Matthew 4:12-23
Sermon preached by Rev. Donald Ng at the First Chinese Baptist Church of San Francisco
When I was growing up in Boston, my cousin, Sem and I would plan games and tournaments for our brothers and sisters to play in. We didn’t have Playstations and Nintendos in those days. We dreamt up adventures and fun games to play. One time, Sem and I even went to the local 5 & 10 store to buy prizes for those who would come in first, second, and third places. One of the games we played was “Simon Says.” Simon says, “Put your hands on your head.” Simon says “Put your hands on your laps.” Simon says, “Fold your hands.” “Put your hands on your laps.” We would try to follow the leader. By the way, it was Sem who played hooky from Chinese school with me too!
Jesus Begins His Ministry
Today’s passage marks the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. Matthew records Jesus’ birth, the visit by the Magi, the escape to Egypt and return, John’s baptism of Jesus, and lastly Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness. When Jesus heard that John the Baptist was arrested, he first went to Galilee and made his home in Capernaum in the territory of Zebulun and Napthali. Matthew says, “From that time, Jesus began to proclaim.” The great adventure of Jesus’ ministry now begins and he is out looking for followers.
When John was placed into custody, Matthew was making an important point. John the Baptist symbolized a sort of a hinge on which the ages shifted. Before John, there was the time of the Law and Prophets; after John, there is the messianic age of Jesus. John himself faces both directions: he is the last of the old prophets and the first of the gospel preachers.
So, when John was arrested and removed from the scene, this was the cue that the time has come. The moment has arrived for Jesus, the Messiah, to stir into action, to begin the adventure. People have been following John, now Jesus is inviting people to follow him.
Follow Jesus
Jesus must have been a very impressive man. It’s hard to believe that these hardworking men, Simon who is called Peter and his brother, Andrew would just walk away from their responsibilities as fishermen. With their fishing nets all laid out on the beach, perhaps even with some fish still caught in the nets, Jesus said, “Come and follow me.” Simon Peter and Andrew immediately left and followed Jesus. This is a bit unbelievable! Surely, they must have debated about leaving so quickly and what about the fish that were still caught up in the nets? For me, it would be like leaving dirty dishes still in the sink and going to bed!
And see what happens to poor old Zebedee. When Jesus saw his two sons, James and John who were mending their nets, he said, “Come and follow me.” They immediately left their boat and their father to follow Jesus. We are called to accompany Jesus.
Clearly, Jesus felt the need to have friends about him as he traveled. It also means that Jesus needed people to help spread the word to others in the world.
When we speak about “following Jesus,” we are more apt to think about those who have chosen to enter the Christian ministry. Yes, it is true that pastors follow Jesus as their full-time profession. Although it may not be necessary for everyone to leave professions and possessions behind, all must leave their world behind and enter the new world of great adventures with Jesus as the leader.
Does this mean that Jesus calls into question our family ties and creates conflicts with our occupations? In a sense, yes. The kingdom of heaven doesn’t exist to serve the family; the family exists to serve the kingdom of heaven. The goal of the kingdom is not to serve us in being more effective and productive in our jobs. Our work is truly effective when it serves to express the will of God. The patterns of our lives are not made secure by the kingdom of heaven; the kingdom of heaven rearranges them into the new design of God’s own making! These are the rules in playing the game of following Jesus!
In one sense, we choose Jesus as our master. We choose to be here in worship and to study his words in the Bible. We choose to read the Gospels and apply them in our lives. We sign up to play this game. But in another sense, the reverse is also true. In all our searching, we were being sought. The Christ whom we choose is the one who first chose us to play. Jesus is playing the “Jesus Says” game. Jesus has always been saying, “Jesus says, “Come and follow me.”
