"Following Jesus In Perplexing Times" - Psalm 27:1-5,14; Matthew 4:12-23
A Sermon by Alex Evans, Pastor
Second Presbyterian Church, Richmond, VA
From Sunday, January 22, 2023
Psalm 27:1-5, 14; Matthew 4:12-23
“Following Jesus in Perplexing Times”
Many of you who know me well know that I have long been a big fan of Bono, and his world famous, rock band, U2. In these recent days, Bono, a few years younger than I am, released an autobiography that I have very much enjoyed, entitled Surrender. The book offers deep insight into his very big life.
Here are facts about Bono, whose real name is Paul Hewson. He grew up in Dublin, Ireland with his fellow band-mates. These four guys got together to play music in their late teens, in the late 1970’s, and they have been together ever since. Bono, and two others in the band, have always been deeply devoted to Christian faith, to following Jesus. Bono’s Christian faith shapes so much about him and the music he has made. He has been married to his wife Allie for 40 years, who was part of his early church group. Bono, and U2, have been, across these decades, among the most famous, most successful musical groups in history. And it is not just musical success and fame; Bono keeps saying, over and over, that his calling in life, deeply tied to his Christian faith, is to use any fame he has gained to make the world a better place, especially aiding the most needy.
So, Bono and his bandmates have been involved in addressing the AIDS crisis, feeding the world during famines in Africa, raising the issue of the climate, urging the world powers to forgive the debts of the poorest countries, helping orphans in Ukraine, and much more. He recently played a concert in the subway in Kyiv, to draw attention to the atrocities there.
And it is Bono’s commitment to peace, justice, and a better world, that has generated his personal ties to so many of the world’s leaders. He has been many times to the White House and . . . he hosted Russian President Mikhail Gorbachev at his house in Dublin. He has visited the Presbyterian Center in Louisville, in support of the church’s justice work, and knows the Pope, for whom he wrote some special songs.
Bono connects with Presidents, Popes, Prime Ministers, and world leaders because he cares so much about the world. Bono also initiated a meeting with Eugene Peterson (Presbyterian minister who translated the Bible, known as The Message) at Peterson’s home in Montana. Peterson did not even know who Bono was – but Bono knew Peterson from reading the Scriptures. He has sought to use his life and fame to promote justice and peace for the reign of God in the world.
One of Bono and U2’s most famous songs goes like this:
I can’t believe the news today –
I can’t close my eyes and make it go away.
How long? How long must I sing this song. (“Sunday, Bloody Sunday”)
Which piece of the news today makes you want to sing along with Bono? Maybe it is the news you are awaiting from the latest medical test. How long must I sing this song? Maybe it is the growing number of gun violence victims, or the continuing destruction in Ukraine, or the economic meltdown that seems on the horizon. We live in a wonderful and beautiful world; but we also live bombarded by worries and uncertainty, by perplexing problems that don’t seem to go away.
Some people who know Bono and his songs also hear the echo of the passionate pleas from the lament psalms in Scripture – like Psalm 3, or Psalm 5, or 13, or others. “How long, O God!” How long before we get free from these burdens, release from this oppression, relief from the tears? To live is to know beauty and joy. But to live is to also know suffering, and loss, to long for hope, to cry out for something better, including crying out to God.
Now, let us connect all of this to Matthew’s gospel. You remember a few weeks ago and the Christmas story. The Christmas story starts out like this: “In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered.” We often minimize this line as simply the motivation for Mary and Joseph to make the journey to Bethlehem. But there is only one reason that the Emperor would order the world to be registered! That would be for TAXES! Taxes to support the Emperor, whose rule and reign would continue to oppress the people. Taxes to feed the power of the EMPIRE. The baby Jesus - “a Savior who is Christ the Lord” - was born into this reign of Emperor Augustus for one reason - to bring about another reign, the reign of God – not about power but peace, not about oppression, but love and justice.
Today’s passage comes very early in the adult life and ministry of Jesus. He has been baptized and challenged. And then we have this – Matthew 4 – listen:
Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. 13He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14so that what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: 15“Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali, on the road by the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles— 16the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned.”17From that time Jesus began to proclaim, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
18As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. 19And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.” 20Immediately they left their nets and followed him. 21As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. 22Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him.
23Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people.
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
It says, “Jesus left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the sea of Galilee.” A few years ago, when a good group of us from this church visited the Holy Land, we spent several hours in Capernaum, on the north edge of the Sea of Galilee. You can walk around the archeological remains of the synagogue there. You can sense the paths that Jesus walked in that town in the 1st century. You can wander down to the sea, even pick up pebbles in the water – where Jesus encountered the fishermen.
When Matthew sets this stage for the beginning of his ministry, he relates it to another story that we read at Christmas: “the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light” – and that same passage says, “for unto us a child is born”– and it is about God’s reign emerging in the world. Not the reign of the Emperor who wants to register people, so he can tax then and rule over them. This is about God’s coming reign – a different kind of Kin-dom, a reign of peace, without oppression, and the power of love. This is what Jesus brings.
