Matthew 4:12-23
12 Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. 13 He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 so that what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: 15 "Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali, on the road by the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles— 16 the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned." 17 From that time Jesus began to proclaim, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near." 18 As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. 19 And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fish for people." 20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him. 21 As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. 22 Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him. 23 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.
Follow & Be a Witness
Lalapalooza. That was the name of an enormous ice cream Sundae available at Farrell’s ice cream parlor. There used to be a Farrell’s around here. It was a fun chain that had restaurants around the country, including California, where Diana, a woman that I met a few years ago, grew up. Diana told me that when she was 8, she and her family were celebrating her birthday at Farrell’s and she had just gotten a lalapalooza when she heard a large explosion. The restaurant was located near a small airport like Crystal airport and a small airplane had crashed into the restaurant. A fire started. There was smoke everywhere. In the chaos that erupted, Diana’s family got separated. As a fire fighter led her and her little brother to safety, Diana looked back at the fire and saw firefighters going back into the restaurant and bringing more people to safety and she said to herself. “I want to do that.”
A woman of about my size, she ended up studying finance instead. She married and lived very happily in California. Until… one day her husband was transferred to Ohio. The whole family moved and she got a job in a very prestigious financial firm. Everything seemed fine… the kids were doing well… but… Diana was not content. She had grown up Buddhist and there were no Buddhist temples in the area of Ohio where she lived – so they joined a church. She explained to me that Buddhism as she practiced it is more of a way of living than a faith. And… she wanted community.
Diana and her family found not only community in that congregation – they were introduced to Jesus. As she grew in faith, she kept wanting to know more about Jesus. Long story short, the family ended up moving again, this time to Bloomington, MN where Diana enrolled in Luther Seminary. But then…she read that Bloomington was looking for volunteer firefighters. After discovering that she could be a firefighter – her childhood dream – if she passed the strenuous tests…. she signed up. She was 45 years old.
Despite the negative comments of her classmates, Diana worked hard. She passed her tests. She became a volunteer firefighter. She was also still in Seminary. She found herself volunteering on the firefighters emergency help line, a service that firefighters can call when they are struggling from depression – something that often happens when firefighters can’t save someone from a fire. They blame themselves. As a firefighter, and using her pastoral care gifts, Diana is able to relate to and care for them.
Jesus called Diana – through a surprising and unexpected path – to be both a firefighter and one who shares the Good News of Jesus, her savior.
A few years ago, I met a former drug dealer, a gang member from Chicago. He grew up in a broken home and was in trouble from the time he was 11. But his fast-paced freewheeling criminal life came to a halt one day. He was down on his luck and out of money. His future looked grim- and he was hungry. So, he walked into a dinner hosted by the Salvation Army. And somehow … the Holy Spirit got ahold of him. Someone told him about Jesus… and recovery. And he listened.
Today Josue is a Deacon and the drummer in the band of Tapestry, a bilingual – Spanish/English community of faith in South Minneapolis. He works with people in recovery and people on the street. He teaches them life skills and tells them he used to live a rough and tough life, but Jesus called him out of his life of darkness. Now he is busy spreading the light and love of Christ.
Jesus calls people out of unusual circumstances to follow. Raised in a Buddhist family, Diana never guessed that she would be called to be a pastor, to share God’s Good News. She wanted to be a firefighter. She never dreamed that she would be called as both a pastor and a firefighter. Josue couldn’t imagine himself serving God. But when Jesus called him to follow… his life turned around.
But Jesus doesn’t only call people like Diana and Josue. And Jesus doesn’t only call pastors.
Elsie Olson would never have considered herself an evangelist. She was a quiet older lady who took her turn on the altar guild, brought a hotdish to the potluck and taught my preschool Sunday school class. I adored Mrs. Olson. She never raised her voice. She simply told the story of Jesus, taught us to sing Jesus Loves Me and gave us coloring sheets - and never scolded me for coloring outside the lines.
Elsie Olson wasn’t the first person who told me about Jesus. But she was one of a whole line of witnesses who encouraged me in faith and shared her love of God in simple, seemingly ordinary actions.
Who are the people in your life who have told you about Jesus? Who showed you, by their witness – in word and in deed – that they are a follower of Christ? Who encouraged you? Who prayed for you? I’m guessing… I’m hoping… that you, like me, have had many people that you could name both in this congregation and in other communities of faith that have been witnesses of God’s love and encouraged you in faith.
Jesus calls the least likely people – like Diana and Josue. And Jesus calls ordinary people like Peter and Andrew and Elsie Olson and… Jesus calls you and you and you and me. Jesus calls you and you’all to follow and to fish for people, that is, to be witnesses in word and in deed of the love and light of Christ.
Regardless of what gifts God has given you – and they are many--you, like Elsie Olson, can follow Jesus and be a witness of Christ in your everyday life. Diana told me that while she was a financial planner, her pastor would tell her: “You can go and be the light of Christ in the boardroom where you work. I can’t go there. So be the light wherever you are.”
This is the life to which you – we – are called: to follow Jesus and to be the light wherever you are. We are called to encourage one another – and our extended families and networks -- with the love and light of Christ. We are called to dare to speak up and shine a light on the darkness in our world. We are called to tell those who don’t know the Jesus that we know -- that Jesus’ love that extends to ALL PEOPLE, including them. We are called to share the love of Jesus with those who are too busy, too poor, too angry, or too unlike us. We are called to tell the story even when it is uncomfortable. You/ We are called to live as children of God. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Pastor Pam Stalheim Lane – Faith-Lilac Way Lutheran Church – January 26, 2020