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June 30 - Simon Peter: Rock

6/30/2019

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SCRIPTURE LESSON                                                               Matthew 16:13-26, CEB

Caesarea Philippi
13 Now when Jesus came to the area of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Human One is?”
 
14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.”
 
15 He said, “And what about you? Who do you say that I am?”
 
16 Simon Peter said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
 
Keys of the Kingdom
17 Then Jesus replied, “Happy are you, Simon son of Jonah, because no human has shown this to you. Rather my Father who is in heaven has shown you. 18 I tell you that you are Peter. And I’ll build my church on this rock. The gates of the underworld won’t be able to stand against it. 19 I’ll give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Anything you fasten on earth will be fastened in heaven. Anything you loosen on earth will be loosened in heaven.” 20 Then he ordered the disciples not to tell anybody that he was the Christ.
 
First prediction of Jesus’ death and resurrection
21 From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he had to go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and legal experts, and that he had to be killed and raised on the third day. 22 Then Peter took hold of Jesus and, scolding him, began to correct him: “God forbid, Lord! This won’t happen to you.” 23 But he turned to Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan. You are a stone that could make me stumble, for you are not thinking God’s thoughts but human thoughts.”
 
Saving and losing life
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “All who want to come after me must say no to themselves, take up their cross, and follow me. 25 All who want to save their lives will lose them. But all who lose their lives because of me will find them. 26 Why would people gain the whole world but lose their lives? What will people give in exchange for their lives?
                                                                                                           1 Peter 2:4-5, NRSV
4 Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and 5 like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
 
SERMON                                        Simon Peter: Rock
 
There was a time when I was fascinated with rocks.  In High School there was a teacher in whose office I worked during Study Hall.  He had a rock tumbler.  That’s where it started.  Later my aunt and uncle had a shop that included polished rocks, geodes, and more.  I even learned how to polish the stones, and I still have jewelry that my uncle made from those rocks.  The geodes were especially exciting, because they looked ugly on the outside, but if you were lucky, when you cracked them open the inside sparkled with pretty crystals.  I still think that is true of other things in life.  Take Peter for example, he was pretty rough and rugged on the exterior, but inside Jesus could see the potential for that jewel of an earnest heart. 
 
Today’s Gospel lesson conveys some significant interchanges between Jesus and Peter with the other disciples present as well.  There are at least four sections that could stand on their own, so we are going to take them one at a time. 
 
First, we have what I have known since my college New Testament class as the Caesarea Philippi passage.  Once again, reading both Hamilton and Barclay’s background information on this setting adds so much more to the scene, so let’s travel in our minds to the region of Caesarea Philippi, 25 miles north of the Sea of Galilee nestled beneath Mount Hermon.  Jesus has taken the disciples to this territory outside of their usual area of ministry in Galilee for a spiritual retreat.  (Adam Hamilton, Simon Peter, p. 60)
 
This region is primarily not Jewish, but there are elements of many religions in this neighborhood and its history.  There are ancient temples from Syrian worship of Baal.  There is a cave said to be the birthplace of the Greek god of nature Pan.  The space was also known as Panias and referred to as Banias even in the 20th century.  The springs under that cavern are the starting place of the Jordan River which was significant in the Jewish heritage of Israel.  There is also in the area a large white marble temple built by Herod the Great to honor Caesar Augustus.  Herod’s son, Philip, added more and renamed the area Caesarea, but since his father had already established a town of Caesarea along the Mediterranean, this one added his name and became Caesarea Philippi. (William Barclay, Matthew, Vol. 2 in The Daily Bible Study Series, pp. 134-135)
 
So Jesus brought his disciples to a place where Baal, Pan, and Caesar were all worshipped as deities, where their own faith heritage flowed with the Jordan, and Jesus asked them an important question.  “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” The Common English Bible always says Human One in capital letters where most translations have Son of Man.  Jesus at times referred to himself by this designation.  It could just mean human being and was used that way by the prophet Ezekiel.  However, Daniel used this term as a messianic reference.  In Daniel 7:13-14 we read,
13 In my visions during the night, I saw among the clouds in heaven someone like the Son of Man. He came to the Ancient One, who has lived for endless years, and was presented to him. 14 He was given power, honor, and a kingdom. People from every province, nation, and language were to serve him. His power is an eternal power that will not be taken away. His kingdom will never be destroyed. 
 
There were assorted answers reported by the disciples to Jesus’ question.  Some said John the Baptist who had recently been executed by the second-generation Herod, brother to the Philip who had named this region.  Some said Elijah, the greatest of the Old Testament prophets who was expected to return and prepare the way for the Messiah.  In fact, there were many who thought John the Baptist was the returned Elijah, because of similarities in their lifestyle and preaching.  At Passover Jews still leave a place at the table and check the door for Elijah’s return.  Some others thought Jesus was Jeremiah, another prophet who some believed had hidden the Ark of the Covenant and the Altar of Incense from the Temple when the people were taken into exile in Babylon.  There was a legend that Jeremiah would come back with these items before Messiah came.  You can see all the answers related in some way to preparing for Messiah. 
 
Now Jesus made the question more direct, “Who do you say I am?”  Note for a moment the clues Jesus has hidden in his questions.  Calling himself the Son of Man had a messianic connotation.  Rephrasing the question to include the words “I AM” had a divine connotation going back to Moses’ encounter with God at the burning bush, when God’s answer to God’s name was to say, “I am who I am.”  (Exodus 3:14) John recorded many times Jesus identified himself with phrases which began “I am.” 
 
Surrounded by traces of worshipping many other gods, having experienced Jesus healing miracles, feeding thousands, and calming the storm at sea, how would the disciples answer this key question?  It was the oral essay worth all the grade points needed to pass the course with flying colors.  And the question was met with the awkward silence of students who think they know the answer but are afraid to say it out loud, because they might be wrong.  When Hamilton hinted it was that kind of moment, I had a sharp memory of such a silence in Mrs. Rowbottom’s eleventh grade English class.  I did know the answer but avoided speaking up in any class.  I finally became uncomfortable enough to raise my hand and give the answer for which I was rewarded by the fellow across the aisle with a significant glare.  I probably never talked in her class again if I could help it. 
 
Good old impulsive Simon Peter, however, was willing to open his mouth with an answer from his gut.  “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”  A++, go to the head of the class, for the moment anyway.  Simon Peter knew somehow that Jesus was more than preparing for the Messiah, Jesus was the Christ which of course is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew Messiah, both meaning anointed one.  In the Old Testament the kings were anointed.  Messiah was expected to be the new king God would send to God’s people.  Simon Peter also acknowledged, after all he had witnessed, that Jesus had to be the Son of God, the living God whom Jews worshipped.  Baal was a statue.  Pan was a legend.  Caesars only achieved divine status after they died.  But the God of the Jews was very much alive and interacted with his people.  Simon Peter recognized that Jesus was both the King God promised and God’s own Son.  Wow!
 
Jews expected Messiah to be a great leader who would teach the people about God’s justice and lead them in righteousness.  Jesus was all that.  They also expected a warrior king who would rescue them from current foreign rule, but they had that part wrong.  Son of God was a royal title going back to the time of David and verses from Psalm 2 and from 2 Samuel. They added to the expectation that Messiah would have a Father/Son relationship with God.   Adam Hamilton writes, “it seems likely that Simon was beginning to grasp that there might be something more to Jesus than met the eye.” (p. 67) Barclay referred to Napoleon coming to the same conclusion.  “I know men, …and Jesus is more than a man.” (Quoted by Barclay on p. 138) 
 
How about you?  This would be a good week to ponder this significant question yourself.  Who is Jesus to you, and what are your expectations of him? 
 
We move on now to the Keys Passage, but this is also an elaboration on the theme of Peter, the Rock.  Jesus declares that Simon, the son of Jonah, is happy or blessed, same word as used in the Beatitudes, because this understanding of who Jesus truly is could only have come with God’s help.  It goes beyond what humans have figured out thus far.  I must point out that in John’s Gospel, Andrew said he had found the Messiah after first meeting Jesus.  Matthew doesn’t record that event.  But to my mind God has been working in the core being of both of these brothers.  Perhaps that seed of possibility was first planted in Simon Peter’s mind when Andrew suggested it.  Through recent events: the healings, the feedings, and especially Simon’s walk on the water in the storm, he has become more and more convinced.  Now God’s Spirit lets him claim that hope with confidence, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”  (Matthew 16:16) Jesus sees that revelation as a blessing resting on this disciple.
 
