Every year, following the Sunday devoted to the baptism of Jesus, we move to a discussion
of "calling" and of Jesus choosing the people who would follow him, and become responsible for carrying
on the work. I know that in the past there have been some questions raised about the issue of "call"
and how one recognizes it for a valid challenge from God. I guess the first indication would be that it will be
life altering.
If you think in terms of modern day contacts, there are some classic, life altering phone calls that have similarities
to this aspect of God's intervention into our world. "I just got engaged!", "Wanted to let you know
the baby is fine.", "Your test results are back.", "We're going to be making some changes at
work.", "Hey…are you sitting down?" Such contacts will have far reaching effects on all aspects
of our personhood.
Sometimes it can be as simple as the realization that "It's for You!" A "reminder call" perhaps
about some business commitment or opportunity being extended. In the epistle lesson this morning Paul reminds the
Corinthians of God's call, not only for him, but for all those "saints" called to be a part of the work
of the church.
That "personal" aspect of call is essential, and a second characteristic that is always present. To see
this challenge not just as something common to all humanity, or even limited to a small group is not the same as
recognizing the undeniable imprint on one's own personhood. You may recall last week's discussion on the importance
of calling a child by name at their baptism, a name they take ownership of after years of hearing it from people
who love them, but also the importance of the new name "child of God," spoken on that sacred occasion.
An identity claimed publicly and with joy on that occasion.
Scripture indicates that such identities are known to God long before we ever recognize them ourselves. The first
verse of the Isaiah reading says, "The Lord called me before I was born, while I was in my mother's womb God
named me." The Gospel lesson also indicates the importance of the special descriptions of our foreordained
purpose. The Baptizer names Jesus "Lamb of God" and "Son of God", his would be disciples call
Jesus "Rabbi", and Andrew names him the "Messiah" long before Peter ever makes that confession
on the Mountain of the Transfiguration.
Jesus also gets involved with prophetic naming, Simon son of John becomes "Cephas," Peter, "the
rock". "Cephas" is Aramaic and Peter or Petra is Greek for 'rock.' As William Barclay notes, "Jesus
does not only see what a person is; He also sees what that person can become. He sees not only the actualities;
but also the possibilities." Jesus saw Peter's potential as the rock upon which the early church would be
built. The change of name was the first step in the process that brought Peter to the role of leader in the early
church." But another's vision is only a stepping stone to finding our own.
The Psalm is about that moment when one steps forth to say-- "Here I am; in the scroll of the book it is written
of me. I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart." What we call people, how we describe
a situation, frames the moment. This is a most important activity, the first task of Eden. Such "naming"
has a lasting impact. Names, titles, and descriptions can become, in many ways, "self-fulfilling prophecies".
What did they call you that has become a part of your frame?
They called Jesus, "Rabbi." John provides the translation, "teacher," But even the word "teacher"
does not communicate the depth of respect in the Hebrew word. Rabbi literally means, "My great one,"
in Hebrew. The Jews' respect for knowledge was so great that the teachers were the greatest people of their culture.
There is really no higher compliment that the two would-be disciples could have paid to another human being than
to call him, Rabbi."
Do you remember toward the end of John's gospel where Mary Magdalene hearing her own name spoken by the risen Lord,
calls him by the same title? Responding to a true call is also responding to one's greatest hope, sometimes a hope
not put into words before that realization.
I think there are a lot of people who are searching for hope and stability in our world today. There is so much
confusion about what and who to believe. People seem to be wondering who is right, even wondering if Jesus Christ
really is the one, or if there is some other way to salvation.
Jesus' very first words in the Gospel of John are, "What are you looking for?" It's the most important
question we will ever answer honestly. It is the paramount belief of the Christian faith that Jesus is the One
whom God sends to deal with our most difficult problem. He is the Lamb of God who takes away our sin. I don't know
of any other religion that offers that opportunity.
With joy, some can say, "We have found the Messiah", the One who searches us out and finds us in our
need, who makes us whole. He is the one who remains with us, breaking bread for our nourishment, and breaking into
our darkness with His light.
But even that is not enough. Next we read that Andrew needs to share his find with his brother. That is the essence
of love. That is the continuation of a call.
Many of you may have heard this quote from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr... which seems rather timely given the situation
in the world today. It comes from a sermon entitled "Loving Your Enemies", delivered on the 17th of November
1957 at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Ala. There Dr. King was considered a good preacher, but not
a great one. ML King Jr. said...of conflict...
"I think the first reason that we should love our enemies, and I think this is at the very center of Jesus
thinking, is this: that hate for hate only intensifies the existence of hate and evil in the universe. If I hit
you and you hit me and I hit you back and you hit me back and so on, you see, that goes on ad infinitum. It just
never ends. Somewhere, somebody must have a little sense, and that's the strong person. The strong person is the
person who can cut off the chain of hate, the chain of evil. And that is the tragedy of hate, that it doesn't cut
it off. It only intensifies the existence of hate and evil in the universe. Somebody must have religion enough
and morality enough to cut it off, and inject within the very structure of the universe that strong and powerful
element of love."
We can have an amazing effect on people when we live the life of the wounded healer. All we have to do is be willing
to serve. Martin Luther King Jr, whose life we recognize this week, also wrote:
Everybody can be great. Because anybody can
serve. You don't have to have a college degree
to serve. You don't have to make your subject
and your verb agree to serve. You don't have
to know about Plato and Aristotle to serve.
You don't have to know Einsteins's theory of
relativity to serve. You don't have to know the
second theory of thermodynamics to serve.
You only need a heart full of grace. A soul
generated by love."
When you serve in this way, you are a sign of
the way that God works in the lives of people,
the way that Jesus lived and acted, and the
way of the Lamb of God.
How do I know if I have answered my calling and made it my true vocation? "If you enjoy what you do, you never
have to work a day in your life!"
And it all begins with a call.
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