Texts: Jonah 3:1-5, 10; 1 Corinthians 7:29-31; Mark 1:14-20
The sun was shining this weekend, and as many of you know, that can be a rare thing this time of year with the rain and darkness. So my wife Kelly and I decided to take advantage and go for a long walk on Saturday. During our walk, we came across some evangelists who were handing out information on the gospel and encouraging people to think about their salvation. You may have seen these people out in the city yourself. It is an interesting way to share the gospel, and interesting that they feel God has called them in this way. I will admit, that this way is not for me. I am not so sure if God called or summoned me to share the gospel or follow Jesus by standing on a street corner that I would respond.
We have read three texts this morning, and each one talks about the importance of responding to God’s summons to share the good news with other people. Jonah is called to share the good news with the people of Ninevah. 1 Corinthians tells us to not delay in answering God’s summons, and we should have a sense of urgency about it. Our gospel text from Marks tells the story of Jesus calling his first disciples, who rather dramatically leave their whole way of life - their jobs, their family - to follow Jesus without hesitation. I think this raises a few questions for us this morning. What is so important about God’s summons to share the good news? Why is there an urgency in sharing it and following Jesus? And, what exactly is this “good news” that God and Jesus call us to share and believe in?
A few years ago, there was a pastor who started a call with a new congregation. The congregation was struggling, and there were lots of opinions on how to energize the congregation. The new pastor shared their ideas with the congregation and this caused disagreement with a couple who were quite vocal about their own opinion of what the church should do. This disagreement turned into conflict: personal attacks were made, things were said that shouldn’t have been said, and despite mediation from the Bishop, they could not resolve the conflict. The couple swore they would never return to the church. The pastor, while not voicing it, was rather glad they had decided so. They did not speak to each other for months.
Then, on Christmas Eve, the pastor got a phone call from a member of the congregation. The couple he had not spoken to had gotten in a car accident. While their injuries were not serious, they were confined to rest at home and would not be able to attend Christmas Eve services at any church. The pastor was faced with a dilemma. On one hand, he felt he was under no obligation to reach out to the couple. The pastor admitted to themselves that they were hurt by the insults and accusations the couple had made towards them. But, the pastor felt something was summoning him to go to them. So the pastor drove to their home and knocked on the door. The husband answered, and surprisingly, he invited the pastor in. Little was said about the conflict, but the pastor read the Christmas story with them, shared communion with them, wished them Merry Christmas, and departed to lead Christmas Eve service at the congregation.
Jesus summons us to repent, and believe in the good news. The good news is this: we are always offered the opportunity to turn away from our sinful ways and turn back to God, to God’s grace, love, and forgiveness. And this good news is for people - all people. As believers in this good news, we are summoned to share it with people, to become fishers of people. Maybe we are like Jonah and are reluctant to do so. Yet, when we consider the ways of life today and the ways of the world that tell us to value things over people, to value our own time, our own beliefs and opinions, and our possessions, perhaps this summons to share the good news with people is not just important, but vital to our salvation now. The Kingdom of God has come near. It is here now, and it is for people, now! It is for people who are hurting, who are treated with little dignity, and who urgently need to know their lives have value. And so it is urgent for us to answer God’s summons to share this good news. And it is for this summons to follow Jesus and for the good news we can say thanks be to God. Amen.