Jesus goes on to say, “You are Peter,” which means Rock, “and on this rock I will build my church.” (Matthew 16:18) Let’s remember the location of this conversation.  They are sitting at the base of Mount Hermon a 70 foot “massive wall of stone” towering above them. (Hamilton, p. 69) The Greek word is petra, which is also the base of Simon’s nickname, Peter.  Hamilton writes that petra isn’t just a little stone; that would be lithos.  Petra “signifies a rock ledge, a cliff, a massive rock.”  (p. 69) Jesus is playing with the word that refers both to Peter’s character and their mountain setting.  The foundation of the church is no small matter; it is as significant and massive as this mountain.  The early church caught that point.  As Hamilton points out, “Though Jesus seldom calls Simon by this new name, Peter, the early church nearly always used this name.” (p. 69)
 
Rock was not a new metaphor in Judaism.  Barclay shares that Rabbinic tradition referred to Abraham as “the rock on which the nation and the purpose of God were founded.”  (Barclay, p. 140) Jesus could be looking to Peter to be the same sort of foundation for the era of the New Covenant, one God would work through to establish his people as once God had worked through Abraham, the father of God’s people.  But in Deuteronomy, in Samuel, and in Psalms, sur meaning Rock, was used to describe God who is our rock, our fortress, our deliverer, our shield, refuge, salvation, and stronghold.  (Psalm 18:2)
 
There are multiple interpretations of this statement.  Augustine understood Jesus to be referring to himself as the foundation.  Others have suggested that Peter’s statement of the truth about Jesus is meant to be the foundation.  Still others would say similarly that Peter’s faith will be the foundation.  The most common understanding I have heard or read is that Peter is to become a major foundation stone of the church Jesus is building.  Barclay interprets that one this way, Peter “is not the rock on which the Church is founded; that rock is God.  He is the first stone of the whole Church…and, in that sense, the whole church is built on him.”  I see elements of each of these points as true. 
 
Let me play with it a step further.  One of Jesus’ parables comes to mind, that a house built on sand will fall when the rain comes, but a house built on rock will stand.  (Matthew 7:24-25) The church of Christ must be built on solid rock.  That rock in my mind is God himself, represented in Jesus.  Some moments Peter’s faith may seem as shaky as shifting sand, but I believe Jesus can already see how it will solidify in the future into a rock worthy of being a significant building block of the Church. 
 
Take a moment to notice, as Hamilton points out, that Jesus is the architect and builder not Peter.  (p. 70) When we are tempted to think that building the church is our responsibility apart from God’s work, that’s blasphemy!  God is the builder; we are the building blocks.  We have our role to play, indeed, but Jesus is still the master craftsman building his own church in us, with us, through us.  The verses we read from Peter’s letter to the churches helps us see our part more clearly.  Jesus is the living stone, rejected by others but precious to God.  We are to come to him as living stones ourselves, to be built by God into a spiritual house and holy priesthood.  (1 Peter 2:4-5)
 
This is an important thing to remember; a building or edifice was used by New Testament writers as a metaphor for what the Church is meant to be.  The Church is not a literal building, it is the people of God whom Jesus has brought together to continue his work.  The Greek word ekklesia in this passage translated as church actually means called out ones referring to a gathering or community of people.  Hamilton goes on to say, our “English word church comes from the German word kirche, which is related to the Greek word, kuriacon that means ‘belonging to the Lord.’” (p. 70) Hence, church was never meant to designate a building, but it means a community of people belonging to the Lord.   As Hamilton reflects on the verse from Peter’s letter he writes, “all of us are meant to see ourselves as living stones, the building blocks of a community and movement through which God is working to heal and transform the world.”  (p. 71) Jesus, the master architect, has chosen each one of us to be part of that community.  Each of us has a role to play that is part of his master plan.
 
Ephesians 2 gives us another picture of how the early church understood the metaphor of building as representing God’s intentions for the church. “20 As God’s household, you are built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. 21 The whole building is joined together in him, and it grows up into a temple that is dedicated to the Lord. 22 Christ is building you into a place where God lives through the Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:20-22)
 
Jesus continued by saying that the Gates of Hades could not prevail against what he is building.  Caesarea Philippi, where Jesus and the disciples were having this spiritual teaching retreat was home to a beautiful waterfall that fell thirty feet.  Nearby was Hermon Stream.  Fed by snowmelt the two formed the headwaters of the Jordan River.  In the cavern up the mountain a chasm opened above an underground spring.  It has since been sealed, but in earlier times, this was another place like the Sea of Galilee that was too deep to be measured.  Hence it was also considered to be a path to the underworld, the place of the dead.  In Greek mythology that was Hades; in Old Testament Hebrew it was Sheol.  When we translate it as Hell, it does not convey the proper meaning.  (Hamilton, pp. 62 & 72)
 
Hamilton adds the tradition from the early church that “while Jesus was in tomb, he descended to the underworld, broke open the gates of Hades, and liberated those who had been captive there.” (p. 73) We include that thought in the Apostle’s Creed, “he descended to the dead.”  It goes with our understanding that Jesus overcame physical death as proven by his resurrection, but I like the thought Hamilton goes on to share.  “It also means the power to overcome the things that represent spiritual and emotional death, such as hopelessness, despair, addiction, oppression, poverty, and sin.” (p. 73)
 
Jesus is saying that even death, even these things that feel like death cannot overcome the Church, or as Barclay turns it around, these death dealing blows cannot stand up to the Church at its best.  Barclay pictures the Church like a fortress, which image certainly fits the surrounding temples and mountain at Caesarea Philippi. If Hades represents the evil forces causing death, then evil cannot take down the Church of Christ.  In Old Testament times, the city gates were a meeting place, and the arena of the judges.  It was the seat of government and power.  Then the powers of the underworld cannot overcome the Church of Jesus.  Or if we remember Peter’s declaration that Jesus is the Son of the living God, and the Church is built on that foundation, then death represented by Hades has no hold on Christ, and the Church he builds will not be destroyed.  I like that last interpretation especially in view of the fact that the Temple building was destroyed in 70 A.D., but the people of God live on without it though it was once the place of worship for both Christians and Jews.
 
This section continues with Jesus giving future authority to Peter symbolized as “the keys of the kingdom of heaven.”  (v. 19) Hamilton explains, “Binding and loosing were terms applied to the leading rabbis when they debated the law and how to interpret and apply it.” (p. 73) What was bound was forbidden; what was loosed was allowed.  Peter becomes not the dictator of the Church, but as Barclay suggests Jesus has made Peter the steward of the Church, responsible for its maintenance and welfare.  (p. 146) This keys passage is the foundation of the Roman Catholic understanding that Peter was the first Bishop of Rome and first Pope of the Church.  I think it may also be why legend pictures Peter guarding the gates of heaven.  In any case, Peter became one of the founding apostles who has greatly influenced the direction and spread of Christian faith. 
 
But now we come to part three, and the story takes a dramatic twist. Peter has made a bold and accurate statement of faith.  He has been praised and given great responsibility by Jesus.  And then Peter trips himself up by trying to protect Jesus.  Assured that somebody gets who Jesus really is and what he is trying to build, Jesus begins to explain that he must go to Jerusalem, and he will die there at the hands of the worldly powers that be. 
 
Jesus included that he would be raised on the third day, but I think Peter was already in too much shock to even hear that line.  I sometimes say that I go into mom mode.  Peter went full out into papa bear mode, took Jesus off to the side and told Jesus that really musn’t happen.  I can hear Jesus sigh as he must have out on the water in last week’s story.  I imagine Jesus thinking, “Oh, Peter, you almost had it, but once again you missed the point.”  What Jesus actually said to Peter came out stronger and sounds harsh to our ears. “Get behind me Satan!” 
 
