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THE FIRST CALLING
Isaiah 53:1-7
John 1:29-42

Baptism Of the Lord
Isaiah 42:1-4
Matthew 3:13-17

EPIPHANY
Micah 5:1-5a
Matthew 2:1-12

THE SECOND CALLING
January 27, 2008
1 Kings 19:19-21
Matthew 4:12-22

     To a certain extent, we break our lives into segments based on significant historical events.  I was six years old when President Kennedy was assassinated.  I don’t remember where I was when I heard the news, probably at school.  But, I remember that when I got home from school that day my mother had the T.V. on, and we watched television all afternoon.  We never turned the T.V. on until after dinner.  I knew this was significant.  In 1987 when the space shuttle Columbia exploded I was hiding under a desk, dressed in full chemical warfare gear.  We were in the middle of war games, and my squadron was being bombed with chemical weapons.  The phone on the desk rang, and another officer with me reached up and answered it.  It was his wife calling, to tell him the space shuttle had just fallen out of the sky. 

     September 11, 2001 started out as a sad day.  It was Alma Swafford’s funeral.  I really liked her.  I turned the T.V. on to check the weather and help me decide how to dress.  The picture showed smoke coming from the first tower, and the announcers said it had been hit by an airplane.  I launched into a tirade against inexperienced novice pilots using their aircraft for sight seeing.  Just then we saw the second aircraft strike the second tower.  I recognized it immediately as an airliner, and my world changed.  Everything that I do at American Airlines is delineated by ‘before and after’ 9/11. 

     Jesus’ ministry to the world, his three year journey of self sacrifice for our salvation, is divided up by ‘before and after’ John the Baptist was put in jail.  That wasn’t just for Jesus.  The historian Josephus tells us that was such a significant event, all of Israel marked time by ‘after John the Baptist was put in jail’.  

     John the Baptist didn’t quit his ministry after he identified Jesus as the Christ.  He continued to go to the river everyday and baptize Jews for the repentance of sin, and to embrace the coming Kingdom of Heaven.  If anything his message became even more urgent, it is crucial to live a virtuous, righteous life.   What you do with your body should leave no doubt that our loving and compassionate God is ruling your heart.  Which brought him into direct conflict with Governor Herod Antipas, who was the son of Herod the Great, who tried to kill Jesus as a baby in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:16). 

     Herod Antipas was living the exact opposite of a virtuous and righteous life (Matthew 14:1-12).  He had divorced his wife, so he could live in an incestuous relationship with his niece.  He doesn’t observe the requirements of the Law, and he was barbaric and brutal to the poor people under his authority.  John the Baptist spoke out publicly, again and again, against Herod’s lifestyle.  Huge crowds began to urge the Baptist to lead a revolt against the Governor.  We don’t know if Herod was more concerned with revolution, or embarrassed by public criticism of his perversity, but he had John the Baptist arrested to shut him up and shut him down.  He was hidden away in the impregnable mountain fortress of Machaerus for almost a year, and then he was killed.  His arrest and execution were defining moments for Israel, and for Jesus. 

     After his baptism Jesus spends six to twelve months in Judea, the southern part of Israel, laying the foundation for his ministry (John 1:19-3:36).  He gathers a few more disciples (Phillip, Nathaniel, Judas), spends a lot of time explaining to the Pharisees about God’s all encompassing love, and even baptizing new believers.  Although, he probably didn’t baptize himself, most likely he had his disciples perform the baptisms.  

     When John the Baptist is arrested Jesus immediately ends his Judean ministry, and makes the 100 mile trip north to Galilee.  The skeptic says, “Well sure he headed north.  He was afraid he would be next.  He was so closely associated with the Baptist he was afraid Herod would arrest him too.  He got out of town while the getting was good.”  The skeptic will tell you that Jesus quit his ministry and moved north because he was a coward (John 7:1).  I’m here to tell you that the exact opposite is true. 

     Although Herod spent his time in Jerusalem in the south, he was Governor over Galilee, in the north.  This trip actually puts Jesus right in the heart of Herod’s authority.  This isn’t a retreat, this is a challenge.   Jesus is saying, “This is not your empire, this is God’s empire.  I’m going to take my message to the very center of your power base. Do something about it.” 

     The Apostle Matthew needs us to see this trip as more than a relocation of ministerial focus, he needs us to see this as a fulfillment of prophecy (Isaiah 9:1-2).  Matthew writes his gospel about 30 years after the resurrection.  Good and faithful Jews who have embraced Jesus Christ are being kicked out of their synagogues.   The rest of their community refuses to speak to them, or even look at them.  They are considered ‘walking dead’.  The only place they can go to church now, is in the homes of Gentile converts.  They’re asking themselves, “Is this what we’ve come to?  Is this really how far we’ve sunk?  Maybe following Jesus is a mistake.”  Matthew writes his Gospel to let them know, “This is not a mistake!  This is God’s holy plan.  God set this up 700 years ago, and we are seeing the miracle of prophecy fulfilled.  Isaiah said the Messiah would travel to Galilee of the Gentiles, and his message would be worldwide.  Jesus himself commanded the message to go global (Matthew 28:19).  The plan is coherent and consistent.  Don’t give up!”

