Time To Start                                                    Matthew 4:12-23

At the time of our reading Jesus is about thirty years old and the time is now right for him to start implementing God’s plan for mankind. Verse 13, “Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum.” Nothing earth shattering in this, Jesus moved. I’ve moved went from Saugerties to Kingston, Kingston to New Hampshire and back again. Not that big a deal and yet the Bible records it.

It’s not the fact that Jesus moved, it’s the number of times Matthew records Jesus moving. This is the third time Matthew records Jesus moving. After the Magi left Mary and Joseph after Jesus birth Matthew 2:14 records, “So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt.” Move number one. And by this move God puts Jesus in line to be the second Moses. Like the infant Moses, Jesus experiences an attempt on his life by a ruler trying to preserve his power; Pharaoh in Moses case, Herod in Jesus case. And like Moses was forced to flee Pharaoh, Jesus was forced to flee Herod.

Later in Matthew 2, after Herod dies it says, “So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel.” (Matthew 2:21) Move number two. This again lines Jesus up with Moses. God ended Moses exile and sent him back to Egypt, the Lord told Joseph to return with Jesus to Israel. This move accomplishes a few things; one, it brings Jesus to Nazareth, Matthew 2:23, “So it was fulfilled what was said through the prophets, that he would be called a Nazarene.” Two, it fulfills the prophesy in Hosea 11:1, “…and out of Egypt I called my son.”

By showing the similarities between Jesus and Moses Matthew is telling his Jewish readers that indeed Moses was great but Jesus is something more.

But there is more here than just associating Jesus with Moses. We know that numbers are important in the Bible. Creation took seven days; seven is associated with completeness. Ten represents the law and responsibility; eleven, just the opposite, it represents chaos and judgment. Three is the numerical signature of God in the Bible. By using the number three in relation to Jesus, Matthew is telling his Jewish readers and converts that Jesus is God. Also by making these moves prominent in the beginning of his narrative, Matthew sets up the rest of his text with Jesus as the traveling preacher, forever wandering with no home of his own. And why does Matthew set Jesus up as the wandering holy man of God? The message of God is like a light that illuminates the dark. Jesus has come to reach these dwellers of the dark. By wandering and preaching wherever he goes Jesus is reaching an ethnically diverse group; Israelites, Samarians, Jewish and Gentile. From the beginning Matthew is showing Jesus is including all people in God’s plan for salvation.

Now let’s look at the second half of our reading; Jesus calling the first of his disciples. I must have read this fifty times until one day it dawned on me what a big deal this really is.

Jesus is walking along and calls out to Peter, Andrew, James and John, all fishermen, to leave what they are doing and “follow me.” This really hit me one day. I like to fish, it’s relaxing and a way to kill a few hours. Fishing was these men’s livelihood; it was how they provided for their families. And now this stranger from Nazareth walks by and calls out to them   “follow me.” Think about your own life and your family. “Jen, thanks for being my wife, thanks for raising our family and taking care of our home. By the way good luck with that, I’m leaving and following this guy who I met today as he travels the country.” I can just imagine her reaction.

So why did they go? Our text doesn’t tell us so let’s think about it. Maybe the lake has been over fished and they can’t make ends meet. Maybe they were tired of the tedium; row out, drop net, pull in net, row back day after day after day. Maybe they heard Jesus preach once and were curious, or maybe they just thought following Jesus was better than smelling like dead fish all day.

To answer our question I think Luke’s Gospel gives us some insight. Luke 5:6, “When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus knees and said, ‘Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man.’” In this account we’re shown Peter may not have known Jesus was the Son of God but he knew Jesus was definitely a man of God so he left his family, his friends and his livelihood to follow Jesus.

In the first century this was not an uncommon occurrence. Jesus was not the only one to have disciples; Mark 2:18,”How is it that John the Baptizer’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting but yours are not.”

So Peter becomes a disciple, leaving everything to follow Jesus. Would you, would I? Why did Peter and the others leave their lives behind to follow Jesus; God. Do you think these uneducated, poor, illiterate men would have followed Jesus if God didn’t have a hand in it? Matthew shows us that God is involved in earthly happenings; God is involved in the direction of men’s lives.

As I looked at this the astounding thing to me is right from the beginning of Jesus ministry God uses ordinary people, not scholars or even especially holy men; God uses regular hurting and even broken men to forward his message.

Let’s look at these men. They’re what we would call the lower class, crude and crass, not exactly the upper echelon of first century Jewish society, and God calls them to be Jesus inner circle of followers. When I look at myself it makes me say, “God, I know you know what you are doing but really     me?” I’ve done some stupid things in my life and yet he asks me to speak of him.

And then I think how these uneducated men were going to take on the Pharisees and priests on matters of God and they win the debate. Matthew makes clear by the end of his Gospel that the one who calls you to speak for God is the same one who will give you the strength and resources to do so.

Unfortunately following Jesus is not all gumdrops and rainbows. Pastor Thabiti Anyabwile,   pastor of the Anacostia River Church in Washington, DC wrote, “Giving up everything is a consequent part of following the Lord Jesus.

The disciples left their homes and families to follow Jesus. Every believer is called to leave something behind to follow Jesus. For many of us it’s just leaving behind old behaviors and attitudes, for some others it can be a lot more. Reverend Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, “Sometimes when Jesus calls you, he calls you to die.”

We’re not all called to this extreme but I want you to look at your lives and what is happening around you. Is Jesus calling you to something? To know if he is you must be aware and open. Sometimes he calls you in a thunderclap other times he calls in a whisper or he just says “follow me.” But know that when he does call part of that call is giving something up in order to do what he asks.

As we can see this morning the Gospels aren’t just simple accounts of events, they have layers designed to show Jesus for who he really is layers to teach us about ourselves and the cost of being a Christian.

Matthew’s Gospel starts by recounting Jesus earthly lineage in its first chapter and then it moves into Jesus heavenly lineage in our reading. Matthew puts between the lines messages explaining Jesus is God through simple events in his life; through the simple recounting of Jesus moving three times.

Matthew’s account of Jesus calling his first disciples shows us God has a hand in the events of the world and the lives of men. The calling of the disciples shows us that when God calls us to follow him, in order to do that there is a cost, something to give up. Sometimes it’s just time on a Sunday morning for service, sometimes its friends or even family members who come between us and God. Sometimes it’s simply old habits and attitudes. Sometimes it’s our life.

If you read the rest of Matthews Gospel you will find that he explains how when God calls you to action he gives you what is necessary to accomplish his task; the knowledge, the ability, the courage.

For all of you who are called by Christ, I pray you follow his lead. And that the cost is light.

Amen.

I just want to leave you with this. In response to recent events in the world and in our country let us consider the words of Reverend Dietrich Bonhoeffer who lost his life fighting against the Nazi regime.

“Not to speak,  is to speak; not to act is to act….The followers of Christ have been called to peace…they must not only have peace, but make it. And to that end they renounce all violence…”

And I say this is what we are all called to.

Amen