Now listen to the whole line, “Get behind me, Satan. You are a stone that could make me stumble, for you are not thinking God’s thoughts but human thoughts.” (v. 23) Do you remember when Jesus was in the wilderness being tested by Satan after his baptism, a preparation for his ministry on earth?  The temptations all related to using his divine power to accomplish earthly priorities: to feed himself, to have wealth and power, to live it up we might say.  But all of that would have been putting himself as a human ahead of God’s mission and caring for others.  Now Peter was essentially suggesting the same thing.  “No, Jesus, you can’t die.  You have to take care of yourself.  You have to stay with us to lead us.”  Maybe those messianic expectations were also kicking into play.  Messiah was supposed to be a warrior king, not the suffering servant Jesus came to be.
For all the truths Peter had begun to grasp, he couldn’t wrap his human brain around that one yet. 
 
Sometimes we are guilty of the same thing.  We think about Jesus and about his Church in human terms and expectations.  We become more like the religious leaders of Jesus’ day sure that our interpretation of the law is correct, that we can say who is in and who is out, what is right and what is wrong.  Or we become focused, as the Church sadly sometimes has, on prosperity and on numbers, but suffering and sacrifice for others, no we don’t always want to believe in that.  Then we, too, become stumbling blocks to God’s purpose in Christ. 
 
Hamilton reminds us that “History is littered with the stories … of ultra-religious people missing the point, and ultimately acting in ways that were the antithesis of God’s call to love.  Religious zeal, when coupled with an absolute conviction that one is right and an amnesia regarding God’s call to love, can lead religious people to do the most irreligious things.”  (p. 75) Think of the Crusades, the Inquisition, witch trials, pogroms, and hate crimes driven by “religious” beliefs.  But Jesus taught us to love our enemies.  The Church has not always lived up to that mission. 
 
Barclay writes, “Satan is any influence which seeks to make us turn back from the hard way that God has set before us; Satan is any power which seeks to make human desires take the place of divine imperative.” (p. 149) If you understand Satan, the tempter in that way, you can see that such a force is still active in our world and sometimes even chipping away at the mission of the Church.  That is when I have to remember that Jesus said such powers cannot prevail against Jesus’ intentions for the people, he called to be his own.  My hope in that promise is that Jesus will always send the Holy Spirit to teach us once again his truth and guide us back to what is right. 
 
We humans just don’t think the same way God thinks.  Isaiah 55:7-9 reads,
“7 The wicked should stop doing wrong,
    and they should stop their evil thoughts.
They should return to the Lord so he may have mercy on them.
    They should come to our God, because he will freely forgive them.
8 The Lord says, “My thoughts are not like your thoughts.
    Your ways are not like my ways.
9 Just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.
We do our best to serve our God, but we must never think that we know better than what God’s plans. 
 
It takes me to what Paul wrote in Romans 12:1-2,
So brothers and sisters, since God has shown us great mercy, I beg you to offer your lives as a living sacrifice to him. Your offering must be only for God and pleasing to him, which is the spiritual way for you to worship. 2 Do not be shaped by this world; instead be changed within by a new way of thinking. Then you will be able to decide what God wants for you; you will know what is good and pleasing to him and what is perfect.
 
As Jesus concludes this lesson with the disciples, he speaks of that living sacrifice and holy offering of ourselves.  “Take up your cross and follow me.”  Peter’s place, theirs and ours is to follow Jesus.  That will mean sacrifice along the way, to do what needs to be done or as my friend Joan always says, to “do the next right thing.”  It won’t always be easy or convenient or comfortable, but it is more important to do what is right in the eyes of God and follow the urging of the Holy Spirit, to continue the work of Jesus.  It is in sacrificing the ways of this world to do God’s will instead, that we find a life most worth living.  This is true for us as individuals and as the Church.  In spite of what the world may tell us, let us build our lives on Christ, allowing Christ to build us into a spiritual temple, the people of God called out to be the Church.  ​
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June 23 - Simon Peter: storms

6/22/2019

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​PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION**
Holy God, Lord of all creation, we thank you for the world you have made.  We confess that we grow fearful in the midst of storms.  We thank you for your continuing presence with us…Thank you for your disciple Simon Peter who shows us that we, too, may be faithful disciples, in spite of our flaws.  Guide and bless us…Help us to remember you are always with us through the storms we face.  In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.
 
SCRIPTURE LESSON                                                               Matthew 14:22-34, CEB
 
22 Right then, Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead to the other side of the lake while he dismissed the crowds. 23 When he sent them away, he went up onto a mountain by himself to pray. Evening came and he was alone. 24 Meanwhile, the boat, fighting a strong headwind, was being battered by the waves and was already far away from land. 25 Very early in the morning he came to his disciples, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified and said, “It’s a ghost!” They were so frightened they screamed.
 
27 Just then Jesus spoke to them, “Be encouraged! It’s me. Don’t be afraid.”
 
28 Peter replied, “Lord, if it’s you, order me to come to you on the water.”
 
29 And Jesus said, “Come.”
 
Then Peter got out of the boat and was walking on the water toward Jesus. 30 But when Peter saw the strong wind, he became frightened. As he began to sink, he shouted, “Lord, rescue me!”
 
31 Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him, saying, “You man of weak faith! Why did you begin to have doubts?” 32 When they got into the boat, the wind settled down.
 
33 Then those in the boat worshipped Jesus and said, “You must be God’s Son!”
 
34 When they had crossed the lake, they landed at Gennesaret.
 
SERMON                                      Simon Peter: Storms
 
As I started working on Simon Peter the fisherman last week, I remembered that Ethan Fish, whose graduation we celebrated last year, is also a commercial fisherman here on the Mississippi.  With some help from Grandparents, Ethan and I connected on Facebook Messenger this week, so I could ask him about fishing today. 
 
Ethan and his uncle work together using hoop nets set out along the river for 3 – 4 days.  These nets have a series of 6 hoops, 13 inches apart with two narrowed “throats” the fish can enter but not exit.  When it’s time to collect their catch, Uncle Jeff drives the boat near the net, and Ethan pulls it out of the water.  They have to be in sync to shake the fish out of the net; then they both sort and measure the catch keeping catfish over 15 inches.  He said that’s the most typical commercial fishing method on the river these days.  When he fishes for fun, Ethan prefers pole and line sitting and waiting for the fish to bite bait and hook. He loves “the peacefulness of being outdoors and taking in what nature gives us.”  He also appreciates sharing the catch to feed family or friends.
 
I asked Ethan what was most important for a fisherman, thinking that would give us some insights into Simon Peter’s character.  Let me quote him directly: “No matter the type of fishing it is very important to understand how the fish work due to different factors such as water temperature, water levels, and what could be under the water like structure or sandbars. I’m sure it seems like a lot but once you start to understand it just comes naturally to you. Once you are able to understand all of this you have really become a very good fisherman because you understand how you will be able to hopefully catch fish on any given day.” 
 
I want to apply that answer in a couple of ways.  As I mentioned on Pentecost, there were those who looked down on Peter and the other fishermen as being uneducated and ignorant Galileans.  To some extent I read that as white-collar snobbery toward blue-collar workers as well as regional bias in Judah against those from Galilee.  Sadly such prejudices are prevalent in our world. But Ethan’s comments about what a fisherman needs to know about the fish, the water, the weather, etc. reminds me that it is a detailed industry requiring a great deal of knowledge and intelligence put to practical use.  In the same way, Peter had to know the boats, the weather, the fish and waters of Lake Gennesaret as well as the vendors and market on shore.  Fishing requires brains as well as brawn.  Those who looked down on Peter showed their own ignorance, not his. 
 
But let’s also apply this toward the new endeavor to which Jesus called Peter and still calls us, fishing for people.  The same principles apply.  You have to understand people and their individual differences.  You have to understand the environment in which people live, the culture not only of region but also generation and lifestyle.  A fisherman has to know which method and bait will work best depending on the fish they want to catch in a particular location.  As we reach out to people in the name of Christ, we have to understand both their environment and their needs and preferences if we want to make our appeal in a way that will be heard and considered.  Jesus was a master at this, and we have much to learn from him.   
 
Finally, I asked Ethan about the dangers of fishing on the Mississippi, because today I would be talking about the storms on the Sea of Galilee.  He said the strong currents were the biggest thing here, as well as trees, logs, and such that have fallen in the water.  The undertow can even drag these hidden objects, especially in the main channel.  These things can puncture your boat, or if you fall in you are subject to both the strong current and anything you might hit underwater.  It is always dangerous on the Mississippi. 
 
