RESPONDING TO GOD’S CALL, FOLLOWING JESUS

1 Samuel 3:1-10; John 1:35-51

January 18, 2009 - Rev. Janet Robertson Duggins

Today’s stories are stories about hearing God’s call. Samuel, when he finally recognizes that it’s God’s voice calling him, responds with willingness to hear. And when Jesus invites them to do so, Andrew and an unnamed friend, Simon Peter, Phillip, and Nathanael follow him.

Think about what that means for a minute. What comes to mind when you think about “following Jesus”? How would you define what that means?

Some possibilities:

trying to do what Jesus would do

loving people the way Jesus would

speaking truth to power

telling good news

helping the poor

feeding the hungry

welcoming the stranger

forgiving

healing

giving

doing the right thing

sacrificing

being Christ-like

rejecting sin and relinquishing bad habits

praying

teaching

serving others

being part of the church’s ministry

using your gifts well to serve and honor God

There is SO much that we might say about what might be involved in following Jesus, isn’t there? It might not be just the same for each one of us – we are different, we have different gifts to offer, and so probably what we are called to is not exactly the same for every one of us – but we certainly can come up with a lot to say about what it might mean. The gospel accounts of Jesus life give us many clues.

But what I think is so interesting about John’s account of Andrew, Simon Peter, Phillip and Nathanael, and their first steps in following Jesus is that NONE of the things we’d be likely to name as part of “following Jesus” are in evidence. We read not a word about feeding the hungry, speaking up for the oppressed, changing our lives, being faithful in church attendance… nothing at all.

What’s even stranger is that when Jesus says “follow me” they do just that, with almost no questions. Andrew and the other guy have only John the Baptist’s word for it that Jesus is the one sent from God; Simon comes to see Jesus because Andrew is so excited about him. Jesus finds Phillip and says “follow me,” and with that Phillip goes off to tell Nathanael that Jesus is the one the prophets wrote of. Nathanael is pretty skeptical at first but he’s very impressed by the fact that Jesus seems to know that a) he’s an honest guy and b) he was sitting under a fig tree at some previous, unspecified time. So they follow Jesus, never mind that his invitation is rather short on specifics. Wouldn’t you think they ask something? (“What’s your plan? Where’s the money coming from? What are the main points of your platform? What is it you hope to accomplish? What’s our job description here? What’s the itinerary? Can I see the fine print in the contract? Can I have some time to consider the pros and cons of your offer?”) But no, they just go along without another word, without the least idea of what this is all going to be about.

We can’t imagine it. Well, for one thing, we have commitments and responsibilities; we can’t just go off half cocked and change everything about our lives, because Jesus says, “follow me.” And IF we were going to do such a major thing, we’d want to take our time, think things over, make sure there’s a plan in place. But the hardest thing of all to imagine is giving up control (or the illusion of it) for the unknown.

Why did they do it?

There’s nothing in the text to explain it… except Jesus himself. It appears that it’s nothing more or less than the personal encounter with Jesus that changes the direction of these four lives.

John tells this story this way, I believe, to dramatize for us the point he will go on to reiterate throughout his gospel: that it’s all about who Jesus is. If we don’t get it from the astonishingly immediate response of the new disciples, we might notice the “names of Jesus” sprinkled through the story: In sixteen verses, Jesus is referred to as “Lamb of God,” “Rabbi,” “Messiah” (or “Anointed One”), “him about whom Moses… and the prophets wrote,” “Jesus, son of Joseph from Nazareth,” “Son of God,” “King of Israel,” and “Son of Man” – an Old Testament term, from Ezekiel, which is thought to be a messianic title. And at the very end, in what is a reference to the ancient story of Jacob and his vision in which he saw a ladder with angels going up and down; here Jesus identifies himself as that bridge linking heaven and earth.

