Mark and I are not
cut from the same cloth. He’s pithy, precise and hard hitting. He wrote the
shortest gospel in the Bible and has no problem getting straight to the point.
Now, you know me. I can make anything sound difficult and Don always loves to
point out when I get a bit wordy – which basically is when I open my mouth. I joke back that that was exactly the
criticism leveled against Wolfgang Amadeas Mozart by the Holy Roman Emperor in
the movie Amadeus. Mozart plays a new piece for him and when it was over asked
him if he liked it.
EMPEROR: Of course I do. It's very good. Of course now and then - just now and then - it gets a touch elaborate.
MOZART: What do you mean, Sire? Mozart asks.
EMPEROR: Well, I mean occasionally it seems to have, how shall one say? [he stops in difficulty; turning to the royal musical director] How shall one say, Director?
ORSINI-ROSENBERG: Too many notes, Your Majesty?
EMPEROR: Exactly. Very well put. Too many notes.
Mark cannot be
accused of “too many notes.” In one commentary I read on this passage the
author wrote twenty-five pages to explain the word “gospel.” Mark takes two
verses. So with Mark as our spiritual guide this morning – my prayer, and I
know your prayer – is that I might be as pithy and straight-forward as he.
Mark writes: 14. Now after John was arrested, Jesus
came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, 15. and saying,
"The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and
believe in the good news." 16. As Jesus passed along the Sea of
Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea-- for
they were fishermen. 17. And Jesus said to them, "Follow me and I
will make you fish for people." 18. And immediately they left their
nets and followed him. 19. As he went a little farther, he saw James son
of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets.
20. Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the
boat with the hired men, and followed him. ~ Mark 1:14-20
This morning we
encounter two critical points:
First, “repent and
believe the good news.”
Jesus’ words hit me
squarely between the eyes. How often I think of "repent" in a
moralizing way - a stop doing this now and feel bad about it you filthy, little
sinner sort of way - but Jesus' statement, goes much farther. That word repent
comes from the Greek word metanoiete.
It is based upon two words, meta
(beyond) and nous (mind or spirit),
and thus, in its simplest form, means something like "go beyond the mind
that you have." Jesus is urging his listeners to change their way of
knowing, their way of perceiving and grasping reality." What is he asking
people to see? The Good news of God’s kingdom! We need to be people whose
motto, mission, commitment and job description is good news. We need to be tour
guides of the good in a world where “if it bleed its leads.” We need people
with “eyes to see and ears to hear” the good, who can point others to all that
is lovely, hopeful, and well, that belongs to God.
Those people who don’t wash over the bad but in spite of it
all can see and explain the end of the story, those who can find God at work in
our midst and remind us that He is near. Angel tree, illus. Christianity, Lea
reminds us, is above all a way of seeing. It is about a transforming encounter
with Jesus who heals our blindness so that we can see.
The call of Jesus
isn't from a life of sin into an eternal life of dreary, eternal guilt. He
seeks to heal us by calling us to accept a different reality, a transformation
of sight where we jump to action not because of fear, sadness, disillusionment
but because of hope and good news. Now, anyone with a smidgen of knowledge
about the New Testament knows that in first century Palestine the facts on the
ground were desperate: war, military occupation, political turmoil, crushing
taxes, religious sectarianism. And yet Jesus declares "good news."
Shouldn't we?
How do we do that?
Jesus’ response is “to believe” a concept that has been terribly misunderstood
over the centuries to mean a sort of dry assent to religious propositions. As
if Jesus says, “Repent, good news now please answer this 50 question on survey
on covering all the basic ideas of Christian doctrine! No, to believe is where
Jesus takes us next.
2. What does Jesus’ strategy of “believing good news” look
like. Well – surprisingly, is what is it not – He doesn’t urge people to
worship him, write books, sing songs but He recruits. He calls and asks people
to follow Him, to follow His way. “To believe” then is not so much of an
announcement but a demonstration. This
is where, despite such a claim of good news, I’m supposed to make you feel
guilty, lazy and suggest that your spirituality should look exactly like mine –
because I am a professional religious person.
Jesus doesn’t do that. He doesn’t say, “Hey, sinners” but to
fisherman “follow me.” He doesn’t acknowledge or define them by the bad, sinful
things they’ve done but by what they can do for Him and others. Many of us expect – even want – God to
chastise us for our sin, to publicly denounce and flog us – and in response Jesus
wants to know if we want to go fishin’. He wants to give us something to do,
something that thrills us, something that allows us to participate with God.
So this morning don’t fall into the trap of defining the
spiritual life, the life of faith, the journey of the kingdom – like my life and
my journey as a pastor. God’s calling is too personal for that. I don’t think
that Jesus calls everyone to adopt church work but to follow Him in their work.
If our story makes any sense at all its that your jobs are far more important
than mine – your jobs are the place of God’s kingdom and good news. Have you ever noticed that Jesus doesn’t call
one religious teacher to be his disciple. So, I think the point about “fishing
for people,” is just such an acknowledgement. It’s Jesus’ recognition that our different
vocations matter and are the place of spiritual belief, transformation of sight.
“That under his tutelage they can be sacred, spiritual and powerful. Jesus
doesn’t say to fisherman. Great! Now wash that stink off and I will make you
super heroes for the kingdom or religious teachers, or saints. He doesn’t say,
“Fishermen, I’ll make you shepherds of the kingdom.” No, he takes ordinary people with ordinary jobs and says, Good news,
I’ll use that. I’ll use you to bring good news. I’ll use you where you’re at,
with what you know, with who you hang out – And friends that’s the point,
“Fisherman, businessmen, home makers, students, teachers, who get to work with
God IS good news.
Story of a realtor
“God, didn’t call me to be a real estate agent but a real estate
pastor.”
To believe the good news according to Jesus means that
nothing of our lives is secular, nothing need be discarded, nothing can’t be
used. And who knew? Who knew that fishermen could change the world? I’d also
like to think that Jesus has a pragmatic streak – why fishermen?, you may ask.
Well – ask the disciples around dinner time. Jesus was also thinking about
their stomachs.
So friends, this morning, I have good news. Your job is
about helping people repent and believe good news; your vocation is people.
You’re a builder – Jesus would have you build people. You’re a home maker –
Jesus would have you house people. If you are a student – you should be student
for God’s kingdom movement - people. And that’s also the point of “fishing for people”.
You see when you repent and believe good news that the kingdom is near and
decide to follow Jesus – you are free to help people. Scene from the move The
Incredibles of helping people in the insurance company. “You mean we’re not
supposed to help people? We’re supposed to help our people!” In Jesus’ kingdom
there is no “our people.”
Years ago, the Salvation Army was holding an international
convention and their founder, Gen. William Booth, could not attend because of
physical weakness. He telegraphed his convention message to them. It was one
word: "OTHERS." So what is it
you need to repent for – to turn toward, to follow? Well, that your life, your
job matters to Jesus. It doesn’t just matter it is a sacred duty that has the
blessing of God in order to bless others.
So, this morning I would like you to close your eyes, relax
your body, and pay attention. Still your heart and mind because Jesus is
coming. Do you see him? He knows your name. He sees you, smiles and says, “The
time is now. Repent and believe the good news.” And then he says, “Follow me
and I will make you become (pause)? What does he say he will make you do? What
new adventure does he invite you to that engages your skills, your assets, your
knowledge, your work? What do you want to do in response?
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