Epiphany 0309 – “Now is the Time for Change.”  Mark 1:14-20

 

      Grace to you and peace from God, our Father, and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.  The text for our sermon meditation is taken from the Gospel of St. Mark, the 1^st Chapter:

 

      “After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God.  "The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!"

      As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.  "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men."

      At once they left their nets and followed him.  When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets.  Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.”

 

So far the reading.

 

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

      There has been a lot of talk in the past few months about this being a good time for change.  President Obama was elected to serve our nation with that very thought echoing throughout the country.  Along with that message of the need for change there was also the message of hope fulfilled if he would become President of these United States.  These words resonated within the hearts of many people.  The proof of which being that this past week when change and the fulfillment of hope became a reality when President Obama took the oath of office for President of these United States.  To the joy of many people, some of the change and a few of the hopes have been brought to fruition.

 

      The Gospel of St Mark presents us with a similar theme.  Jesus speaks of the time being right for change.  Jesus speaks of hope being fulfilled.  Jesus inaugurates changes in the lives of those who hear his words.  Truly, the time has come to bring these changes to fruition in the lives of all who hear Jesus words.

 

      Let us consider the changes that Jesus proclaims in these words from St Mark.  The first change that Jesus addresses is the need to repent.  Repent, this is an interesting word.  It means to engage in a different way of thinking.  It means actively to evaluate what you are doing, the way you are living, what you are thinking and change it.  It speaks of the need to reverse your thinking.  This change is not a superficial change, but it is a change that reaches to the very core of your being.

 

      That has happened to us as a nation this past week.  Executive orders were enacted to achieve such a reversal of thought and action for our nation.  We are in the process of closing the prison at Guantanamo Bay and CIA secret prisons in other places.  Indeed we need to repent of the harm and injury inflicted in such places. 

 

      On the other hand, as a nation we are once again engaging in the full-fledged attack upon human life with presidential support for the right to abortion.  Assisted suicide, euthanasia, and forced euthanasia can not be far behind.  Such repentance is depicted in the book of Proverbs as being like a dog returning to its vomit.

 

      That picture is not very pleasing to the eye, ear or stomach is it.  Nor is that picture pleasing to our hearts and minds.  Why is it so?  Why do our hearts become enraged and the hackles rise at these words?  It is because we are seeing what the Lord needs us to see about our thoughts, lives, choices and actions.  For all the good we think we are doing, or all the good we think our elected leaders will do, there is still the painful truth that we are sinners. 

 

      We are sinners who live in rebellion against the God who gives us life.  Like the city of Nineveh, we need to repent of our rebellion against God and sit in humbleness and sackcloth and ashes praying that in the time left for us we will possibly experience the grace and mercy of God rather than his fierce and unyielding judgment.

 

      Nineveh was given forty days to repent.  This was no small task.  Nineveh was a rather large and wealthy city.  To walk around the city took three days journey.  To walk to the city center would take one day’s journey.  Within Nineveh were all manner of temples set apart for the worship of many gods.  There would also be the various businesses associated with the temples and those who sold goods and services to meet the everyday needs of the people.  Yet the outcry of evil had reached the ears of the Lord and He determined forty days to be the time left to Nineveh unless the city should repent.  Indeed, the kingdom of God was near for Nineveh.

 

      Certainly, our nation needs to live in repentance, as did Nineveh, but what about us?  For a nation to live in repentance, the people need to live in repentance.  That was shown by the people of Nineveh turning from their sin and dressing in the clothing of penitence and sorrow.  The people clothed themselves in sackcloth and ashes to show their sorrow over sin and the inward penitential heart.

 

      Consider the number of people recorded in the Scripture who show us what it means to repent.  Even believers need to repent.  St Peter denied his Lord three times, even after being warned that he would commit such a sin.  Yet, after Jesus’ resurrection, a penitent Peter was restored to eternal life. 

 

      St Paul called himself a blasphemer of God and persecutor of the body of Christ, which he truly was.  Yet, the Lord sought him on the road to Damascus, Paul confessed his sin and began to preach the Christ he once persecuted. 

 

      Then, there is Zacchaeus that wee little man with the mountain of sins, the woman caught in adultery, the woman at the well who was cohabiting with a man not her husband, and many others who were shown the need to repent.

 

      If you cannot see yourself in these examples, there are other commandments that have been broken.  Each one of us must confess that we have sought the throne of God in order to be the master of our lives.  Dr. Luther taught that this is the first commandment that is broken when sin is considered or committed.  So if you think you have not broken God’s Law, always remember that in so thinking you are guilty of attempting to steal God’s throne.  What I am saying is, you must never deny, but must always confess and repent of at least one sin.  No one is innocent, not the smallest child nor the eldest adult.