     The prophet Isaiah writes, “On the road by the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, the 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.”  It’s hard to say with certainty exactly what Isaiah meant.  Galilee of the Gentiles – we talked a couple weeks ago about the Assyrians deporting the Jews out of northern Israel, and repopulating it with Persians.  Some say that’s why it’s called Galilee of the Gentiles.  It is a physical designation.  Others say it’s a political designation.  During Jesus’ day most of the inhabitants were pure blood Jews, but Galilee was most frequently ruled by foreigners.  

     What about sitting in darkness?  Again, some say it is a political designation indicating that the Jews in that region were subjugated.  Others say it was a spiritual designation.  The Samaritans lived in Galilee.  They had adopted the Hebrew God, but they accepted different parts of the Bible as truth, and had different prophecies (John 4:20).  They were in darkness because they ‘thought they knew God’, but they really didn’t.  

     Or, what about the Shadow of Death?  Some say it was a spiritual designation.  If you die separated from the Lord who is God by sin, what hope can your soul have?  Others say it was a physical designation.  The poor people in Galilee lived in an awful environment.   Their cities were overcrowded.  Their drinking water was polluted and there wasn’t enough to go around.  Human waste ran down the middle of their streets as raw sewage.  Disease was rampant.  Only one out of two babies lived past their first year.  Reaching the age of 40 made you old.  Fires and earthquakes destroyed entire villages every day.  Each morning when you woke up, you were in the shadow of death. 

     Here’s the thing.  Whether Isaiah meant his prophecy to be physical, political, or spiritual – Jesus was the answer.  Here comes the Rabbi from the south, John the Baptist’s friend, bringing a powerful message into the heart of Herod’s dominion.  He says, “If you live in obedience to God you have nothing to fear from the authorities (Romans 13:3).  Poverty is wrong and we should all share with those who are in need (Luke 6:29-31).  And, whether the government or disease should take your life, do not fear.  A compassionate loving Father is waiting to receive you (John 14:1-4).  He doesn’t care about your politics, he doesn’t care about your bank account, and he doesn’t care about your academic credentials.  He just wants to love you – forever.  Just say yes.”

     Matthew tells us that Jesus preached the same message as John the Baptist, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”  And, it’s the exact same message he asked the Apostles to preach (Matthew 10:7).  How could they preach that the Kingdom is near?  Is everything perfect?  No!  Criminals still claim victims, disease still kills babies, and an unjust government still has different penalties for different classes of people.  But, perfection is near.  So near you can see its effects.  In the morning, the dawn arrives and the sky turns light before the sun actually breaks the horizon.  When Jesus arrives in Galilee with miracles of healing, proclaiming equality of believers, and unmerited salvation it is the dawn of the Kingdom.   The light has come, the Kingdom is near. 

     When Jesus reaches the shore of the Sea of Galilee he calls four men to leave everything behind and become his disciples.  We saw last week that this is not the first time these men have been called.  Jesus called Peter, Andrew, James and John at the beginning of his Judean ministry (John 1:35-42).  Where have they been for the last year?  We don’t really know.  Maybe they’ve been with him the whole time, and had only gone back to fishing with their families for a few days after their arrival in Galilee.  Or, maybe he sent them north as soon as he called them the first time, knowing that this day would come. 

     Whatever the situation, we know this – they respond immediately, just like Elisha following Elijah.  They leave everything behind, and for the next two years they never look back.   Whether they had been with Jesus since Judea, or whether they had spent the last year fishing and awaiting his arrival, this much is true.  They had plenty of time to discuss among themselves what kind of man Jesus was, and how valid his message was.  They made the decision, in light of the evidence, Jesus was worth following.  

     We are reading this pericope from the Apostle Matthew.  Fishing in Galilee was such a lucrative business, and the government was so afraid of being cheated, that they had a tax collector permanently stationed at the docks.   That’s who Matthew is.  He watches these men walk away from their homes, their families, and their jobs to follow Jesus.  What do you think went through his head?  We can’t be sure.  Maybe he thought they were fools.  Maybe he so longed to change his life he was jealous.  Maybe it was confusing, and he struggled to make sense of it.  We know for sure that he didn’t ignore it, and that he must have given it plenty of thought.  Because, several months later when Jesus comes to the sea shore again, as he walks past Matthew he says, “Follow me.”  And, just like the fishermen, Matthew stands up, and immediately walks away from both family and job. 

     Following Jesus demands an immediate response, and it requires a complete commitment.  Jesus had harsh words for anyone who wanted to hedge their bet, or ‘sort of ‘follow him. He told the crowds, “Following me will put you in conflict with everything that tries to pull you back to your old life – your friends, your family, your job, everything” (Matthew 10:34-38).  He told one young man, “If you want to follow me sell everything you have, give all the money to the poor, and wait until you get to heaven before you worry about stuff.  If that’s too hard, turn away now” (Matthew 19:20-22).  One man said to Jesus, “My father just died.  Let me bury him, and then I’ll follow you.”  Jesus said, “No, either follow me now, or don’t bother coming” (Matthew 8:21-22). 

     I don’t know how many times in our life we will be called, how many times there will be that moment of clarity when we know that the Holy Spirit is specifically seeking us.  Perhaps it only happens once, perhaps it is a lifelong event.  I only know this: as soon as we recognize the calling we must respond with our whole hearts.  Physically Jesus stormed into Galilee, bringing light to those in darkness, as a direct challenge to Herod.  Spiritually, he stormed into the earth, bringing the Kingdom of Heaven as a direct challenge to the god of this world (John 12:31-32, 2 Corinthians 4:4).  Once we comprehend that, the only correct response is to get up and follow.