The message seems to be that following Jesus is, first and foremost, about a connection with Jesus himself, who cannot be fully defined by any one name or title or role. It’s not that we are wrong to say that following Jesus means caring for the marginalized or being transparently honest in all we do or making a commitment to a faith community. On the contrary, it’s vitally important that we get specific about what it following Jesus looks like, that we “put flesh on the idea,” so to speak. But we shouldn’t make the mistake of thinking that any to-do list, or even any list of virtues, can describe what it means to be one of Jesus’ disciples. More than anything else, being a disciple means consenting to this relationship of walking through life in company with Jesus. We don’t start out knowing all about who he is or what it means to follow him. As we walk with him, we learn who he is. And as we get to know him, we learn what it means to follow him.

But first, we have to hear the call, and respond to it. John’s account makes it sound like that came easily enough for Andrew and Peter, Phillip and Nathanael. Maybe it was harder for them than he suggests; or perhaps something about their time and circumstances made them ready and eager to respond. But it seems to me that the way Samuel’s situation is more like our own.

Is there any sentence in scripture that sounds more relevant than what we read in the first verse of the story: “The Word of the Lord was rare in those days” ? It sounds so much like our world, doesn’t it? This story has a comic but biting satire to it: even in the temple, the center of worship and the most sacred of spaces, God’s voice is so unexpected that it’s not recognized on the first couple of tries. Samuel, a young boy who is being raised in the temple to serve God, nevertheless doesn’t actually yet know God.

It’s easy enough, if a little uncomfortable, to picture this; we are familiar with the reality that it’s possible to be busily about “doing things for God” without having any genuine connection of love or understanding.

As hopeless as the time seemed, adrift though the people were, we are told that “the lamp of God had not yet gone out.” But Samuel’s sleep is disturbed by the sense of someone calling him, and he has to find out who and why. Eventually, Eli the priest, who has in very many ways fallen short of God’s calling to spiritual leadership for his people, kind of “wakes up” here, and tells Samuel that the voice he is hearing must be God. Can Samuel have had any idea what it would mean to do as Eli tells him, and respond by saying that he is God’s servant, ready to listen? I can’t imagine that he did. But he stepped into that unknown and unpredictable future anyway, when he expressed himself willing to listen to God speaking to him. He began to know God, and nothing was the same after that.

None of the people in either of these stories started out with great theological understanding - with a close knowledge of God - and they didn’t magically acquire it all of a sudden, either. But they found themselves in the presence of the One who saw and knew them better than they knew themselves, and that was all they needed to know that it was ok, more than ok, to say “yes” to God’s call, without any more information than that. We learn from them that that’s what makes the risk of saying “yes” to God’s call an “okay” risk to take. Because we ARE known and we are loved… the relationship that this call invites us to embrace is new only to us. To God, of course, we have been always known and loved.

None of the people in these stories thought of themselves as competent messengers of God’s truth. But we learn from them what a significant thing it is to bring someone to the place where he or she can hear God’s call. And at the same time we learn that (as we have heard said) it isn’t rocket science. Eli simply told Samuel that it must be God talking, and that he should listen. John the Baptist told of a couple of his own followers that they should pay attention to Jesus. Andrew brought his brother and introduced him to Jesus. Phillip told Nathanael his own reaction, and invited his skeptical friend to come and see. As Jesus’ followers our job is to bear witness, with grace, to the light that shines on our lives as we walk with Jesus. Great communication skills, strong powers of persuasion, compelling theological arguments, high tech methods, and even persistence all have their place… but they are not necessarily required… it’s God’s grace, Jesus’ loving presence, the work of God’s Spirit that opens hearts to hear the call.

None of the people in either of these stories were expecting to have their lives interrupted and rerouted by the call of God. We learn from them that God’s call comes in surprising ways, not always when and where we might have thought. And we learn from them that listening to God, responding to the call, and following Jesus is life-changing and life-giving… but we don’t get to be in charge, make the plans, receive a detailed itinerary, or have all our questions answered up front. We just have to listen, and take the first step, and know that Jesus will walk that step - and all the rest of them - with us.

Resources:

Feasting on the Word; Year B, volume 1

“Living by the Word” in The Christian Century, January 13, 2009, by Cynthia Anderson