 

      So what is the purpose behind repentance?  Why is repentance an urgent a need for us, whether we are a nation, a city, a congregation or an individual?  Our Lord wants you to have a portion of God’s eternal inheritance.  Listen to his words.

 

      “The time has come.  The kingdom of God is near.  Repent and believe the good news.”

 

      Do you not hear the urgency in these words?  Do you not hear the reason for the urgency?  The time has come.  This is God’s time, not our time.  God has seen all He needs to see, heard all He needs to hear and waited all the time he needs to wait.  Now is the time for God to act.  God is revealing His kingdom, which is near.  Near in the word spoken through the prophets, and near in the word made flesh, near in the water of your baptism, near in the Holy Supper received from God's altar. 

 

      Jesus, the Word made flesh, comes to bring God’s long promised kingdom to light in a sin-darkened world.  This kingdom can only be seen if one looks through the lens of repentance.  This kingdom can only be held if one reaches out with the hand of faith in Jesus Christ.  The blessing of this kingdom can only be found if one sacrifices self and follows after Jesus.  That means to go where Jesus goes and see what Jesus does and proclaim the good news that Jesus gives.

 

      Our Lord is walking around the edge of a calm lake, but he is preparing to wade into the storm tossed sea of sin and death.  Jesus is preaching and teaching with a view to the cross upon which he will give his life as a ransom for sin.  He is gathering disciples to witness this sacrifice and to later on witness to this sacrifice that is the good news of the kingdom of God.  In order to become such witnesses, the disciples will need to repent, believe the good news and follow Jesus on His journey to the cross of sacrifice.

 

      Repent, believe, follow, is near, all these actions are in the present tense.  Do you understand what these words mean?  Repenting is a perpetual practice of the faithful disciple.  Believing is a perpetual trust in Jesus Christ.  Following is a perpetual sacrifice of self to the work of the Gospel.  The Kingdom of God is perpetually near and about to be fully revealed.  Does the urgency make itself more of a reality to you?

 

      The urgency was quite clear to Simon and Andrew and John and James.  They clearly understood what Jesus was teaching and what he was asking of them when he said to them, “Follow me!”  Look at what they were willing to do.  They willingly left their way of life for a better hope.  Do we know they completely left behind an old way of life for a better way of life?  Yes, we do.  For when Jesus spoke concerning the response of the rich young man who loved his wealth more than the kingdom of God, Peter questioned Jesus about their choice.

 

 

      “Peter said to him, "We have left everything to follow you!"

      "I tell you the truth," Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields--and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life.”  Mark 10:28-30

 

      Not everyone is able to leave family and fields to serve the Lord as did the disciples or as do pastors, teachers and other servants of Jesus Christ.  Such a sacrifice is not asked of everyone although you are asked to sacrifice self for the greater blessing of eternal life in Jesus Christ.  For, you have been no less called to serve than the disciples of Jesus Christ.

 

      Have you considered what it is you are able to sacrifice in service to the kingdom of God?  How much time do you devote to your Lord?  How much time do you devote to growing in the knowledge of the kingdom of God?  Here in the worship service we review the basic teachings of the kingdom, yet there is much more to be learned about this kingdom.

 

       Our Lord encourages us to grow to maturity in faith and not be stunted and satisfied with only knowing the basics.  Sacrifice your time to grow to maturity in faith.  Exercise the hand of faith and grasp hold of the kingdom of God through the study of His Word.

 

      How have you shown thanks to God for the material blessings you have received?  Do you sit down to list everything you have received from God’s hand?  Do you then list how you have used such gifts?  What do you consider to be needs that are truly wants?  How can you sacrifice the wants in order to better support the work of the kingdom of God? 

 

      How many meals do you eat at restaurants?  How many packs of cigarettes do you smoke each month?  How many snacks do buy each day?  How many lattes or cans of soda do you drink each week?  How much beer, wine or other alcohol do you drink each week?  What about considering giving up the purchase of one of these wants each week and sacrificing that want to the support of the Gospel here at Our Saviour.

 

      The Lord made Simon, Andrew, John and James fishermen of men.  They traded, or rather they sacrificed the net used for fish to receive a net used for souls.  It is no less the same for you and for me today.  We are entrusted with the mysteries of God, the good news of salvation.  There is great value in this good news.  There is great blessing in this good news.  There is great redemption in this good news.  There is eternal life in this good news.  There is a sacrifice asked from us to see that this kingdom of God continues to be proclaimed today.  This sacrifice begins with repentance, continues in faith, and is consummated in the kingdom of God which is closer than you think.

 

      The Lord Jesus Christ, who calls through the Good news of the kingdom, enable us to will and to do those works which proclaim the good news and are of sacrificial service to the kingdom of God.

 

In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.