Sermon, Epiphany 3A, Matthew 4:12-23

Time. What comes to mind when I say that word? Regardless of our thoughts on time, it is, at its most basic, an event. Whether you're talking abut the billions of years involved in geological or astrophysical time, or the few minutes it took for you to drive to church today, time is an ongoing event. What happened in your life 20 years ago may or may not have had an impact on your life today, but it is still part of your life. And there are as many stories about that event 20 years ago as there were witnesses.

If I were to write an account of my interview here in April of 2004, that account would read differently from one written by George or Janet or Bobby or Polly. It would be different because we all have our own memories and our own impressions of what was important or should be stressed. We can't take a moment in time and have it read exactly the same way for everybody.

And that brings me to the gospel; or, more accurately, the gospels. One of the problems we have with the gospels is that there is the tendency to read these stories as moments frozen in time; or as a "nothing but the facts, Ma'am," renditions of an event. This is another way of saying, "God said it, Paul wrote it, I believeth it." The problem with that view is that these stories simply aren't a recitation of blind facts. They are a rendition of events in time; events that moved and changed based on the perspective of those around.

Take the two gospel stories we heard over the last two weeks. Do you remember last week's gospel? John pointed out Jesus to his disciples, Andrew followed and spent some time with Jesus, and then Andrew brings his brother to Jesus. That was last week. This week we hear that Jesus is walking along the lake, calls Simon Peter and Andrew to follow, and immediately they left their nets to follow him.

Well . . . which is it? Did Andrew follow Jesus and bring his brother, or did Jesus call Peter and Andrew from the boat? This is the kind of stuff that drives people batty because they want to condense the gospel story into a tidy little box. But people forget that the gospels involve stories of people's lives, and those stories aren't always neat and tidy.

So which is it? How about, "Both." Let me tell you a story.

A long time ago there was a man named John who came preaching repentance and baptizing people with water. He proclaimed that one greater than he would come and baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire. One day as John and his disciples were watching the crowds, a man walked by. Immediately upon seeing him, John proclaimed, "Look, here is the Lamb of God."

His disciple Andrew was with him when he said this. Andrew had been with John for a long time and was aware that John was preparing people for a person to follow after him. When he heard this, Andrew followed Jesus to where he was staying. Over dinner that night, Jesus and Andrew talked about John's ministry, how it had impacted both their lives, what Jesus hoped to accomplish in his own ministry, and what Andrew thought about the two.

Jesus certainly didn't fit the profile of a military Messiah who would rid Israel of occupying forces and reestablish the Davidic monarchy. But neither was he just another voice espousing a higher moral code. Jesus talked about life and mission and repentance and forgiveness and inclusion in a way he had never heard before. In short, Andrew came to believe that this was the guy whom John was preparing people for and that he was the Messiah; although certainly a Messiah different from what people were expecting.

The next day Andrew found his brother, Simon, and said, "Come with me, I have found the Messiah." Upon meeting him, Simon had his doubts. Who was this guy to go changing his name? He didn't even know him. So Simon headed back down to his boat to return to his fishing. Andrew, not wanting to alienate his brother, followed him.

The brothers spent their days fishing, supporting their families the best they could. They would follow the wind, the currents and their instincts as they labored to bring fish in. During the lulls, Andrew would talk about his time with John, his encounter with Jesus and how the two were related. Through their conversation, Simon slowly became convinced that Andrew might be right.

A couple of months later, John was arrested and Jesus decides that now is the time to begin his ministry. This is a good time, he thinks, to go find Andrew. He didn't want to seem pushy, but checking up on him after his initial visit seemed like a good idea. So he went down to the lake and found the brothers working not far from shore.

"Andrew -- Peter -- how's the fishing today?"

"Jesus -- good to see you again. It's not great at the moment, but it's still early. Were hoping for a good catch later on."

"Well then, have I got a deal for you. Come with me and I will make you fish for people."

And immediately they left their nets and followed hiim.

Very few things in this world happen immediately; especially when we are dealing with our personal lives and careers. That change from business executive to teacher, or welder to nurse, or salesman to priest doesn't happen overnight. It is the process of an ongoing event in our life. Just like the process of an ongoing conversation; or like the process of meeting Jesus and talking about him to others.

The gospels we heard over these past two Sundays aren't isolated snapshots. They happen over time. They happen while people are in relationships. They happen that way because God works through relationships and through communities.

Jesus doesn't force people to follow him. Jesus says, "Come and see." Then he allows us to talk about what he means to us. And when we figure that out, he invites us to follow him. And, if necessary, he keeps on inviting us, calling us over several different times, trying a different question or a different time, following clues and his instincts. That is, as St. Chrysostom points out, exactly what fishing is all about.

We have just had our annual meeting. We have talked about past events, future goals, and the life of this church in general. We need to remember that events don't happen in isolated vacuums; they happen over a span of time. We can't expect to say, "Come follow Jesus," and have people immediately become members of this parish. We need to continue to invite, continue to build relationships and community, and continue to follow clues and currents and instincts.

In other words, in 2008 we need to continue fishing.