It is interesting to notice the Greek word here – basileia. All through the gospels, there is this emerging, growing tension. There is the Emperor’s reign – power, oppression, taxes, and servitude to the Emperor, and there is God’s reign, which comes in Jesus – freedom, peace, purposes in life that focus on God and God’s love across the world. There is basileia of tyranny and violence, or rule by threats, and death. And there is the basileia of God – hope, purpose, spreading love and justice for all. Jesus comes on the scene – he is inaugurating the basileia of God. Who will be part of it? (See Commentary, 1/17/2023 saltproject.org). It is an open question.
So, Jesus walks along by the sea, and encounters fishermen. They have names: Peter, and Andrew, James and John. Jesus simply says, “Follow me.”
In talking about this passage, Barbara Brown Taylor calls this the “miracle on the beach.” There are lots of miracles that involve Jesus – giving sight the blind, hearing to the deaf, release of demons. But with two words, “Follow me,” Jesus gets people recruited for the basileia of God. Two words. He does not offer anything. He does not give rationale. He simply announces the new basileia – and then, “Follow me.” Miracle.
It might be less of a miracle when we know that fishermen on the sea of Galilee were among the poorest of the poor, caught up in their own basileia – their lives basically slaves in some oppressive, caste system structure. Folks in this kind of poverty and oppression might be quick to jump at another kind of life.
So, they “left their nets” and followed.
“Left their nets” means much more than walking away from fishing. It means they “left” – and this word applies to their debts, their burdens, their sins, their bondage. It is like a “Jubilee” – a fresh start – this is what Jesus comes to bring the fishermen – and actually all of us. Leave the basileia of oppression and burden, and find a new life – God’s life. Leave the basileia of tyranny, the rat race, and find a new life of purpose, goodness and grace – the basileia of God.
You and I are called to respond to these same simple words: “follow me.” And we are called to follow Jesus with all the perplexing and complicated things that seem to dominate our lives.
I want to try to make this as specific and as helpful as I can.
First, if you think you are all alone – lost in a sea of burdens, drowning and uncertain of God at all – these words of Jesus, “Follow me,” are directed to our hearts. We are not on our own or all alone. Jesus knows us, knows what we are dealing with, comes to us, and invites to another journey. There are no easy answers; it will not be without struggle, but the presence and promises of God will go with us and shape us all our days.
Second, there is a big context in which these words come to us to follow. Psalm 27 says it boldly. “The Lord is our light and our salvation, whom shall we fear? The Lord is the stronghold of our lives, of whom shall we be afraid?” The whole Bible is a story of God delivering God’s people. Why would we doubt that God will deliver us, from our woes, from our enemies, from our worst circumstances?
Third, what nets do we need to drop in order to go and follow. It is so easy to hold onto certainties. If we quit fishing, how will be eat? If we don’t stick with what we know, how will we ever get along? These are normal concerns. But remember – we make our way by walking, we make the path by walking. The Israelites ventured into the sea . . . and the way opened. They kept going in the wilderness and . . . . God kept providing. The disciples dropped their nets and it led to . . . wow! . . . . the amazing movement of God in the world, the faithful church across the globe. We keep seeking to trust God and follow. We can never do it perfectly – indeed we often struggle to make our way – but we strive to trust God and keep following – and we find our way from the basileia of the world to the basileia of God.
And finally, we are a work in progress. We keep striving to be loving when our world tells us to be selfish. We keep seeking to be kind when people across the world keeps screaming at each other. We keep working on forgiving – forgiveness is hard – but this is our calling - when it is easier to hold a grudge. We keep giving life away when it is tempting to be greedy or to hoard. These are the ways of God. Jesus says “Follow Me” and we know we keep trying, keep working on it, striving to be the best we can be as disciples, open to God’s Spirit at work in us. Jesus says “follow me,” and we remember that we are to spend our lives, use our capital, on helping others, on making the world a better place. This is the calling of all of us. Follow. Trust God. Serve God. Keep the faith, spread love. Hold to God promises, share God’s peace.
This is our way.
There is a really good cartoon from The New Yorker magazine. There is a man standing in the middle of an elevator in a building lobby. The doors are open. Another person is next to the control panel and looks questioningly at the man in the middle of the elevator, waiting for him to indicate which floor. But the man just stands there and says, “Neither up, nor down. I am good right here.”
Why get on an elevator if you are not going anywhere? But it is a stinging cartoon because it could be emblematic of our lives – especially life with God. “I’m good right here!” And we just keep doing the same old things – not deeper faith, nor deeper commitment, just spinning and searching in the night, and wandering about all day, just “good right here” where we are – and besides, life is challenging enough right here.
But Jesus keeps saying – “follow me” – even in these perplexing times. Jesus keeps pointing us to another kind of life – love, not hate; goodness and grace not ugliness and greed; community and care, not competition and condemnation; hope, not hurt. Jesus keeps calling us to the basileia of God. We are to put down our nets and follow. To pay attention and stay on the journey.
This is our way – the way of Jesus – today, tomorrow, always. May it be so.
Prayer of Commitment: Holy God, to turn from you is to fall; to turn toward you is to rise; to hear your call, to walk in your ways, following and serving, well, that is to abide forever. We seek the way of Jesus, our Lord. Amen
Alex W. Evans, Pastor, Second Presbyterian Church, Richmond, VA preached this sermon during Sunday morning worship on January 22, 2023. This is a rough manuscript.