The Third Sunday of Epiphany

Our readings are Amos 3:1-8; 1 Corinthians 1:10-18; and Matthew 4:12-23, and the general theme I take from them is the radical nature of Jesus Christ’s call to us, His followers.  The Gospel lesson recounts how Jesus called His first disciples, asking them to leave their means of earning a living, their homes and their families and everything familiar to them, to follow Him around the country, homeless and without a certain future.  From many other teachings of Jesus, it is clear that this radical call is not unique to the first disciples nor to the early church, but is rather the essence of Jesus’ call to all His followers.  As author and pastor David Platt writes, radical abandonment of the trappings of this world is the very heart of Jesus’ call throughout the Gospels.  Recognizing that we, for the most part, have not fully lived up to our Savior’s call, my sermon asks us to wrestle with that a bit, and suggests a resolution for us which affirms all Jesus asks of us, yet offers a way for us to deal with our shortcomings as disciples.  I hope and pray that I’ll see you in church this Sunday.

With much love and many prayers,

Paul+