Our first call comes at baptism, for as we enter the water of baptism, it is God who calls us into a relationship with Him. In baptism, He claims us as His very own daughter or son. That is where the journey of being called begins (though it doesn’t end there.)
These disciples of Jesus, Andrew and Simon Peter and James and John, received their initial call along the shores of the Sea of Galilee. As they answered the call, dropping their nets immediately, Matthew tells us, their lives changed forever. And, by the way, the course of human history also changed as a direct result of their answering of the Lord’s call.
In a very real sense, we share the same path that these disciples walked, for we, too, are called into a relationship with God, not for our own benefit alone, but for the betterment and the welfare of the entire world. Our Collect today puts that idea this way: “Give us grace, O Lord, to answer readily the call of our Savior Jesus Christ and proclaim to all people the Good News of his salvation, that we and the whole world may perceive the glory of his marvelous works….”
Jesus called some very suitable men that day along the shores of the sea, for these fishermen had been engaged in a trade that required patience and perseverance. In addition, they lived in an area in the village of Capernaum which was near a major trading route, so it was likely that they encountered people from many different geographical areas and cultures. In time, the skills they learned fishing for fish would come in handy as they began to fish for people. Their facility with dealing with varying cultural backgrounds would enable them to carry the Good News out into the known world.
The lesson for us is that God will call us into a ministry to which we are suited in some way or another. We can be sure that the original disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter, James and John and all the others the Lord called possessed some good raw material with which the Lord could work. But they all had to be trained, as well. At times, that training must have been a source of disappointment to the Lord as He tried to get them to understand His ministry, and to prepare them for their role in sharing in that ministry.
We, too, will often undergo some sort of change as we prepare to answer God’s call to go out, bearing the Good News. Sometimes, like the disciples, it will take awhile for us to grow into our role as God’s emissaries.
God’s initial call in baptism will be followed by any number of other calls as we make our way through life. The Lord’s disciples answered many such calls during their training, and in the mission work they took up as they left the Holy Land and made their way out into the world. At each decisive point, the Lord’s call changed, sometimes in small ways, sometimes in major ways. For us as well, the Lord’s call to serve will come again and again, sometimes demanding that we make major changes in our lives in order to follow that call.
May we, by the power of the Holy Spirit, be enabled to answer readily the call of our Savior Jesus Christ, that we and the whole world may come to know His salvation.
AMEN.