It was equally dangerous on the Sea of Galilee, also known as the Sea of Tiberius and Lake Gennesaret.  Four of the disciples – Simon Peter, Andrew, James, and John – all knew these dangers well, because they had fished that body of water most of their lives. 
 
Jesus had just heard that his cousin, John the Baptist, had been killed at Herod’s command.  He wanted time apart to grieve in private, but the crowds followed him.  With great compassion, Jesus cared for them.  After a day of healing the sick and preaching to a crowd of thousands on the hillside next to the lake, then feeding them with a few loaves of bread and fish, Jesus sent the disciples across the lake by boat while he dismissed the crowds and went up the mountain alone to pray.
 
But a storm blew up that night.  The disciples struggled against the wind and the waves.  As well as the four fishermen knew those waters, this storm overwhelmed them, and everyone in the boat was terrified.  We’ve all been through physical storms.  I’ve never been caught in a boat, but the storms I’ve experienced while camping are enough to imagine how much scarier that might be.  Even in the house, we’ve had some nasty storms recently.  One a few weeks ago that included hail was particularly intense.  So, imagine yourself in that kind of squall while on a boat in the middle of a lake miles from shore.  You’ve taken down the sail, so it won’t be torn to shreds.  Four men rowing seems meaningless against wind and waves this fierce.  You are soaked with rain, freezing in the wind, and the water is no place to be when lightening strikes. 
 
Now add to that the new thing I learned about the Sea of Galilee from Adam Hamilton’s book, Simon Peter.  This water is so deep, that the lines dropped to measure depth in those days weren’t long enough to touch the bottom.  So to them, it was unfathomable, and this led to the legend that the sea went all the way down to the place of the dead.  It’s kind of like what those of Columbus’ day imagined about sailing off the edge of the world.  With this legend nagging at the back of their minds, caught in a horrendous storm, the disciple’s fears included being tossed overboard and dragged down to their death in the abyss. 
 
Jesus had been deep in prayer on one of the surrounding mountains.  He was aware of the storm and knew the struggles his disciples were facing.  He did not leave them to face the storm alone.  He came to them, across the water, at about 3 in the morning.  If the disciples had been in their right minds, they would have recognized him.  But seized with fear and remembering the legends of this sea leading to the underworld, their irrational minds jumped to the conclusion that this was a ghost.  
 
Before you critique the disciples, think about the times when you were overwhelmed by the storms of this life.  How rational were you through the experience?  I’m guessing there were moments, if not hours, that your mind played with worst case scenarios.  There are classic scenes for this:  You get called to the office of your boss, the principle, or your doctor.  You are stopped by the police.  You get a phone call from the relative who never calls you.  You get a letter from the government or a lawyer’s office, or an envelope you didn’t expect from the bank.  Some of us assume the worst and are afraid to respond. 
 
Sometimes it’s just that you have so much on your calendar or your “to do” list, and anxiety takes over creating a storm in your mind.  Thursday night was like that for me.  I reached the point that I couldn’t function, but I couldn’t sleep well either.  I prayed often overnight that God would take over on Friday and help me do the things I knew I had to do and help me fix what seemed to be broken.  Friday, I was productive in the morning, exhausted in the afternoon, and a nervous wreck by 3:00, even though I knew Mike and Abagail were coming to help me with some things.  However, by the time they left, many things had been resolved, leaving me the energy and peace of mind to tackle the next things on my list.  I slept much better Friday night and looked forward to having Saturday to pull everything together for this message. 
 
Life is like that.  The minor details can drag us down into depression and despair.  How much more so the big storms of life!  But here’s the thing we need to remember from our Gospel lesson, Jesus doesn’t leave us to face the storms alone.  Jesus comes to us in the midst of the storm and says to us as he said to the disciples, “Don’t be afraid…Take courage. I am here!” (Matthew 14:27, NLT) Adam Hamilton writes, “This is intended to be a picture of what Jesus still does in the lives of believers when we’re sailing through our own storms in the darkness…he continues to come to us in the storms of life, climbs into our boat, and rides out the storm with us.” (Hamilton, Simon Peter, p. 47,49)
 
I particularly like William Barclay’s comment on this:
 
There are times we are up against it, and life is a desperate struggle with ourselves, with our circumstances, with our temptations, with our sorrows, with our decisions.  At such a time no [one] need struggle alone, for Jesus comes…across the storms of life with hand stretched out to save, and with his calm, clear voice bidding us take heart and have no fear.  (Barclay, The Gospel of Matthew, Vol. 2 in the Daily Study Bible Series, p. 106)
 
It would be a valuable lesson even if it ended here.  John’s Gospel simply says that once Jesus identified himself, the disciples wanted to bring him on board, and suddenly they arrived at the shore.
 
Luke doesn’t include Jesus walking to them on water.  In another story of a storm at sea, Jesus is asleep in the boat, and as “Gale-force winds swept down on the lake. The boat was filling up with water and they were in danger.” (Luke 8:23) Terrified they might drown the disciples woke Jesus up. He calmed the winds and the waves with a word leaving the disciples wondering yet again just who Jesus truly was. 
 
In Mark we read,
 
50 Seeing him was terrifying to all of them. Just then he spoke to them, “Be encouraged! It’s me. Don’t be afraid.” 51 He got into the boat, and the wind settled down. His disciples were so baffled they were beside themselves. 52 That’s because they hadn’t understood about the loaves. Their minds had been closed so that they resisted God’s ways.  (Mark 6:50-52)
 
The wind calmed down and with it I expect so did the waves but not the disciples in Mark’s version.  They were still confused and upset.  They didn’t understand either Jesus feeding thousands with a few fish and loaves of bread, nor did they understand how Jesus came across the water to help them.  I find it particularly curious when Mark writes, “Their minds had been closed so that they resisted God’s ways.”  (v.52) I think it is a significant reminder to us that if we are not open to God’s plans, whatever they may be, then we will not be likely to cooperate with God’s will.  But when we resist God, we don’t receive the blessings God intended for us. 
 
In Matthew’s telling there is more to the story.  While eleven disciples still cower in the boat, perhaps as confused and upset as Mark describes, Simon Peter has one of his bursts of deeper insight and faith.  Jesus said, “Have courage,” and for the moment Peter does.  Peter looked to Jesus and said, “Lord, if it is really you, then command me to come to you on the water.” (v.28) Please notice that Peter didn’t just stand up and step out of the boat.  That would be foolish!  Peter asked Jesus to command him.  If Jesus said no, Peter would have stayed in the boat. 
 
This is an important part of the discernment process.  When you are trying to decide what to do next, in your own life or as we are beginning to discuss for the church, wouldn’t it be foolish to charge ahead in whatever direction without first asking Jesus, “What do you want us to do? Lord, If you command me to come out of the boat, to change direction, to move ahead, to try something new, then I will come to you.  But if you tell me to stay for now, I will stay.”  I’ve asked Jesus that.  There were times a couple decades ago that I asked God if I could leave pastoral ministry.  He always said “no,” so I stayed, until a particular October day in 2004 when God said “yes, now you can leave.”  I took leave of absence in the summer of 2005, which meant I was free to visit this church, and by Fall to join your staff.  That was a significant water-walking experience for me.  So, note the lesson.  Before making a significant change, ask Jesus if this is within God’s will at this time.
 
Do you see why this was important?  Peter didn’t believe he could walk on water himself, but he trusted that if Jesus told him to walk on water, he would be able to do it.  (Hamilton, p. 50) Simon Peter put his faith not in himself, but in Jesus.  If we are wise, we will do the same.  Hamilton is honest about this, “Walking out in faith doesn’t mean we know in advance how everything will work out.  It means we come to trust enough to push the “yes” button in spite of our fears.” (p. 51) Those fears are real and understandable.  God wired our brains to produce a healthy fear reaction in dangerous situations.  It puts in place the adrenalin and fight or flight response we may need for survival.  But many humans also live with unhealthy overactive fears that leave them trapped in their homes or in a bad relationship, living in the past or with inappropriate prejudice, stuck in a job or a routine that limits opportunities. These fears keep us from living life to it’s potential. 
 
