Sermon: Faith Seeking Understanding Focus: Believers obey and follow Jesus’ instruction even when we do not understanding; faith seeking understanding. Let me say from the start that a very good summary of what I hope to preach in the sermon today is in this new hymn called “The Summons.” So if I lose you in the sermon, “fret not” - not to worry – just read the words of this hymn, and you’ll get it. In today’s scripture lessons from Isaiah and Luke we have heard two stories of “call” – not “a telephone call” or a call from your Mama to come on home for supper – but a call as a divine summons – something that comes from God, the Holy Spirit – something that is addressed to you and to me. It may come as an inner, still small voice, some inner conviction that you feel deep in your soul. It has the weight of a command, or an order – it is a directive that you and I cannot ignore – and if we do try to ignore it, it keeps nagging at us. Part of this call – Calvin calls it the “general call” - is of course, the call to follow Jesus. It is the call to be and to live as a Christian, a believer, a disciple. We ask it of parents every time we baptize a baby, and of youth and adults when they are baptized and when they are confirmed – we ask it of new members – and we all spoke it last month in our Renewal of Baptism liturgy. It is the third question: “Will you be” – or “Will you continue to be Christ’s faithful disciple, obeying his word, and showing his love.” And the answer – do you remember? “I will, with God’s help.” I will – with God’s help. Some incorrectly think that only ministers or preachers are called – people like, or Heeja or Leslie – or like Terry or Judy – or like the disciples in today’s lesson from Luke - but that is incorrect. Our Presbyterian, Reformed theology asserts that all of us are called by God, through the presence and enabling power of the Holy Spirit, to follow Jesus Christ as disciples. Within that General call there are also special or particular calls – to be pastors or teachers, elders, deacons, doctors and medical workers, parents, business people, salesmen. I had a friend tell me once that just as he believed I was called to be as pastor, he was called to be a salesman. And my friend Steve is quite correct – even though he is not Presbyterian. He is gifted by God with skills and a passion for sales, and he is very good at what he does. Fred Buechner says that a call, or a vocation, is the place where your deep passion meets the world’s greatest need. The intersection of what excites and empowers you, and some particular need that is present in the world around you – when you discover those two things and where they meet, then you have found your particular calling, your vocation. In today’s readings we have an example of what it looks like for you and for me to discover and to respond to a call from God – even when we do not understand what it really means for us, or where it will lead us in our life. Especially in this reading from Luke, we see someone answering the call – someone obeying the one who calls, without fully understanding or comprehending what it’s all about. In today’s reading we meet for the second time this man called Simon Peter. Back in chapter 4, we read that Simon heard Jesus teach, and that he invited Jesus to supper at his family home. When they arrived Simon’s mother-in-law was sick in bed, and Jesus goes to her and heals her – and she gets up and prepares a meal for them. Speaking cynically we could call this a somewhat convenient miracle. Today, Simon Peter is at his work as a fisherman, on the Lake of Gennesaret – also called the Sea of Galilee. Maybe fishing was part of his calling – his desire to fish meeting the need of people for food. Maybe he fishes because his father and his father before him were also fisherman. He and his companions had been at it all night long – with meager results – and they were washing their nets. Jesus comes along the shoreline, and again a crowd gathers to hear his teaching – Jesus was gaining quite a reputation. Seeing an opportunity, Jesus asks Simon if he would please take Jesus in the boat out a bit from the shore, so Jesus could teach this large crowd – a good natural acoustic setting. Simon agrees – they go out – and Jesus teaches for a while. When the sermon is over, Jesus asks Simon to put out a bit into the deeper waters, and put down the nets for a catch. Now remember Simon is the experienced fisherman – he and his partners. He knows it is best to fish in the night, in what we call the wee hours of the morning, when you get the best results. And besides, by now the nets are all clean and stored away – and ready to be used again the next morning. In making this request we get the sense that Jesus is not asking Simon to do this because Jesus is hungry, and wants fish and chips for lunch. Something more is at work here, and that something is theological in nature. In this sequence of the story, Simon is hearing a call from Jesus – a particular call, for him to do specific task. Simon Peter, of course, being the experienced fisherman, he knows better. He knows the request is silly, even ridiculous. This is not the proper time to catch fish, and from their poor results earlier in the day, the schools of fish were obviously far away. And he says as much to Jesus: “Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing.” Interesting that Simon addresses Jesus here as “Master.” He warns Jesus that a catch is unlikely – but nevertheless, even still, he goes on and does what Jesus asks. “Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets." We know what happens. Simon Peter’s warning stands in stark contrast to the huge catch of fish – so huge that the partners James and John had to come and help – so huge that the nets were tearing, and the boats were starting to sink below the water level. Together they worked to bring the huge catch ashore. Simon Peter reacts with self-judgment, like we heard Isaiah react: "Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!" Notice now the Simon is addressing Jesus as ‘Lord’. And Jesus replies – “Simon, don’t worry so much about that – don’t be afraid - from now on you will be catching people." Luke concludes the story “When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.” Simon Peter obeyed – he followed and did what Jesus wanted him to do, even though he did not understand, even though he had his doubts, even though he had not a clue where his life would go from that point forward. Still – nevertheless – a good word for a Christian – nevertheless, he did what Jesus asked. Simon Peter is not alone in following this pattern. Back in December we heard again Mary’s word to the angel Gabriel – she reminds Gabriel that she is unlikely to have a baby, since she does yet have a husband. Nevertheless, she obeys, and answers the call to be God’s humble handmaiden. Then there is Ananias – one of the best examples of this. You remember him – Ananias, a disciple living in Damascus – at the time when Paul, who then went by the name Saul, had his Damascus Road experience, when he was blinded by the light. He was on his way to Damascus with orders to arrest anyone who was following the teachings of this renegade Jesus, and bring them back to Jerusalem. God told Ananias to go to this house, and meet a man named Saul. And Ananias tries to instruct God about this guy, how evil he is, how he is persecuting the followers of Jesus. And God basically says, “I know – go anyway.” And Ananias goes, and Saul receives his sight, and becomes the apostle Paul. Obeying, following the call, answering the summons - without fully understanding – maybe never fully understanding - but following nevertheless. I titled this sermon “Faith seeking understanding.” We seek to know, we want to understand – but sometimes we are called upon to follow and obey when we do not understand. Maybe it is a call to engage in some form of mission or ministry connected to our church. Maybe you feel a call to change jobs or career or you major in college. Maybe it’s a call to engage in some endeavor that runs against the expectations of those around us – but you still believe it’s a God thing, a faith thing. You don’t understand it – you don’t know how where it will take you or how it will turn out – but nevertheless you strive to follow. When that happens to you, and to me – we are in good company. And we, like those before us, are called to obey, to follow – and then in faith, to trust God into that future. “Will you continue to be Christ’s faithful disciple, obeying his word, and showing his love?” May we always answer and live out that answer, even though we don’t always understand what it means – “Yes I will – I will, with God’s help.” And all God’s people said. Amen. |