February 10, 2022

The first disciples have yet to be called, and with the crowds are gathered to listen to what the Word of God is teaching, calling, and empowering them as Jesus – the Word made flesh – proclaims the good news and teaches the crowds. 

In listening to Christ, Simon (Peter) and James and John, these three fishermen, hear a call to follow Christ. First questioning Jesus when he tells them to lower their nets after a night of catching nothing, but ultimately leaning on God’s wisdom incarnate and not their own understanding, they get the catch of a lifetime, enough fish to nearly sink the boat. 

And so, when Christ calls them to follow and to fish for people rather than what’s in the sea, they “left everything and followed him,” (Luke 5:11).

This is the first, but far from the last time the disciples push back with curiosity or protest something beyond their realm of understanding. In fact, as disciples, students, their curiosity is a healthy part of their growth. Yet, their curiosity is never something they let keep them from stepping forward with faith and courage. Just as they question and seek to understand, they do not make fully understanding a requirement before acting in the way of Jesus, sharing God’s love, welcoming the stranger, loving neighbor and enemy, feeding the hungry, eating with the outcasts and sinners.

This year, we are leaning into our discipleship. We’re listening deeply to God through scripture, liturgy, hymns and through people within and beyond our congregation. We know that like these first disciples, we will learn, we will have new questions, and we will be called to get up and follow.

Simon, James, and John leave their nets, and we will be called to leave behind some ways of living and being church that no longer provide for us and are not the things God is calling us to be and do right here and now. That doesn’t mean these nets (literal or metaphorical) are bad, that they didn’t once feed us and tend to us, but we shouldn’t cling so tightly to them that we are unable to follow where Christ is calling and leading us next. 

As we respond to the call of Christ, stepping forward, and like Paul, “forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, [we] press on towards the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13b)

And the fantastic, wonderful, good news is that when you go with Christ, Christ is with you. You are not in this alone. Christ’s invitation is unending when he says, “Come to me all you who are weary and heavy-laden and I will give you rest.”
Rest in the grace and peace and love and life of God with you.

Blessings,
Pastor Drew