Sermon by the Rev. Dr James Currall

“Land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he will make glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness on them light has shined.”

Did you get the impression that you heard that passage more than once in our readings today?

In our Gospel this morning, we find ourselves at the start of Jesus’ public ministry and the scene shifts from Nazareth, where Jesus was brought up, to Capernaum. The first thing that Matthew does is to show us that scripture is being fulfilled by quoting from the prophesy of Isaiah. That is what we heard twice - once from Isaiah 9 and then again in the Gospel.

So what is the first thing that we hear Jesus say in this passage? “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” This much the same as John the Baptist’s message - repentance and the coming of the Kingdom. So the scene is set for the calling of disciples, we have the place, we have the fulfilment of scripture and we have the message. Now we come to the action. Jesus is walking by the sea (much as I might do along the front at Largs or Millport) and He comes across a couple of

ordinary young men just getting on with their work - Andrew and Simon (called Peter) - they are fishermen. Nothing out of the ordinary. But what does Jesus say to them?

“Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.” Now I bet that is not what they were expecting this fine morning. So what is their response to this call to leave their jobs and follow Jesus? On your bike? Sorry mate, we’ve work to do here? Come back tomorrow when we’ve had time to think up a better excuse? No! “Immediately they left their nets and followed him.”

And the same story with James and John a verse or two later.

· Appearance of Jesus

· They are at work

· Call to discipleship

· Obedient response

The bible has many examples of people being called to a range of actions, works, ministries, roles, responsibilities and purposes. For instance in 1 Kings 19:19-21 we hear of Elijah’s call of Elisha which follows this same pattern, as does the tax collector Matthew later on in this Gospel.

“As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up and followed him.”

The immediate reason that I am with you today is, because Nicholas is helping to run a residential weekend of the Theological Institute of this church. This is part of the training of people who have heard and responded to God’s call to authorised and ordained ministries. The more distant reason is, that a number of years ago I heard a call. Or perhaps to be more accurate, many years ago

I heard a call and pushed it away. You know how when you are in a crowd, you hear someone calling your name and are sure that it is actually someone else that they are calling or that they are pointing at someone behind you? But:

• calling is not confined to folk in the Bible;

• calling is not confined to those people who are destined for authorised or ordained ministries;

• calling is not confined to those in employment;

• calling is not confined to the overtly religious.

Calling can be found anywhere that there are people. God may call any of us at any time and at any age. We may not hear the call. We may not recognise that it is a call. We may not respond to the call because it would mean a big change to our lives or how we think, and we are quite satisfied and

comfortable as we are thank you very much. But you know something, something that applies to everyone here today? You have all responded to Christ’s call to follow him. Just as Andrew, Simon Peter, James and John responded to Jesus’ call to follow him, to learn from him and to do as he did.

We have each and everyone one of us taken at least the first step to become disciples of the Christ in and through His Church. So in that calling, what are we supposed to do? Well it is really quite simple. We are called first and foremost to be a blessing to others. To bring comfort, joy, support, love companionship, understanding, tolerance to those we meet, to those around us and especially to those in need.

That is what we are called to do. There is however often problem with God’s calls. They are not necessarily through a voice speaking words loudly and clearly in a language that we understand. God often speaks in signs, He often speaks to us through others, in distress, through pain and through suffering as well as through joy and contentment.

We are called to be disciples and to make disciples of others by our example. This is summed up in these words from the next chapter of Matthew’s Gospel in Jesus’ sermon on the mount:

“let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”

As Bishop Graham Cray put it in the day on Missional Leadership which he led yesterday in St Margaret’s Newlands: “Be good news in order to share good news.”

“Be disciples and make disciples and bring every blessing for which Christ came amongst us, in our communities.”

It sounds simple, and in many ways it is simple, but that is not to say that it is easy or trivial. How many of us would be prepared to simply drop everything and devote all our energies to following Christ? I’ve already owned up to failing in that regard. To do the simple task to which we are called, all that is needed is to approach others – even if that takes us out of our comfort zone. To go to those who are hurting. To go to those who need a kind word. To go to those who need a loving gesture. To take the risk.

During my training I studied lots of theology, I went on 15 weekends like the one that Nicholas is helping to lead at the moment and three summer schools and evening sessions in the Diocesan Office and so on. But you know what really made the difference for me? It was learning to go where I

would rather not go. To do things that I would rather not do. To find God’s grace in those who I would perhaps not willingly have chosen the company of.

Now I could have learned all this from reading the Gospels. But that was just the theory test - it is putting it into practice that lets you experience the deep joy that comes from engaging in activities in which you would never have expected to experience anything other than discomfort.

A month or two back, my Rector Gordon was elsewhere and he asked if I could visit someone in hospital after the service on Sunday. Now I had had a very busy week and was tired (I work in a secular job as well as the sort of thing that I am doing this morning) and to be honest I didn’t want to go to the hospital on a wet afternoon - I don’t much like hospitals. I did go and I really did find God’s grace in the encounter with the hospital staff, with the man that I came to see, and with his family when they came visiting shortly before I left.

God calls each one of us by name. He calls all his beloved children, so that with the rest of creation we may enter into a fuller life, that is true to our core being. You are called, and the call keeps coming, so eventually you may simply have to respond and answer it like you do an incessantly ringing phone. The disciples in our Gospel showed obedience to the call of Jesus, even to the point of personal sacrifice.

So what are we to do? As our gospel this morning ends: “Jesus 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.”

The sickness of loneliness, the sickness of depression, the sickness of rejection, the sickness of being ignored. Go out into the hall, into your homes and streets, to where you work and where you play and be a blessing to others. Follow your calling and be disciples of Christ and God will bless you. Amen.