Eleven disciples stayed in the boat with their fears. Even knowing they might die, they just couldn’t move.  I know what that feels like.  Maybe you do, too.  So, let’s not be too hard on them, but’s let’s also consider moving with God beyond our fears.  Adam Hamilton refers to John Ortberg’s book, If You Want to Walk on Water You’ve Got to Get out of the Boat.  I’ve wanted to read it anyway, so this week I bought it.  First, let’s just consider the title.  Eleven disciples chose to stay in the boat.  That boat represents our comfort zone, our security blankets, our perceived safety net.  I feel compelled to point out, however, that without Jesus, the boat in the storm was not comfortable, safe, or secure.  The winds did not calm down until Jesus got in the boat with them. 
 
Simon Peter, on the other hand, chose with Jesus’ permission, to try water walking.  In his first chapter, John Ortberg identifies several characteristics of water-walkers. 
  1. “Water walkers recognize God’s presence.” (p. 13) He points out that Jesus comes when we least expect him, so if you aren’t consistently looking for Jesus, you might miss the opportunity for what Ortberg calls, “spiritual adventure and growth.” (p, 14) If you believe as I do that God is everywhere, then shouldn’t we expect to see God everywhere we look?
  2. “Water walkers discern between faith and foolishness.” (p.14) Courage and a willingness to take risks is only half of the story.  Wisdom, discernment, and obedience are also absolutely necessary.  This goes to Peter asking Jesus first.
  3. “Water walkers get out of the boat.” (p. 14) Well, duh!  That’s the title of the book. But we’re talking again about those fears that bind us too tight to move.  Ortberg reminds us, “You were made for something more than avoiding failure.” (p. 15) It’s at this point he asks, “What’s your boat?” and follows it up with “What are you afraid of?”  Those are significant questions to ask ourselves, especially when we are facing any kind of change. (And aren’t we always facing change?)
  4. “Water walkers expect problems.” (p. 19) A risk to follow Jesus is still a risk.  There will be problems whether you stay in the boat or get out.  That’s just the reality of life.  No one is immune from difficulties. 
  5. “Water walkers accept fear as the price of growth.” (p. 21) Ortberg quotes Susan Jeffers, “The fear will never go away as long as I continue to grow.” (Ortberg, p. 21) You can cower and hide in fear or grow from it.
  6. “Water walkers master failure management.” (p. 22) My favorite take-away from Jessika’s years at the Milwaukee Jewish Day School is their acronym for FAIL.  It stands for either First or Further Attempts In Learning.  Ortberg shares the story of Jonas Salk whose first 200 attempts at a polio vaccine were unsuccessful.  When asked how it felt to fail 200 times he replied, “I was taught not to use the word ‘failure.’ I just discovered two hundred ways how not to make a vaccine for polio.”  (Ortberg, p. 22)
  7. “Water walkers see failure as an opportunity to grow.” (p. 24) Sir Edmund Hillary didn’t climb Everest on his first try.  After one failed attempt he shook his fist at the mountain and said, “I’ll defeat you yet, …because you’re as big as you’re going to get--but I’m still growing.” (Ortberg, p. 24) Ortberg says, “Failure does not shape you; the way you respond to failure shapes you.” (p. 24)
  8. “Water walkers learn to wait on the Lord.” I immediately thought of Isaiah 40:31, “those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” To wait on the Lord means accepting our vulnerability and trusting God’s timing in spite of human impatience.
  9. “Water walking brings a deeper connection with God.”  If the water is deep, we want our faith relationship with God to be deeper.  When you lean into that relationship, it will grow.
 
Simon Peter bravely got out of the boat when Jesus called him.  It was a more precarious situation than when he walked away from his boat to follow Jesus the first time, but both required great courage and trust.  Peter was fine as long as he kept his eyes on Jesus, but as soon as he noticed the wind and the waves he began to sink.  It was his First Attempt in Learning to walk on water, but he was wise enough to call out to Jesus for help.  That’s something we need to remember, but here’s the important part, “Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught Peter.”  (v. 31) Jesus didn’t let Peter flounder around and go under a few times.  Jesus grabbed him as soon as Peter asked.  Then Jesus didn’t rebuke Peter harshly, but gently and privately Jesus pointed out an area that needed future growth. “Peter, why did you have so little faith?” 
 
Peter had faith, but he let the circumstances around him distract him from focusing on the object of his faith.  I want you to remember that when we are talking later today.  We have to be honest about the realities of our situation:
  • I am going to retire next year.
  • The building and congregation are both aging.
  • The building will always need maintenance and repairs. Every building does.
  • We are approaching 2020 and can’t expect church to be like it was in the 1950s.  Times have changed, and so do we.
  • Like many congregations in our community and elsewhere, we don’t have the membership, attendance, or finances we once did.  But we are not the only ones facing that circumstance. 
 
The disciples could have wished that the sea was calm, and the storm had not come, but that would be unrealistic.  The storm was there full force and could not be denied.  We cannot deny our reality either.  But neither does that mean we are going to sink.  Jesus is right here with us.  If we focus on Christ, we can walk with him into our future.  If we become too focused on the storm, we will either be stuck in an unstable boat or begin to sink in the water.  But Jesus is right here with us and will guide us if we ask. 
 
Session and I have been praying for today’s conversation and this congregation’s future.  We gathered in the study to pray together this morning before worship began.  We encourage you to continue to pray for God’s guidance and that we might grow through the challenges that face us. 
 
Here’s my faith:  In 2017 God provided the means for me to buy a new car when the old one needed a tow truck on a monthly basis.  In 2018 God provided a way for me to buy and furnish a house when I physically couldn’t cope with the apartment anymore.  I don’t want to even consider what my life would be like if I had stayed in that van or in that apartment!  So, if God can buy this woman with very limited resources a car and a house for my future blessing, I have zero doubts that God can provide and guide this congregation into a blessed future as well.  No, I don’t know what it will look like exactly.  I know there are multiple possibilities.  Today’s conversation is one of many that will be part of the process of discerning God’s will for First United Presbyterian Church of Clinton, IA.  I want you to go into that conversation focused on Jesus. 
 
While I was writing today’s message, there was a meme on Twitter that I have to share with you.  The image was of Jesus reaching out to a little girl who was tightly hugging her small teddy bear.  What she couldn’t see was the much larger teddy bear Jesus was holding behind him with his other hand.  The caption read, “Trust me.  I have something much better for you.”  Are you willing to trust that Jesus has something for you? For us?
 
Thinking about Peter calling out to Jesus for help, Adam Hamilton shared the story of Thomas Dorsey who wrote our next hymn after his wife, Nettie, died in childbirth.  It is #404 Precious Lord, Take My Hand. Like Peter, this hymn was Dorsey crying out to Jesus for help.  Let it be your prayer as well.
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June 16 - Simon Peter: Call

6/15/2019

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                                                                                                                                                   John 1:35-42b, CEB
35 The next day John was standing again with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus walking along, he said, “Look! The Lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples heard what he said, and they followed Jesus.
 
38 When Jesus turned and saw them following, he asked, “What are you looking for?”
 
They said, “Rabbi (which is translated Teacher), where are you staying?”
 
39 He replied, “Come and see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon.
 
40 One of the two disciples who heard what John said and followed Jesus was Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter. 41 He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated Christ). 42 He led him to Jesus.
 
Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon, son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).
 
                                                                                                                                                        Luke 5:1-11, CEB
5:1 One day Jesus was standing beside Lake Gennesaret when the crowd pressed in around him to hear God’s word. 2 Jesus saw two boats sitting by the lake. The fishermen had gone ashore and were washing their nets. 3 Jesus boarded one of the boats, the one that belonged to Simon, then asked him to row out a little distance from the shore. Jesus sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. 4 When he finished speaking to the crowds, he said to Simon, “Row out farther, into the deep water, and drop your nets for a catch.”
5 Simon replied, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and caught nothing. But because you say so, I’ll drop the nets.”
6 So they dropped the nets and their catch was so huge that their nets were splitting. 7 They signaled for their partners in the other boat to come and help them. They filled both boats so full that they were about to sink. 8 When Simon Peter saw the catch, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Leave me, Lord, for I’m a sinner!” 9 Peter and those with him were overcome with amazement because of the number of fish they caught.10 James and John, Zebedee’s sons, were Simon’s partners and they were amazed too.
Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid. From now on, you will be fishing for people.” 11 As soon as they brought the boats to the shore, they left everything and followed Jesus.
                                                                                                                                             
SERMON                                         
 
Each of the gospels have their own perspective of the call of the first disciples.  When you put John’s story first, you can see that Peter and the others may have already met Jesus on a previous occasion.  Their willingness to leave everything behind to follow him makes more sense to me then.  In John’s Gospel we see that John the Baptist encouraged two of his followers to meet Jesus.  One of these, Andrew, is soon convinced that Jesus is the long-awaited Messiah. He quickly brings his brother to meet Jesus.
 
