January 27, 2008

The Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church - Mindekirken

Pastor Per Inge Vik

Matt 4,12-23

“If you follow me”

Have you ever heard this little Sunday school song: “I will make you fishers of men, fishers of men, fishers of men. I will make you fishers of men, if you follow me!”

That’s what it is all about, “if you follow me.” That’s what will make the big difference in life, whether we follow Jesus or not. Peter and Andrew, the two brothers had that experience. And also James and John, the two sons of Zebedee.

Something very strange in this story is: how could they leave their boat and the nets and their father so immediately? Could they have done that if they hadn’t been introduced to Jesus beforehand? What we heard last Sunday might help us to understand this.

A week ago we heard in church what happened down south in the Jordan River Valley, after John the Baptist had baptized Jesus. The next day, when the Baptist saw Jesus, he pointed him out to two of his disciples, saying, look, here is the Lamb of God!

Andrew was one of these disciples of the Baptist. We heard last Sunday that Andrew immediately found his brother Peter - at that time Simon - and introduced him to Jesus. Now, at the event we hear about today, the two brothers, the fishermen are back in Galilee, back at work.

I have never, since I started as a pastor nearly 28 years ago, had this sermon text from Matthew before. And I must admit that it put things into a new perspective to have these two different stories about the calling of the first disciples, one Sunday after the other! Now it becomes clearer to us that these fishermen at the Sea of Galilee had met Jesus before the event we heard about today.

Two of them had spent at least half a day together with him, at the house where he stayed at the time of his baptism, by the shores of the Jordan River. They were invited by Jesus to come and see where he stayed. Not in order to see his room, how or where he lived. But to see Him. Get to know Him. They remained with him that day, we read in the 4th gospel a week ago.

Andrew and the other disciple of the Baptist - it might well be John, the son of Zebedee – the two had quite an experience. Being together with Jesus, that was something quite different, someone mysterious, exciting, even holy! After the meeting, Andrew couldn’t wait to find his brother and introduce him to Jesus.

Now they are back to their daily life, at work, fishing. And suddenly Jesus appears, calling them to follow him. Obviously they were prepared for the challenge, the calling he gave them! Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him. It is amazing how ordinary they were, the followers that Jesus called. Usual people, just like you and me. Nothing special. And also, that Jesus met them in the middle of their regular, normal surroundings.

I heard a neat story from the fisher community up in northern Norway. A lay preacher man in the pulpit was sharing his thoughts about Peter and Andrew, who left the nets. He thought it must have been very hard to leave these nets. “Kanskje det til og med var nye garn?” (perhaps the nets even were new!) he was reflecting. So he really felt compassion with them, having to depart from their daily life.

Anyway, what made the big difference in their lives was this, “if you follow me”. They left the boat and the nets. We know that that didn’t change only their lives. But it changed the history of mankind. Jesus is the big water shed for us humans. 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 Master that moved from his home town Nazareth to Capernaum, to the shores of the lake, even President Bush visited Capernaum some days ago, he wanted to see the ruins of the city where Jesus performed so many miracles and made so many speeches. Jesus changed people.

The change didn’t always happen instantly. More often it was a process. Simon, the coward in the high priest’s court, became Peter, the solid Cliff! John the “Son of Thunder”, an angry young man, became the Disciple of Love! Jesus changed all the persons he came close to.

And he still does. By his forgiveness. By his healing. Through his spirit, invisible to our eyes, he is still at work! He will make the big difference in our lives. If we just follow him. So it doesn’t depend on our skills, our strength, our anything! Just the following in his footsteps, listening to his voice, sharing a fellowship with him and his other disciples. That will change very many things in our lives. Just as it did for the first witnesses.

Glory be to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, one true God from eternity to eternity.

The Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church ·  924 E. 21st St, Minneapolis, MN 55404-2952 ·  (612)874-0716