Sermon for Jan. 22, 2023, Epiphany 3A
Matthew 4:12-23 The Message Version
When Jesus got word that John had been arrested, he returned to Galilee. He moved from his hometown, Nazareth, to the lakeside village Capernaum, nestled at the base of the Zebulun and Naphtali hills. This move completed Isaiah’s revelation:
Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali,
road to the sea, over Jordan,
Galilee, crossroads for the nations.
People sitting out their lives in the dark
saw a huge light;
Sitting in that dark, dark country of death,
they watched the sun come up.This Isaiah-prophesied revelation came to life in Galilee the moment Jesus started preaching. He picked up where John left off: “Change your life. God’s kingdom is here.”
Walking along the beach of Lake Galilee, Jesus saw two brothers: Simon (later called Peter) and Andrew. They were fishing, throwing their nets into the lake. It was their regular work. Jesus said to them, “Come with me. I’ll make a new kind of fisherman out of you. I’ll show you how to catch men and women instead of perch and bass.” They didn’t ask questions, but simply dropped their nets and followed.
A short distance down the beach they came upon another pair of brothers, James and John, Zebedee’s sons. These two were sitting in a boat with their father, Zebedee, mending their fishnets. Jesus made the same offer to them, and they were just as quick to follow, abandoning boat and father.
From there he went all over Galilee. He used synagogues for meeting places and taught people the truth of God. God’s kingdom was his theme—that beginning right now they were under God’s government, a good government! He also healed people of their diseases and of the bad effects of their bad lives. Word got around the entire Roman province of Syria. People brought anybody with a sickness, whether mental, emotional, or physical. Jesus healed them, one and all. More and more people came, the momentum gathering. Besides those from Galilee, crowds came from the “Ten Towns” across the lake, others up from Jerusalem and Judea, still others from across the Jordan.
Try to put yourself in this story. You fish for a living. You are living in Palestine. Most of the time it’s hot, but you get to go out on the lake, so unlike the day laborers, the vineyard workers, and animal herders, you get some relief.
But the fishing business is not what it used to be. Rome has commercialized it. Every fish pulled up in your nets is taxed, and that tax is in addition to the Roman tribute tax and the temple tax.
None of those taxes were going to provide schools, health care, or social security. They were spent on palaces, banquets, and Roman armor. So, life is hard.
You don’t like the current situation, but there is nothing you can do about it. It is not like it was in the past. You have been taught the stories of your people’s history, back when you were free from foreign domination.
You remember the stories of the time of King David when the kingdom was united and free, but that was a long time ago.
At the Sabbath synagogue service, you have also heard readings from your ancient prophets. They had a lot to say about justice; mostly about injustice which they called out.
But they also held out hope for a better future. They spoke of days to come in which people who lived in circumstances that could only be described as dark would one day see a great light. They spoke of those coming days when oppression would end using metaphors like the breaking of a heavy yolk carried on the necks of oxen.
That sounds wonderful, but those prophets’ words seem like an ancient fantasy all these years later. Now you wear the Roman yolk.
But one day, as you are there in your boat not far offshore, casting and recasting the net, someone comes along and calls you. You hear him say something striking. First, he says,
“Change your life.”
And then he gives the reason,
“God’s kingdom is here.”
What could it mean to be called to change your life? What would need to change? What would that change require of you? At first, you have no idea, but you feel compelled to follow this person who seems to have the confidence of one of those ancient prophets.
As you listen to his teaching, you become aware that the call to change your life is going to involve some massive re-orientations. You are going to have to think differently than you used to.

For starters, he tells you that you will be fishing in the future, not for your supper, but for people. In other words, your whole life orientation will become other-centered. Your attention will be turned outward.
There are people all around in desperate need of some good news, and you are going to be the one to bring them hope. So, it’s not about you anymore; it’s about being a conduit of compassion.
But the reason there is hope is going to involve another huge reorientation. The reason for changing your life and becoming other-oriented is, he said, because “
God’s kingdom is here.”
He explains, you are now
“under God’s government”.
That is puzzling. How, you wonder, could that be true? Roman soldiers enforce the Empire’s domination in every marketplace and over every boat.
Well, this is just the beginning. You will be learning a lot from Jesus in the days to come.
You will soon hear the Beatitudes and the rest of the Sermon on the Mount.
You will learn how to pray in an intimate, personal way.
You will hear some amazing parables and watch how he interacts with people, from sick people to critics.
And you will begin to understand that the oppression you have suffered from all these years goes way deeper than politics and economics.
You will start to learn that your mind has been dominated as well.
That is why he began his call by saying
“Change your life.”
If politics and economics were the deepest problems, as most of your compatriots believe, then the solution may be found in revolution.
That is what a lot of your friends are whispering about on the boats and behind the market stalls. Take up the sword where Joshua left off, they say, and rid the land of its current Philistines, the Romans.
The one who called you to change your life is going to be teaching you that there are two problems with that plan.
The first is practical. Those who live by the sword die by the sword. Revolution will produce a river of blood up to the horse’s bridle. It’s a fool’s errand. (Side note: they eventually did revolt and it ended horribly in the year 70.)
The second reason is deeper. Violence begets violence. The cycle will only stop when you learn to stop returning it. Instead, turn the other cheek, go the second mile, and learn to forgive, even your enemies. Love your enemies. Change your life. Start living as if God were king.
Start believing that God’s will can be done on earth as it is in heaven. Start forming communities of inclusion and compassion where sharing is characteristic, and no one leaves the table hungry.
Do you feel called, like those people in the boat? Come, Jesus says.
Come to me all of you who are weary and carrying burdens.
Matt. 11:28
Come, change your life. Let God be in charge. Open the door to others. Share the table. There is enough for all of us.
This is good news. There is a risk he is asking you to take. But if he is right, there is great reward. Come.