We’ve just skimmed the surface of the first story, and there is already so much to gather from it.  First, with regard to teaching:  It occurs to me that when Jesus taught the crowds, it has the feel of a university lecture hall.  You’d find me in the back row.  When Jesus taught at the synagogue, that might feel more like a classroom, and I picture the chairs arranged in a circle so everyone can see and hear well.  As disciples come to the rabbi (students coming to learn more from the teacher), it could either be like a short-term seminar or a long-term special club.  
 
Adam Hamilton, looking at the geography of this story, suggests that the four fishermen have taken a week away from their work on the Sea of Galilee to hear John the Baptist who is preaching to the south along the Jordan River closer to the Dead Sea.  It would be like taking a week of your vacation to go to Synod School, or when I have gone for a week to the seminars on Washington Island.  It happens to be the same week that Jesus came to his cousin, John, to be baptized.  The next day, John is standing with two of the students, Andrew and another.  As Jesus walks by, John repeats his claim that Jesus is the Lamb of God.  It’s as if he added, “There’s the one you need to listen to and learn from, not me.”  So, they follow Jesus to talk with him.
 
The second point then, is that both John the Baptist and Andrew are all about leading others to Jesus.  John has been clear that Jesus is greater, that Jesus must increase while he, John, will decrease, that John is himself just a forerunner preparing the way for Jesus’ ministry.  Andrew also is willing to take a back seat.  Even though he met Jesus first, he couldn’t wait to bring his older brother.  Throughout the rest of the gospels, Andrew remains in the background while Simon Peter is prominently in the foreground.  His brother is not the only one Andrew brings to Jesus.  Later he will bring the boy who is willing to share his lunch, and later yet some Greeks who come with questions to ask the Master. 
 
We see Jesus invite Andrew and friend, to “Come and see” what his ministry is about.  They have the opportunity to spend the afternoon and evening conversing with Jesus.  I once titled a sermon, “Come and See, Go and Tell.”  I think that is a major theme of the gospels, still inviting us to come and see what Jesus is about, but like Andrew, it’s no good to keep it to ourselves.  Once we have learned something about Jesus and his message, we are to extend that invitation by going to tell others about him.  That’s what Andrew does as he goes to his brother with these words, “We have found the Messiah!”
Now Simon comes to see for himself at Andrew’s urging.  I can picture Andrew as excited as a little kid, tugging on his brother’s sleeve to get him to hurry along. 
 
When Jesus meets Simon, he identifies him by his family (Simon bar Jonah, meaning son of Jonah or some translations say of John.)  and by his nickname. Cephas in Simon’s native Aramaic translates Petra or Peter in Greek, and in English, “Rock.”
We also identify with family names.  I took Klemmedson from my grandparents.  My grandpa was Klemment John Klemmedson, so I’m not Klemment’s son, but I am his granddaughter!  Most people have nicknames.  Of all the ones I have accumulated, my favorite is Gypsy.  It was given to me in high school independently by both a friend and my pastor.  I looked like a gypsy by my clothing choices.  I later lived up to it when I spent a lot of time driving all over Wisconsin or the summers I lived in my tent.  I’m a lot more mundane now, but there’s still a Gypsy spirit in here somewhere.  Both family names and nicknames tell us something about who we are or how others perceive us.
Jesus placed Simon within his family heritage, but Jesus also saw his potential.  We know later Jesus would say, “Upon this rock I will build my church.”  In the Old Testament God is referred to as a rock often in the psalms.  A rock is sturdy and steady.  But when I think of Peter, I also notice that a rock can cause you to stumble, and Peter had a bit of that in him as he got easily sidetracked.
 
I love the subtitle to Adam Hamilton’s book, Simon Peter, because it is not only an ongoing theme for this supporting character of the New Testament, but it is an honest assessment for many of us, myself included.  Peter is a “Flawed but Faithful Disciple.”  So am I.  He will make some excuses and a lot of mistakes, but he will also be a major building block in the early church. 
 
Hamilton assumes those who came to hear John the Baptist and subsequently met Jesus then went home to Galilee and back to work on the water.  This particular body of water is said to be one of the most beautiful in the world.  Located in the Jordan Valley, it is a freshwater lake 13 miles long, 8 miles wide, 700 feet below sea level, and surrounded by dormant volcanoes.  (Hamilton, p. 17) The Jordan flows through it north to south and on to the Dead Sea.  It is known as the Sea of Galilee, the Sea of Tiberius, and Lake Gennesaret.  These are references to surrounding territories.  We would recognize some of the villages along its shores in Jesus’ day.  Philip, Peter, and Andrew all grew up in Bethsaida.  But the fishermen later lived in Capernaum, and Jesus’ early ministry centered there.  We know the Mary who came from Magdala.  South of there was Tiberias, the largest town on the lake in those days, named after Tiberias Caesar.
 
We know from the gospels, that after his baptism, Jesus was sent by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness on a 40 day fast facing the tests given by the Tempter.  Jesus did not give in to the temptations Satan offered, but passing through them, Jesus was ready to begin his earthly ministry: preaching, teaching, healing, and doing good wherever he went.  That ministry soon included inviting students to follow him.  When he moved to Capernaum, Jesus came to the place where the brothers were fishing.
 
There were three styles of fishing in Peter’s day.  Line fishing included line and hook cast usually from shore.  Jesus told Peter to cast his line to find the fish with a coin in its mouth to pay their tax.  That story is in Matthew 17.  Casting nets were used from shore or in the shallows.  These weighted circular nets could be as wide as 9 feet in diameter and were thrown outward hoping to surround a good catch of fish as they sank to the bottom, then were drawn in forming a bell shape as they were pulled through the water.
A dragnet used by professional fisherman was cast from a boat and pulled often between two boats.  It was a large square with a weighted bottom forming almost a wall in the water.  As it was dragged between two boats spreading out and moving forward, it caught all the fish on its way.  Then as the two boats came back together it was hauled aboard one or the other, hopefully full of fish.  The brothers Simon and Andrew partnered with another set of brothers, James and John, for this work. (These come from Hamilton, pp. 22-23 and Barclay, Matthew, Vol.1, pp. 77-78)
 
On some of the variety shows I watch I’ve seen various styles of fishing.  While we are used to a rod and reel for line fishing, the simpler version is to toss a plain line with a hook by hand and slowly pull it in.  I’ve seen many celebrities go after fish with just a landing net in rivers, shallows, and even scuba diving.  It seems to me the casting net would take a lot more skill but might also catch a lot more fish.  I’ve also watched crews go out on a professional fishing boat with huge nets tossed out, dragged, and then hauled aboard, hoping for a big catch, but I can imagine the two-boat method would be more effective. 
 
I remember at camp, Don always said dawn and dusk were the best times for fishing on Pine Lake.  On Lake Gennesaret the professionals were out all night.  The day Jesus walked along that stretch of shoreline, the four fishermen had come in from a long night with empty nets.  It must have been a somber mood of frustration as they cleaned and mended those nets getting them ready for the next time.  They were exhausted when Jesus climbed in Simon Peter’s boat and asked to be taken out on the water.  But Simon Peter obliged this itinerant preacher who then delivered his message to the crowds from the boat, letting the water amplify his voice.  I tried that once.  When I worked at Pine Lake, preaching on Sunday morning for the Tent & Trailer guests was part of the job.  So, on a Sunday when I used this story, I preached from a rowboat in the swimming area while campers sat on the pier or shore.  It was a very different experience, but it actually worked quite well.
 
