Matthew 4:12-23
Last week we read one version of how Jesus came to gather his first disciples. Today we read Matthew’s way of telling this story. Both stories have a strong connection to John the Baptizer, who was the first to preach about a new way to live, following God into creating a just society. Scholars have come to believe that Jesus began as a disciple of John and then took the movement further, particularly after John was arrested by Herod and then executed.
We read today that Jesus gathered fishermen from the shores of Lake Galilee, near his hometown of Nazareth and his mission headquarters of Capernaum. Matthew connects this to prophecy about the Messiah coming from that region, because one of his chief purposes in writing his Gospel is to prove that Jesus is the Messiah, even though he doesn’t conquer Rome.
We’re used to thinking of fishing as a small business, but in first century Palestine fishing was the same as share-cropping. Rome owned the fish and those who caught and sold them owed most of the proceeds in taxes. These were peasants, like many of the people who came to follow Jesus and probably Jesus himself.
Jesus tells these fishermen that he will change their life’s work to “fishing for people.” They are going to help him gather a following for his movement which envisioned a new way to live in community. They attracted these folks by becoming energy healers, curing common diseases through laying hands on the body and praying. Jesus taught them to heal and the healings attracted the crowds.
When the people gathered, Jesus talked to them about how to heal society. He worked on their understanding of the world as in God’s hands. In contrast to violence and destruction, warfare and occupation, Jesus talked about compassion, respect, and dignity. He taught what we call anger management in order to prevent people from retaliation from occupying soldiers – turn the other cheek, love your neighbor. In a world where peasants and slaves held no value and were easily replaceable, Jesus told them that God loved them, cared for their daily living, and included all people – even women and children – in God’s kingdom. We know Jesus traveled with 12 male disciples, but we also know that at one point there were at least 70 people actively involved in the ministry. Jesus deployed them in pair to many villages to heal and talk about this new way of living. There were women traveling with them and helping to pay the bills. The children in the crowds were welcomed and brought to the front where they could see. One little boy helped provide lunch one day.
The Jesus movement directly challenged the ruling power of Rome and the local folks who worked for Rome. In a land where many were hungry, they fed people. Some stories tell of miraculous multiplying of the loaves and fish, and equally miraculous sharing of what was in backpacks so there was enough for everyone. Jesus challenged the rulers by standing up for economic justice and calling out those who profited from the peasants. He believed people should be housed and clothed and have work that provided for families and gave dignity. The communities that formed during his ministry and after focused on those basic needs. They took care of each other.
Next Sunday we’re going to celebrate what we’ve done in the last year to continue Jesus’ work in our own time. We ARE a community that follows his vision for how life works.
So we feed folks – at LaGrave, through the food pantry, at UND, for PRIDE.
We pay back rent and utilities so families can stay in warm homes.
We repair trucks and buy license plates so people can get to work.
We aren’t faith healers, but many support various kinds of health care in their professions and we pay medical bills and make quilts for hospice ministry.
We say right up front that every person matters and is welcome here and we advocate with the powers that be to extend that welcome across our society.
We support and care for each other in hard times, like the recent deaths, those who are coping with illness with loved ones, those who are helping friends and family overcome addiction or trauma and get whole.
Like any communities, we have fun, encourage children, make our space beautiful and more.
We are a people of faith who value the stories in scripture and the tradition of how people have followed Jesus over the centuries. We believe the teachings of Jesus and others and we watch for new insights into how God is working in the world. We say “God is still speaking” and we listen for what that word might be.
We are also a people of action. We say “God’s work, our hands” and then find ways to put love into action. It’s the way we share that love with the world.
We celebrate the three years Jesus was in ministry and the 2000 years his ministry has continued since. I look forward to celebrating our part of that ministry next Sunday and to the ways we’ll create more ministry together in 2023. It’s a way we’re still responding to Jesus’ invitation to “follow me” and create the Kingdom of God – a community that lives God’s love every day.