Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Cross

Date: 2012-01-15
Title: Come and Follow - Scott Christensen
Texts: John 1: 43 - 51
Theme: 2nd Sunday in Epiphany

Let us pray
Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer. Amen
Come and see...I can’t think of three words that made me more exited as a Father than when one of my children said to me...Dad, come and see. ...”I love you” is a great three word phrase...but every time the boys wanted me to come and see something...there was such excitement and wonder and awe in their voices that I simply had to follow them and see... the rainbow, or the 18 inches of new snowfall or the baby puppies...or what happens when you put the rubber duckie in the toilet and flush...excitement and awe...even better shared.
On reading today’s Gospel...I have to confess that after my first reading ...I focused more on Nathanel’s initial response than I marvelled at Philip’s exhortation to Nathanel: “come and see”.
As a child, I developed in my mind’s eye...a picture of Jesus of Nazareth...a sun basked Jesus with flowing hair and beard and beautiful knowing eyes...brilliant white robe, shepherd’s crook and usually at least three fleece white sheep surrounding him in gentle adoration. Baaaa baaaa Equally, in my naieve childish mind’s eye...Nazareth must be another Garden of Eden...lush and lovely...
When Phillip tells Nathanel that “we have found him about whom Moses and the prophets wrote...Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth”...and Nathanel responds....”Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” ...so much for lush and lovely.
Aaahhh...something that resonates...a fellow cynic. I confess that I can be a wee bit of a cynic...it could have started at an early age although I do remember my parents counselling me on this...including the admonition “Don’t get smart with me young man”.
But really...the other disciples Jesus called...including Phillip were initially approached and personally invited by Jesus to follow him and become his disciples. Nathanael hears about the man the prophets foretold from Philip. An excited and exuberant Philip...but not from Jesus himself.
And when our somewhat cynical Nathanel first meets with Jesus....Jesus greets him with “Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!”. And with the ensuing conversation Nathanael is convinced and declares “Rabbi, you are the Son of God...You are the King of Israel!”.
Well...as a practiced cynic and a constantly struggling Christian...I have to tell you that I initially struggled with this rapid change in Nathanael’s heart. No cynic worth his weight in gold would capitulate so easily. Now, there are numerous scholarly discourses to explain Nathanael’s rapid change from cynic to believer and follower. When Jesus tells Nathanael “I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you”....well biblical scholars tell us that in Jewish culture during those days, religious leaders counselled their followers to take time each day—every single day—to find a special quiet place to meditate on God's Word and pray. Quite often, this took place in a place of respite...like the shade of a tree. Therefore, they state that Nathanael would be amazed that Jesus knew not only his whereabouts...but what he was doing and what kind of tree he was doing it under.
St. Augustine goes to even greater lengths to explain the critical significance of this tree Nathanel was sitting under...saying and I quote “We must inquire whether this fig-tree signifies anything. Listen, my brethren. We find the fig-tree cursed because it had leaves only, and not fruit. In the beginning of the human race, when Adam and Eve had sinned, they made themselves girdles of fig leaves”. Fig leaves then signify sin. Nathanael then was under the fig tree as it were under the shadow of death.” End of quote
Wow...I obviously need to spend more time under the fig tree pondering scripture because I’m still stuck on Nathanael’s amazement over Jesus insight into his character and past activities.
In these days with the proliferation of electronic monitoring...surveillance cameras, financial transaction tracking, satellite cameras, mobile phone locators, gps tracking and Facebook...knowing where someone was or is...and what they’re doing just doesn’t grab me anymore.
Shame on me...because I’m not applying the right context to the events...or maybe I’m trying to apply our modern day context to Nathanel’s life and St. John’s Gospel.
Or, perhaps, in my efforts to deliver a sermon that’s worth listening to...informative and thrilling...and theologically sound given there’s two Pastors in our midst...perhaps I’m missing the entire point of today’s Gospel, Scripture Lessons and our Psalm.
This past Tuesday...I taught Confirmation. You have to understand that I fear few things in life...with the exception....of teenagers. You know...that time in life as a parent when the children quit saying “Dad, come and see” and they start grunting...mono-syllabic responses to every question.
And I was actually nervous about teaching confirmation...all heightened by the fact that I came in early to the Church to prepare and made myself a pot of Norwegian coffee by mistake....six scoops to the cup instead of one scoop. Now nervous and frazzled...
And the lesson was on Baptism...and the kids were excellent. And when we discussed baptism...we discussed how baptism was our first call to faith even though it was our parents and sponsors who spoke for us. The Pastor said, ““I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” and then we discussed how some Pastor’s sprinkle and some Pastor’s dunk...but there was nothing earth shattering about our first call to faith. None of us remembered it...pictures our only memory.
Today, we listened to two readings of call. In our first Reading we heard about the Lord calling Samuel...I have such vivid memories of that Old Testament passage...the story of a young boy waking in the middle of the night always resonated with me as a child...Samuel, young and confused in the dark of night... but with guidance and counsel from Eli he learns the Lord is calling, how to respond to the Lord...and Samuel listens to the Lord.
I too, waken in the middle of the night. But I didn’t think it was the Lord calling me Monday morning at 3 am...I was in sheer terror over what we were going to do about confirmation...the next night it was waking to the bizarre dream of me delivering confirmation in my underwear. But perhaps it was God just calling....quit fretting and just do it...and now, having done it...well of course, it was a great experience and I ended up learning far more from the confirmation class than they likely learned from me.
There was nothing earth-shattering about Jesus call to Phillip and Nathanel. Jesus simply walks up to Philip and says, “follow me”. Phillip agrees and goes and shares the news with Nathanel. Maybe I’m a bit like Nathanel...skeptic...cynic...needing proof. I’m envious of Samuel and Phillip who follow immediately and without question.
But why does God choose Samuel and Philip and Nathanel? What makes them different and special from anyone else?
From all that I’ve learned over the years...from my parents and Sunday School teachers and from our Pastors preaching...what I believe...the one thing that those called and chosen by God have in common is that when God calls, they answer...and they say yes. That’s what sets them apart.
There may be some confusion as in Samuel’s case, there may be some skeptisim like Nathanel, there may be a bit of Moses-like whining after 40 years in the desert... But eventually, they say yes, and trust that God will enable them to do what God asks them to do.
We are chosen by God. Today, our choir sang Psalm 139: You have searched me, LORD,
and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.
Now I’m rethinking Nathanel ‘s amazement over Jesus’ knowing his thoughts and location from afar...and I understand his excitement over Jesus promise that “you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man”.
God created us with care, with plans and hopes and dreams and responsibilities. You are created and so you are chosen. We are children of God and so we are chosen.
What makes the difference is whether or not we will respond. What makes a difference is whether we say yes or no to God. Responding to a call from God is not easy. Quite often we have a fear of failure or inadequacy or maybe we’re just too busy...but the Scriptures can provide us with ample examples of people who answered God’s call and did God’s work who also made their share of mistakes.
Responding to a call from God is our decision. I have benefited in my relationship with God by working alongside you as fellow members of Lutheran Church of the Cross...your words and your support, your counsel...just like Eli’s counsel to young Samuel....but most of all your example...your ministry of action...that has helped me in listening, responding and following Jesus.
Being elected to the Church Council was also a catalyst in providing me with opportunities to serve...but I am thankful that we are people who have been called to follow where God leads us...and by our faith...and together...we can say yes... and obey...even when asked to walk into an unknown future.

Amen

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