The Third Sunday after Epiphany
Year A

By the Rev. Ann M. Smith

Based on the Gospel reading: Matthew 4:12-23

It is no mistake that during the season of Epiphany the consistent theme has been our call to discipleship. Epiphany is about the many ways in which God is revealed to us. From the revelation of God to the Magi to the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan to our own call as Christians, it is about our relationship with God. It is about how God's coming to us changes us, not only as individuals, but also as churches and societies. If that transformation is to take place, then it begins as it always has with an invitation to follow. While it is nice to get an invitation, it is useless unless we respond.

Matthew recounts the story of Jesus calling the disciples. But we need to remember what has gone on before. John baptized Jesus in the river Jordan. Jesus went into the desert by himself for forty days. He was tempted by the devil in the wilderness. He refused to use his divine powers for his own ends. Now he is ready to begin his ministry in earnest. He settles in Capernaum, rather a strange choice of place. It is a harbour town, home to cutthroats and pagans, not the easiest setting in which to begin his ministry. The words of Isaiah about bringing light into darkness flood into his consciousness. Empowered by those words, he realizes that God is with him illuminating the path. He sets out to find disciples to assist with the work.

The story of the call of the disciples is really pretty simple. But it raises two big questions, at least in my mind. The first is about Peter and Andrew. Jesus sees them casting their nets into the sea. He invites them to follow him. "I will make you fish for people," he says. They respond immediately. Why would two fishermen respond to such a brief invitation to a total stranger?

Then the second question! James and John are helping their father mend the nets. He calls them. They leave their father and the boat and follow Jesus. Why would Jesus even ask James and John to desert their father in the middle of their work? Didn't Jesus care about their father, Zebedee, who depended on their help in the family business?

The crux of the matter is that being a disciple involves making decisions. If they were to do God's will they first had to respond to Jesus' invitation! As Christians, we too need to respond to the invitation. We need to make a conscious decision about what we will and will not do. Only then can God reach out to a society in need of transformation. So what is our response to the invitation? What will we do to bring light and healing into the lives of others?

C. S. Lewis, in his book, The Screwtape Letters, writes the negative side of the argument as he tells the story of discipleship from Satan's point of view. Satan is lecturing his recruits on the best methods to lead people away from God.

One of his recruits says that the best way surely is to convince people that there is no God. "It's been done to death!" Satan tells him. "Only a few people ever accept a true position of atheism."

Another suggests convincing people that there is no hell. "That works to some extent," Satan responds. "But when people look around them at the horrors that are taking place in the world, they realize that they have to account for the evil that they do."

A young recruit suggests planting the idea that God is easy going. There is no hurry about making a decision. Satan is quite excited about that one. "Procrastination and apathy have always worked well for us," he explains. "Only one problem! It works well with young people. But when they get older, it is ineffective. I have seen many people suddenly turn to God on their deathbeds. It is truly annoying to lose them like that at the last minute."

The recruits are baffled. "Then what is the best method?" they ask him.

"Moderation!" he says. We convince them not to get too excited about God. They convince themselves that they are believers, though in truth there is no fire in their souls. Moderation works just about every time."

So what will work for us as Christians? Certainly my experience of trying to persuade people that there is a God proves fruitless. Most people will acknowledge that. It just doesn't make any difference in their lives. They see no need to come to church or to study the Christian faith or to make themselves a part of the Christian community. If they are truly atheists, no argument will convince them.

It is just as pointless to try to convince people about evil and Hell. Most people experience their own personal version of that any way. And as Satan pointed out, enough bad things happen in our world – violence, war, poverty – that we don't need to be convinced of the existence of evil. Experience tells me too, that while hell and damnation sermons may scare us into being 'good' for at least the time being, they do little to convince us that we need to follow God. They certainly cannot convince anyone that God is a loving God.

Collaring people and pestering them until they make a commitment might work for a while. But no real commitment comes instantaneously. Studies have shown that commitment made in the fervour of the moment has no staying power. There needs to be good teaching to back it up. The kind of invitation that Jesus issued to the disciples engaged them. It hooked them. It gave them a vision of what Jesus was trying to accomplish. It showed them that they were part of God's plan. It spurred them to action.

I suspect that Satan is pretty pleased at the lack of commitment in our present day church. Regular attendance at church is considered to be about one Sunday out of three. We're not even considering the so-called C & E (Christmas and Easter) Christians or people who have to work on Sundays. We go to church if there is nothing better to do. The weather has to be right – not too pleasant or we might think we're missing something. But also not too bad; we wouldn't want to venture out on a stormy day if we don't have to. Our competition, we must recognize, is not other Christian churches. Our competition is the shopping mall and the arena and our own apathy.

All of this leaves us with only one real option. We must be so committed ourselves that people will be drawn in. We cannot be lukewarm about the faith and expect to encourage other people in their journey. It may only take a spark, but a fire cannot start without it. I have a friend who claims that people are drawn to God when they smell God on you. There is a lot of truth in that. The best way to bring people to faith is to live it out in our lives. We can say that we are doing everything we can to bring people in. After all, we are advertising. We are sending out flyers into the community. Our doors are open. We are friendly and welcoming. So what is wrong? Why is this church not growing?

We can find lots of excuses for ourselves. We can moan and groan that nobody can find us hidden back here behind the mall. We can complain that priests come and go and no one stays long enough to make a difference. We can blame it on our constant appeals for money to make ends meet. We can blame the economy for our woes. But I would venture to say, all of those things point to our own apathy and lack of commitment.

How do we bring this church alive? How do we become a community of faith that engages society with a vision of God's kingdom? How do we convince people that we really do serve a loving God? Would they know it by the way we live our lives? We do it by being more than lukewarm ourselves. We do it by sharing our vision of God's kingdom with others.

Many stories have been passed down to us through the ages from the Desert Fathers, early church teachers of the faith, but more than that, holy people who devoted their lives to serving God. One such story tells of a young convert, who came to his teacher saying, "I pray and fast. I try to follow God's will for me. What else should I do." The old man rose, and spread out his hands to heaven, and his fingers shone like ten candles: and he said, "If you will, you could become a living flame."