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SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2008

THE THIRD SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY

Matthew 4:12-23 (Three lessons from children)

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TODAY’S SERMON THEME:

We have before us today three simple lessons from children: (1) We are never lost as long as someone knows where we are. And God always knows where we are. (2) When we want to see God, we can. All we have to do is look for Him. (3) The Light of God shines in every direction, punching holes in the darkness. ________________________________________________

1. Sometimes I am convinced that young children have a firmer grip on reality than the rest of us. And that, to me, means that children also have a better grasp on spirituality than we do, too. Let me give you three quick stories:

(1) Several years ago, at the Diocesan Convention for the Diocese of Texas, I came across a little boy about four or five years old, all by himself, standing next to one of the many booths in the exhibition hall. There must have been 500 people milling around in the hall, and the little boy was all alone. He just stood there by himself -- standing like a statue, staring off into the crowd of people. The exhibitor, a friend of mine, asked the little guy: "Little boy, are you lost?" Without missing a beat, the child responded with a firm, "NO!" Well, my friend was not completely convinced, so he asked again: "Are you SURE you're not lost?" This time the little boy nodded his head up and down. And he continued to stand there like a statue, looking off into the crowd. My friend and I just looked at each other, still not convinced of the boy's opinion. But . . . sure enough, several minutes later, a harried young mother showed up, arms filled with bags, and pushing a crying newborn baby in a stroller. She walked right up and grabbed the little boy's hand. Before they walked off, the little guy turned to us and said: "SEE, I TOLD YOU I WASN'T LOST. My mommy knew where I was ALL the time."

SO: Here is lesson No. 1 today from little children: You are never really lost as long as someone knows where you are. And God always knows where you are.

(2) Another story, from a few years ago: A small girl was looking at bracelets in a jewelry counter at a Christian book store. She was transfixed by one bracelet that had the initials WWJD (what would Jesus do). The sales clerk walked over, bent down, and asked: "Do you know what those initials mean, WWJD?" The young girl paused, wrinkled her brow, gritted her teeth, and then burst out with this answer: "OH! I know! My mommy uses it ALL the time! It's Jesus' WEB SITE!"

So: Here is lesson No. 2 today from little children: If we really want to, we can see the light, the love, and wonder of Jesus in even the simplest things. All we have to do is look for Him. At any time. Under any circumstances.

(3) One more story: An elementary school teacher was demonstrating the way people a long time ago used candles to provide light. The teacher carefully lit several candles and set them around the classroom, and then she turned off the overhead lights. She asked her students what was the most important lesson they could learn from the demonstration. A little boy said he knew the answer, and he waved his arm enthusiastically. The teacher called on him, and he replied with great excitement: "The most important thing is that the light punches holes in the darkness!"

So, here is lesson No. 3 today from little children: God's Light shines in all directions at the same time, punching holes in the darkness.

2. When I was in elementary school, we lived across the street from a family with six children. (My family had four children.) At night, long after our parents were asleep, we used to send signals back and forth across the street using flashlights. I think we invented a special code to do this. To this day, I can remember being fascinated by those amazing evenings. And I still have a vivid memory of those late nights, and those flashing lights. I used to think that the light did MUCH MORE than just provide light. I used to believe (and still do) that the light PUNCHED HOLES in the darkness -- that wherever I pointed my flashlight, it would PUNCH A POWERFUL HOLE in even the darkest of nights. I believed then (and also today) that LIGHT pulverizes darkness. Even as a child, I understood more about theology than I ever realized.

3. And now consider this: JESUS is the LIGHT OF THE WORLD. And our Gospel lesson this morning demonstrates it. For without question, there was something about Jesus that made people take notice -- something that made people leave behind their old, familiar lives, to follow Him. In our Gospel text this morning, from Matthew chapter 4, Jesus calls His first four apostles -- four fishermen -- Peter, Andrew, James, and John. These were not educated men. They were not wealthy men. They were not sophisticated men. But they saw SOMETHING in the face of Jesus . . . something that made them, compelled them, to follow Him. Jesus tells us later that He is the "Light of the world," and that "whoever follows Him will never walk in darkness, but will have the Light of Life." Perhaps these simple fishermen saw the Light of the Lord in the face of Jesus. Perhaps they felt the warmth of the Lord. Or the JOY of the Lord. But they saw Jesus, heard Jesus, and then set aside their familiar lifestyles to follow Him. "Follow me," Jesus said, "and I will teach you how to fish for people." Later, Jesus tells them that no one can enter the Kingdom of God without becoming like a child -- and accepting the Love and the hope of God as a child would accept a gift from a loving parent. Jesus also says that whoever accepts a small child in His name, accepts Him. Clearly, this is SOMETHING child-like in the apostolic summons of the Lord. Clearly, there is SOMETHING miraculous in the call of Jesus.

4. Notice in our little Gospel lesson today what is NOT mentioned about Peter and Andrew and James and John. Notice what these first four apostles do NOT do when Jesus calls to them.

(1) They do not argue with Jesus.

(2) They do not question Jesus.

(3) They do not negotiate with Jesus.

At this point, at the beginning of Jesus' earthly ministry, these four fishermen could not possibly know what was being asked of them. They had no way to understand that Jesus was calling them to (1) deny themselves, (2) take up their cross, and (3) follow Him. They had no way of knowing that Jesus was offering them eternal life, but also a life filled in the present age with self-denial, acts of mercy, humility, and suffering. They had no way of knowing that Jesus Himself, within three years, would be put to death by the Roman army on a small cross on a hilltop outside Jerusalem. They had no way of knowing that Jesus, though dead, would dramatically appear to them two days later in His glorified, resurrected Body. They had no way of knowing that the Resurrected Jesus would spend 40 full days with them, in His glorified Body, teaching them about the Kingdom of God. They had no way of knowing that they would be filled with the POWER of God's Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, a mere 10 days after Jesus had ascended into heaven. They had no way of knowing that they would take the message of Jesus into the worlds around them, giving up their own lives as martyrs (or witnesses) of God's love and mercy. THEY KNEW NOTHING WHEN THEY WERE CALLED . . . EXCEPT THAT IT WAS JESUS WHO WAS CALLING THEM. And they set down their nets and followed Him into the pages of salvation history. There is indeed something child-like about this entire story. There is something child-like in the acceptance and obedience of these four fishermen.
5. Have you looked at the world through the eyes of a child lately? Have you taken the time lately to remember the simple lessons of childhood? Have you talked to a child? Have you watched children as they play together? As they sing together? As they laugh together? The Christian faith, after all, is not rocket science. It is not advanced calculus. It is the simple faith that says that God loves the world so much that He sent His Son into the world for us -- to lead us and to guide us through this life and into eternal life. The Lord is our Light and our Salvation (Psalm 27:1): Yeho’vah’ ‘owr yeh’-shah

And all who believe in God's love -- and accept that love into their hearts -- will never again have to worry about death. Those who love God, and who share in His love, have already received their entry papers into the Kingdom of God.

6. We have before us today three simple lessons from children: (1) We are never lost as long as someone knows where we are. And God always knows where we are. (2) When we want to see God, we can. All we have to do is look for Him. (3) The Light of God shines in every direction, punching holes in the darkness.

It doesn't get much simpler than this, does it? So, I encourage you today to look at life and faith through the eyes of little children. And maybe, just maybe, to shine a flashlight or two into the darkness. You never know. YOU may just be the answer to someone else's prayers.