When he finished speaking, Jesus asked Simon to take the boat out to deeper water.  Now that was the real test.  Remember, they worked hard all night, so they were very tired.  They just sat through a sermon.  Now without a meal or sleep, Jesus wanted them to go fishing again, in the daytime which was not optimal for fishing.  Would Peter say yes?  Or would he use these very valid excuses to say no?  Simon Peter’s response shows just how much he had already come to respect Jesus while being completely honest with him, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and caught nothing. But because you say so, I’ll drop the nets.” (Luke 5:5) You know the rest.  The haul of fish was so great, the nets were breaking, and they had to call for their friends to come and help bring in the catch.  Again, there is a lot we can take away from this part of the story. 
 
First, Hamilton writes that Jesus will sometimes ask to borrow our possessions, our talents, or our time, just as he borrowed Peter’s boat, his skill in managing that boat on water, and Peter’s time when he might rather have gone home to his wife, his meal, and his bed.  So, too, Jesus asks to borrow from us, and we have a choice in how we will respond.  Hamilton shares stories from his congregation to illustrate the point.  One couple offered a homeless woman a ride after church, thinking they would drop her off on their way to lunch.  But this woman needed a lot more than a ride.  Their plans changed as they paid for her to stay in a hotel room and the next morning helped her find assistance from local agencies.  Another gentleman who loved fixing cars let Jesus use his passion, skills, and resources to buy an auto repair shop not just for business, but as a place where volunteers could come after hours and offer services to those who couldn’t afford the repairs they needed.  Think about the ways Jesus has asked to put your skills, your interests, your resources to work to meet the needs of others and the purposes of God’s kingdom.
 
Second, Peter could have said no.  He had plenty of valid excuses.  But he didn’t.  He may have been reluctant, but he went.  How many times has Jesus asked something of you, and you made excuses?  The Bible is full of such stories from Moses to Jonah as well as Peter.  I’ve made excuses why I didn’t want to go to college, why I couldn’t go into ministry, why I shouldn’t come back to the pulpit, but here I am anyway.  Jesus has an answer for every excuse we can claim.  If we weren’t capable of what Jesus asks, with Jesus’ help of course, he wouldn’t have asked us in the first place.  That’s why it is significant that Peter said okay, because it’s you, Lord, let’s go fishing.  His level of trust in that moment sets a worthy example for us to follow.
 
Third, there was a reward for Peter’s obedience.  It was a huge haul of fish.  It more than made up for the empty nets of the night before.  There was enough for both boats.  While it may not always be that immediate, I believe that when we are faithful, Christ does take care of us, and sometimes the blessings are far more than we could have imagined. 
 
Peter was dumbfounded!  He already admired or respected Jesus.  His brother already suggested Jesus was the Messiah!  But I think this great catch of fish filled Peter with a deep reverence and awe for the man in his boat.  Peter’s response was humble; “Leave me, Lord, I’m a sinner.” (Luke 5:8) It’s as if he was saying, obviously you are too mighty a person to share my simple boat, I’m not good enough to assist you.  John the Baptist had said something similar, “I’m not even worthy to untie his sandal.” (John 1:7) Isn’t that often one of our main excuses?  How could I possibly be good enough to serve God?  I’m not worthy to hang-out with Jesus!  How could God forgive a sinner like me?
But here’s the problem with that line of thinking; it’s a kind of false humility.  What we are forgetting as we think that way is that God made us.  God is the one who put us together in our mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13) and has watched over us ever since.  God knows exactly how we are wired; God did the work!  God knows our potential far better than we do.  Yes, God also knows each of us is a sinner, but God already dealt with our sin when Jesus was willing to take it to the cross.  Seriously, our excuses of “not good enough” aren’t going to work with God.
 
It’s important to know that about our excuses, because ultimately Jesus asked for more than just borrowing Peter’s boat and time for a few hours one day.  The real request came after the miraculous catch of fish.  “Come and follow me, and I’ll teach you how to fish for people.”  It’s a recruiting session, like a business representative sampling your work, taking you out for a great lunch and talking up the company where he or she works.  Then comes the clincher, laying down a business card while picking up the tab for lunch, “Why don’t you come and work with me?”  That’s what Jesus was asking.  “Actually, Simon Peter, I want more than your boat rental for a day.  I want you to come work with me for the rest of your life.  Andrew, James, John, I want all of you to come.  You can leave this behind.  Come with me!  I’ve got something even greater in mind for all of you.” 
 
Honestly, I’m always surprised they didn’t hesitate.  They didn’t offer more excuses.  Peter didn’t say, “But I’ve got a wife at home.”  James and John didn’t hold back with, “But dad expects us to carry on the family business.”  They just left the nets and the boats and followed him.  I wish I could say I was like that, but my call story has involved all kinds of hesitation, excuses, detours, and holding back.   Yet, much to my amazement, God continues to use me in ways I could never have imagined.  God can do that with you, too. 
 
We don’t all have the same call.  God needs teachers and carpenters and salesmen and secretaries and medical staff and musicians and lawyers and mechanics and good neighbors and grandparents and volunteers and engineers and every other skill you can think of or claim.  God still needs fishermen, too!  God has used your gifts to make a difference in many lives in the past and will continue to do so in the future whenever you are willing to say yes, to answer that call.  This call isn’t just for a few hours one afternoon; it has been and continues to be a lifetime, though what you do in service to God will change from season to season, from one stage of life to the next.  Some things we once did are no longer physically possible.  Some of what we can offer now we didn’t have the wisdom or experience to do back then.  But God in great wisdom can make use of it all. 
 
Answering that call when Jesus asks you to follow is just the beginning; it’s a training ground for the future.  But as we will see with Simon Peter, when we are willing there is much to learn, even from our flaws and mistakes.  As we grow in Christ, we will become more and more useful, until one day we look back and see that we have spent much of our lifetime joyfully walking with Jesus and serving our God.  ​
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June 9 - Pentecost

6/8/2019

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June 2 - Ascension Story

6/1/2019

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PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
Jesus, as we hear your story, may we also recognize where it connects with our story and what you ask of us for our own lives.  Amen.
 
SCRIPTURE LESSON                                                                                                                                           Matthew 28:16-20, CEB
16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshipped him, but some doubted. 18 Jesus came near and spoke to them, “I’ve received all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to obey everything that I’ve commanded you. Look, I myself will be with you every day until the end of this present age.”

                                                                                                                                                                    Acts 1:6-11, GNT
6 When the apostles met together with Jesus, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time give the Kingdom back to Israel?”
 
7 Jesus said to them, “The times and occasions are set by my Father's own authority, and it is not for you to know when they will be. 8 But when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will be filled with power, and you will be witnesses for me in Jerusalem, in all of Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” 9 After saying this, he was taken up to heaven as they watched him, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
 
10 They still had their eyes fixed on the sky as he went away, when two men dressed in white suddenly stood beside them 11 and said, “Galileans, why are you standing there looking up at the sky? This Jesus, who was taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way that you saw him go to heaven.”
 
SERMON                                                                               Ascension Story
Today we have two pieces to Jesus commissioning his disciples.  From Matthew we have the classic words Christians refer to as the Great Commission.  It is one of my favorite passages from the gospels.  We begin with a gathering of the disciples, the eleven who remained after Judas’ betrayal and suicide.  They had a divine appointment after witnessing the risen Jesus on various occasions.  They were to meet him in Galilee, home to some, and the starting place of their time together with Jesus.  They are in an attitude of worship, yet this text claims some still doubted. 
 
I wonder how it is for us.  Do you see Sunday worship and your daily devotions as a divine appointment to meet with Jesus?  That was one detail that caught my attention preparing Dora Wynes’ memorial.  Every morning she had her devotions and read her Bible at the kitchen table.  Many of you have your own version of that habit. 
 
We come at those times expecting to worship, but sometimes there are other thoughts or questions crowding our minds, perhaps even doubts.  Christians may at one time or another question if this is all real but doubts also ask if Jesus really had such power or if Jesus really can use us.  Doubt is not the opposite of faith.  Sometimes doubt is asking questions to help us define and refine our faith. 
 
