"Fishing for People"
Mark 1:14-20
Do we make it seem too easy?
Do we not give enough explanation?
Or perhaps, do people have an inkling of how difficult it is, and therefore make the decision to either "put it off," ignore it, or say "No. I refuse to believe it," when in reality the refusing to believe it is an "easy out" or "an excuse"?
It's popular these days to say something like: "I believe in God and Jesus, but I don't believe in organized religion."
Now, there is good reason not to believe in organized religion, no doubt.
But what kind of organized religion are we talking about?
Are any denominations or churches completely organized...is anything completely organized...even Fortune 500 companies?
When humans are involved messes will occur.
We all know about the hucksters on t-v who are just out to get rich.
We have all been shocked by the scandals which have rocked the church over the past decade or so.
Most of us have been hurt by "church people" at some point in our life.
Most of us have also been hurt by teachers, classmates, spouses, best friends, bullies down the street and maybe even stray dogs.
What I'm trying to get at is this: If we don't want to do something, most of us are very good at coming up with excuses as to why we aren't doing it.
It's easy to cast blame on others.
It's called scapegoating.
Over the past decade or so there has been a rise in folks who call themselves atheists or agnostics.
And there have been quite a number of books written by atheists which have made the best seller lists.
I have read most all of them.
A group called "The Freedom from Religion Foundation" puts up billboards making fun of people of faith.
I don't have a problem with this.
Freedom of speech is a beautiful thing.
I have read most of their writings.
I follow what the skeptics are saying.
Quite often, on CNN or any other news outlet, when a story about Christianity is put on their webpage, in the "comments" section followers of Christ are viciously attacked.
Most of the arguments these persons use come from the writings of Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins and a few others.
They aren't original, but many are angry.
Some come off as very "self-righteous."
And Christians can come off just as "self-righteous" when we comment about the-quote-un-quote--other side.
I don't want to trivialize the reasons some folks don't believe.
There are lots of reasons.
Perhaps their "time" hasn't come yet.
I mean the list could go on and on and on.
What I am trying to get at is this: The decision to follow Jesus Christ is not a light one.
And when we decide not to do something, our natural instinct is to try and find a reason other than, "it's too hard," or "I know it's the right thing to do, but I just can't make that commitment."
I spent ten years trying to force myself not to believe.
And after ten years I finally got to the point where I really thought I didn't believe.
Then, only a few months later; by no choice of my own--my faith came roaring back.
I wasn't happy about this at first...
...but once I decided to embrace it, I realized just how unhappy I had been running and hiding from God all those years.
I entered seminary that Fall.
I wouldn't trade the decision to follow Christ for anything in the world.
But it hasn't been easy, and I don't think it ever will be.
Is it fulfilling?
Yes!!!
Is it life-changing?
Yes!!!
Is it easy?
No.
In our Gospel Lesson for this morning Jesus comes upon some ordinary folk.
They were doing ordinary things.
They were working at their life-long careers.
They were doing what they had always done and always expected to be doing.
We are told that Jesus was announcing "God's good news, saying, 'Now is the time! Here comes God's kingdom!
Change your hearts and lives, and trust this good news!'"
And then, "As Jesus passed alongside the Galilee Sea, he saw two brothers, Simon and Andrew, throwing fishing nets into the sea...
...'Come follow me,' he said, 'and I'll show you how to fish for people.'"
We are told that "Right away, they left their nets and followed him."
The same thing happened when Jesus came upon James and John.
They all dropped everything they were doing, their jobs, their lifestyles, their identities--Everything--and became disciples, just like that, "immediately."
But this is by no means the end of the story.
It's just the beginning of the beginning.
What they would learn in the weeks, months and years to ahead is that there is much to learn, and a lot of stumbling, backsliding, and misunderstanding along the way.
Becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ takes both a moment and a lifetime!!!
That may be one reason so many folks get mad at us.
Even if we are saved, that doesn't mean we have "arrived."
The Christian journey is just that--a journey.
And we often learn most from awful, painful mistakes.
Let's just take a quick look at a few things Peter had to go through:
* Jesus had to correct him again and again.
* At Caesarea Philippi, Simon Peter makes the correct statement of faith: "You are the Christ."
And Jesus says, "On this rock I will build my Church."
But, in the next sentence, when Jesus tells His disciples He is going to have to suffer and die, Simon Peter is the one who rebukes Him.
And Jesus says, "Get behind me Satan!"
* On the Mount of Transfiguration Peter knows how good it is to be with Jesus, but he forgets that the important thing is to follow Jesus.
* In the courtyard, after Jesus is arrested, Peter denies Jesus--threatening to give up a lifetime commitment due to a moment of fear.
* When Jesus is on the Cross, Peter is nowhere to be found.
But even this is not the final word.
Jesus appears to him after the Resurrection.
And the Holy Spirit comes upon him at Pentecost.
And there is still a lifetime of stumbling and following, stumbling and learning and following ahead.
Eventually, Peter along with the other disciples will experience such opposition and persecution that it will claim their lives.
But the end of Mark's Gospel shows that death's supposed victory over Jesus--and therefore over all disciples--is only temporary.
As a matter of fact, it's not even temporary.
It's a lie.
God raised Jesus from the dead.
And God will raise Jesus' disciples from the dead as well.
It's not easy to follow Jesus.
The easy thing for Peter would have been to look at Jesus like He was some crazy man back when he was first called and say: "I don't believe in you. I don't need to change my heart and my life and trust this supposed good news.
It ain't good news to me!!!
Therefore, I don't need to follow you.
I'll keep fishing for fish, thank you very much!!!
Stay out of my life.
Leave me alone.
Stop bothering me."
But what would he have missed out on?
A better translation than "Come follow me and I will show you how to fish for people," is "Follow me, and I will make you to become fishers for people."
"I will make you become fishers" promises that that Jesus changes our whole lives--gives us whole new lives!!!
Jesus gives us totally new identities.
We become new people--on the way.
Christianity is always both for now and for the long haul.
It's both a moment and a lifetime.
Maybe we make it sound too easy.
Or maybe, the reason our churches aren't bursting at the seams is because it is not easy.
To repent, to begin a new life, to follow Jesus doesn't just take faith--it also takes courage--it takes guts!!!
Jesus saw Simon and Andrew, James and John.
Jesus invited them to become new people.
He called them to a totally, radically different life.
They followed.
Have we?