This reminds me of the time when I was baptized as a Christian. Many of my friends were going forward to be baptized when they were turning twelve years old. I thought I needed to do this as well. I wanted to follow my friends. But it didn’t feel right. I didn’t want to be baptized just because everyone else was getting baptized. I felt baptism shouldn’t be an act of peer pressure. So, while my friends were baptized, I held back. I waited for another time. You see, all along it was Christ who was first choosing me. My life was accounted for doing God’s work before I even realized it. All I needed to do was to stop seeking for that convincing sign, and be like Peter and Andrew, James and John, dropping their nets and following Jesus.
Jesus disrupted my life. He surely did. When Jesus called us to follow him and be his disciples, Jesus disrupts our family structures and disturbs our patterns of working and living. He does so, not to destroy but to renew.
Peter and Andrew did not cease being brothers; they were still brothers who did the will of God. James and John did not cease being sons; they were now not only the children of Zebedee but also the children of God. All four of these disciples left their fishing nets, but they did not stop fishing. They were now, in the nearness of the kingdom of heaven, fishing for people. Their past has not been eliminated; it has been transformed by Jesus’ call to follow.
Repentance
Jesus begins his ministry by preaching, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” Notice that this is the same message that John the Baptist preached. Although the message has not changed, the messenger has.
It has been raining a lot this week! I know, it’s better than snow! When John said the kingdom had come near, he was pointing in the midst of all the heavy rain clouds, that in the horizon, the sun will shine again. When Jesus says the kingdom had drawn near, it means that the hoped-for kingdom was beginning to happen in and through him. Jesus is the sun that shines through the gray clouds. Jesus is the message!
For us to follow Jesus, we are called to “repent.” We are invited to reorganize our lives in a new direction. What does repentance means today? What comes to mind for me is “The Prayer of St. Francis.”
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light, and
Where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master,
Grant that I may not so much
Seek to be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand;
To be loved as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
I’m not talking about the strange man with the sandwich board ranting “Repent because the end is near!” When we repent, we are transformed from one way of life to another way of life. I am talking about changed lives. I am talking about honestly and tenderly recognizing what our lifestyles are today, seeking forgiveness for all that we have done that have separated us from the love of God so that we may become transformed to a new lifestyle with Christ as our Lord.
There’s a story about two thieves who barged into the room of an old man and demanded, “Show us all your valuables. You might as well cooperate, there is no way you can stop us.”
“And I don’t want to stop you,” the old man said. “Here take what money I have and anything else that you can use.”
Quickly the men went through the small room, taking what few items of value they could find. Just before they left one of the thieves opened the old man’s small closet and spotted a new shirt. He tore it off the hanger and threw it into his sack.
As the two men left the house the old man grabbed a box that lay on the floor and ran to the door. “I didn’t realize that you were interested in clothing,” he shouted. “Here, take the coat that I just purchased this afternoon. I am certain it will fit you.”
One of the thieves turned toward the old man and demanded, “Just what is your game, old man? Why are you offering me this coat?”
“I try as best as I can to live by the commands of Christ,” the old man replied. “He told his followers not to resist those who are evil and that if someone takes your shirt to offer him your coat as well” (Matthew 5:39-40).
The two men listened with amazement to the simple words of the old man. Then, they carried all of the items they had stolen back into the house.
As they left, the first man whispered, “Pray for us, old man.”
The second one just shook his head and said, “I didn’t know there were any Christians left in this world.”
We are obviously thrilled by the change of heart in the two men. We hope and wish that they will change from their evil activities and become responsible members of society. But the real focus in this story is the old man whose life was committed in following Jesus Christ. Through his faith and discipleship, he led others, the two men to repent and follow Christ as well.
“Just what is your game, old man?” one of the thieves demanded. The old man could have replied, “I’m simply playing the “Jesus Says” game.
Changing our lives and following Christ is not a life of dirge and drudgery.
Let the Adventure Begins
I can imagine that it was fun being with Jesus. You can almost see Jesus and his disciples sitting around the campfire having a good-hearted laugh about all the funny things that happened that day. While they were teaching and healing up and down the countryside, they were playing the game, “Follow the leader.” The life of a follower of Jesus is exciting and at times, fun.