The disciples had been through the trauma of Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion.  They had been through an emotional wringer dealing with their own disloyal response to that situation.  Then, miracle of miracles, word spread, “Jesus is risen just as he said!”  Again it was an emotional rollercoaster as shock registered and relief celebrated while reason and logic questioned the possibility.  Then they had seen the risen Christ for themselves, seen his wounds, received his peace, even shared breakfast with him after fishing all night.  But this was to be the last physical meeting on earth.  It would be hard not to be overwhelmed by emotions and questions.
 
Jesus claimed the authority God gave him over all things.  I think back to what Peter, James and John glimpsed at the transfiguration.  Did they remember in that moment seeing Jesus in all his glory?  But for now this authority had a purpose.  Jesus was sending them out to continue the work.  I think of Moses’ farewell speech in Deuteronomy as he sent the Hebrews in to claim the promised land under Joshua’s new leadership.  Jesus was sending the eleven into his kingdom to continue his teaching and ministry.  They were to be the new leaders bringing forth God’s Kingdom.
 
Here is the work Jesus handed to them.  It is still the work of Christians and the Church today:  Go to all nations, make disciples, baptize, and teach.  That is what we are called to do.  But lest we give up thinking we are alone, there is the reminder that Jesus is still with us.
 
We shift now to Luke’s telling of the story.  Most scholars accept Acts as the sequel to the gospel of Luke, since both are identified as being written especially for the unknown Theophilus.  I like Bart Ehrman’s take in his New Testament lectures that the gospel of Luke tells the story of Jesus while Acts is not just the story of the disciples or the Church, but it is really the story of the Holy Spirit who empowers, guides, and works through them.   
 
Toward the end of Luke’s gospel, after the resurrection appearances and the promise of the Holy Spirit, we are told briefly of the Ascension:
 
50 Then Jesus led them to Bethany, and lifting his hands to heaven, he blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up to heaven. 52 So they worshiped him and then returned to Jerusalem filled with great joy. 53 And they spent all of their time in the Temple, praising God.
 
Yes, there are a few differences in details from Matthew’s commissioning story, but I find it significant that both versions incorporate the important note that they worshipped Jesus.  Now that they were finally grasping that Jesus was all he said and more, worship was the only appropriate response. When we recognize how God has been at work in our lives or God’s intentions for our world, isn’t worship a natural response?   
 
Jesus had told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the promised Holy Spirit, so that is where they returned, filled with joy and praising God.  I imagine their wonder and awe being like that from the Christmas stories.  It reminds me of the shepherds who returned to their fields glorifying and praising God after seeing the infant Jesus. It reminds me of the wise men filled with great joy as they followed the star to meet him.  Again, worship, joy, and praise are appropriate responses to meeting Jesus. 
 
Luke refers back to this scene of the Ascension as he begins the book of Acts.  Note as the conversation took place, the disciples hadn’t yet fully grasped God’s intentions for the kingdom.  They were still focused on overcoming the earthly enemy of Rome and restoration of Israel’s independence and glory.  It had been the messianic expectation for so long, their vision struggled to see the grander picture Jesus had been trying to show them.  Jesus gently chided them saying that the times are God’s business not theirs. 
 
It occurs to me that most human beings are small minded like that.  We want to shake up the disciples and say, “Don’t you get it yet?”  But then if we look at our own lives and opinions, perhaps our own vision isn’t much broader than theirs.  We tend to look at our own well-being or that of our loved ones; we look out for our own group, community, congregation or nation.  God sees a much bigger picture: global, universal, multidimensional vision in a way that our minds can’t fully grasp either.  Sometimes we just have to trust God’s answers to our questions of what, when, where, who, how, and even why.  All of that lies within God’s authority not always ours.  We do our best to follow the steps of God’s plan as he puts them in front of us. 
 
For me the key verse to this passage is verse 8, so let me repeat it, “when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will be filled with power, and you will be witnesses for me in Jerusalem, in all of Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”  This is the commissioning statement for Luke’s version of the story.  First, notice that it is necessary to wait for the power of the Holy Spirit.  When you get ahead of God’s Spirit, you are going to fail in carrying out God’s mission. 
 
Second, there are parallels to Matthew’s rendering.  Luke emphasizes witnessing, which we take to mean giving testimony, telling the story of Jesus.  Matthew is giving us the purpose of that witness – to make disciples!  The witness may draw a new believer to Jesus, and they may desire to follow.  Becoming a disciple is affirmed in the baptism covenant and must be accompanied by teaching.  Making a disciple is a lifetime investment.  There is always more to learn and a call to continued growth. 
 
There is one more aspect of the word used here for witness.  In the original Greek it is the same word as martyr.  Jesus is honestly telling them that their lives will be at risk as they carry forward his message into the world.  We know from history that this was certainly true.  Most of these disciples suffered and eventually were killed for the sake of the gospel. 
 
Another parallel is carrying the gospel into the world. Matthew reported Jesus saying, “Go into all the world.” That is put in perspective with the ever-widening regions of Acts 1:8, “in Jerusalem, in all of Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”  As you consider this mission in your own life, consider your spheres of influence.  Share your story of Jesus in your life with family, with friends, with colleagues, with the community around you.  Through the church you also share it in mission with other communities, even other nations.  That is still the work Jesus calls us to do. 
 
Some see missions as doing good.  Some see it as evangelism.  I think from Jesus’ perspective it is both.  We know that Jesus taught others about God’s Kingdom, but scripture also says he went about doing good.  If you live out the teachings of Christ you will feed the hungry, cloth the naked, care for the widow and orphan, visit the sick and imprisoned, bring healing and stand for justice.  If we do these things in the name of Christ, don’t we also share the teachings that are our motivation?  Whether we are helping our neighbor here at home or in a global arena, it is our task to continue the work of Christ our Lord.
 
Now come the verses that have left a puzzling image upon which much speculation is based, and others have perhaps dismissed as unrealistic.  Jesus was taken “up” to heaven and disappeared in the clouds.  Two young men appear announcing that Jesus will return in the same way. 
 
You know that in ancient times people’s concept of the world was a flat earth in a three-tiered universe, the place of the dead below us, the sky and stars above us.  That pretty much went out the window when Columbus landed in the Americas rather than sailing off the edge of the world into an abyss.  Then Magellan circumnavigated our planet proving it was round.  Sometimes when we are reading the ancient biblical texts, we need to remind ourselves of the times in which they lived rather than expecting them to think like we do today.  So, when our literature says that Jesus “ascended,” you don’t have to take it only as literally going up.  I’m sure to their eyes he was lifted up, but more than that he returned to the heavenly realms however you conceive of them in your own minds.  Personally, I think of it as another invisible dimension.
 
Did you notice that he disappeared into a cloud?  I was given a new perspective on that reference in McArthur’s commentary, so let me remind you that in the Exodus stories God appeared to lead his people as a cloud by day.  It makes perfect sense to me that Jesus disappeared back into God’s being which we cannot see face to face, but only in the ways God chooses to make his presence known.  There was a time when a movie based on Jesus’ anticipated return in the clouds was presented in such a way that I was afraid of clouds for two years.  But now I’d like to look at clouds as a reminder of God’s presence with us. 
 
The two men who appeared to the disciples next were God’s messengers; that is the true meaning of angels.  Perhaps these were the same messengers who met the women at the empty tomb.  They asked the women then, “Why are you looking for Jesus here? He is risen as he said.” Now they ask the disciples, “Why are you standing here staring up at the sky?  Jesus will return.”  Jesus was raised from the dead.  Jesus returned to the heavenly realms in God’s presence.  So now what?
 
There are those who spend a lot time speculating on the when Jesus will return, and some argue various theories.  But Jesus told us plainly that is NOT the point.  Jesus had already told the disciples what to do, “Wait for the power of the Holy Spirit” and THEN “Go!  Be my witnesses, make disciples, baptize, and teach them what I taught you.”  I think this also implies, don’t just talk about it; live it! 
 
As we celebrate the Lord’s ascension, don’t get hung up on the images of Christ amidst the fluffy clouds.  It’s a beautiful picture, and I also have my favorite artistic renderings, but we can’t just stand here staring at the sky either.  We have work to do.  So, as the Holy Spirit leads and empowers you, continue the work of Christ in the world around you until in God’s timing, you meet our Lord again face to face.  ​
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