To follow Christ in our lives is truly an adventure! And having this church in Chinatown, it is stupendous! This is a great place to minister. As we begin this new 1999 year, these are just a few things that I am excited about.
Tomorrow, you will notice that there are 7 people who are sacrificing their precious time to attend a lay pastoral care training workshop with me in Stockton. The “Tend the Flock” conference will help us to provide authentic and effective pastoral care for every member in our church. We want to give our large church the small church feeling of being known and heard. And if you look at who’s going, it’s going to be a lot of fun!
I’m excited about this adventure tomorrow because we are learning to come and follow Christ.
I’m excited about the need for us to come real early in the morning so that we can find a parking space. I know some of you are not too excited about this! But this is where the action is! Why would we want to go any place else? People come into town to shop. Young people come from all over the Bay Area to town for entertainment. Children and teenagers fill our streets and play in “our” playground. When Jesus called his disciples to follow him, they went into the crowds of Jerusalem. Wherever God’s people are, we should be there! The adventures of finding a parking space is a small reminder that
“Where cross the crowded ways of life,
where sound the crises of race and clan,
above the noise of selfish strife, we hear your voice,
O Son of man.
I am excited about witnessing the deep and strong faithful service of so many of our church members. You give so much of yourselves to the ministries of this church. Matthew says that “the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and those who sat in the region and shadow of death, light has dawned.” Through the follow-ship of this church’s ministry, we are Jesus’ ambassadors in bringing light to those who are in the darkest days of their lives. The adventure of following Christ through this historic and relevant ministry of First Chinese Baptist serves as a guiding light for those who are lost today. Our lives are to be such that people who discover that we are Christians will not be disappointed in what they see.
Great Adventure
Not too far from Philadelphia where we lived before, there is an amusement park. It is call Great Adventure. The newest sensational ride is the Batman & Robin. Rather than sitting in a roller coaster, you stand up and do all those sooper, dooper, looper turns! That’s a great adventure I can do without!
The Great Adventure that Jesus began in his ministry is now our great adventure to continue. We are to participate in the work of the kingdom of heaven. The sooper, dooper, looper rides are teaching, preaching, and healing. Matthew says,
“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.”
Like Jesus, we teach so that people will know Christ. We preach so that people will repent. We heal so that people will become whole. When we do this, our faithful witness of following Jesus will be well-known throughout all of San Francisco, all around California, and in the kingdom of heaven. The sick, those who are afflicted with various diseases and pains, the lonely and homeless, the wealthy and the privileged, the young and the old will come and follow First Chinese Baptist because it is Jesus that we ultimately follow.
The Great Adventure is following Jesus like Simon Peter and Andrew did, like James and John did, the women like Mary and Martha did. The power of the resurrection, the work of Jesus continues through the church. You know that at the end of the Gospel of Matthew, the risen Christ sends the disciples into the whole world to perpetuate this ministry.
When we join the Great Adventure, in the name of Christ, we do see the world!
Let me close by sharing with you some rules to playing the Great Adventure Game with Jesus from James Carse who teaches religion in New York
There are at least two kinds of games. One could be called finite, the other infinite.
A finite game is played for the purpose of winning, an infinite game for the purpose of continuing the play.
Finite players play within boundaries; infinite players play with the boundaries.
Surprise causes finite play to end; it is the reason for infinite play to continue.
To be prepared against surprise is to be trained. To be prepared for surprise is to be educated.
The finite play for life is serious; the infinite play of life is joyous.
The joyfulness of infinite play, its laughter, lies in learning to start something we cannot finish.
And lastly no one can play this game of life alone.
Jesus’ Great Adventure is an infinite game that is joyous, lots of fun, and it takes everyone to play. Are you able to come out and play with Jesus in the streets of San Francisco? Jesus is saying to us now, “Come and follow me.”
Let us pray.
O Loving and Gracious God, we give thanks for the invitation that Christ extended to us to follow him into a lifestyle of discipleship. Grant us the courage to step forward to become of your plan for our lives. In the name of Christ, whose name we praise. Amen.