Epiphany 3 Redeemer Mark 1: 14-20
Let’s talk about life interruptions today…That is the Gospel in a nutshell.
For some of us the word that most interrupts our lives is, “Mommy….”
For some of us the next word is from a spouse “ Our name…followed by where is; what is; who is; when is?”
Watch a program and get distracted by the commercials.
Just about to glue a critical piece of a cup back together and the door bell or phone rings.
Drive down the street and a red light stops our trips.
How about interruptions we have had deep in our past that changed our lives.
Have you ever gone back to your childhood home? Something interrupted you from living there anymore. What was it? My interruption was going off to college to live in a dorm. And when I went home again, many years later the house seemed small but filled with memories. Then Larry and I moved in with our infant son and made new memories in my old memories house. Now the house is torn down and a new house with no memories is in its place.
When I see that house, I think about moving out, moving in, moving out again. Life interruptions, changes, big changes in my life.
Look at interruptions in your own life.
What goals did you have at 5, 15, 35, 45, 65?
What happened in your life story? What were the interruptions and where did the road lead you? Many big surprises?
The texts today are about redirection in our lives after being interrupted and re-directed.
Here’s a thought:
What if the point of life is not what we are doing, but what we do after we are interrupted.
In the text Jonah is to preach destruction, but it gets stopped because of repentance.
In the Gospel John’s baptismal ministry is interrupted and John sent to Jail
Simon and Andrew, James and John get distracted from their jobs to follow Jesus.
Later in the Gospel Jesus interrupts people’s lives by calling them to be disciples of the Good News of Jesus .
Here’s a thought:
Interruptions can only happen when there is a plan. When there is no plan there is no interruptions.
Plans mean we project from now to the future and calculate what will happen. We try and manipulate the outcome by setting things in motion that will influence how things will come out.
For example If we study for a test we have a better outcome than just guessing on the test.
If we make preparations for a wedding will, it will be less chaotic when the big day arrives.
We use blueprints to build a house.
If we get our vaccinations we are trying to preserve our health by avoiding illness.
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God’s Plan is what we are to be about
We may think that we are in charge, but we are not
Being "fishers of people for Christ" has been a common theme of evangelism throughout church history.
In our text some guys leave their business to join with Jesus. But we know that in our everyday lives we can serve Jesus. We can serve Jesus when we clean house, get our reports done, do well in school, fix the plumbing for the glory of God.
It is so great to think that the ordinary of everyday lives becomes holy when dedicated to Christ.
In his high priestly prayer, Jesus prayed that his disciples would not be taken out of this world, but remain in it to transform it as the salt of the earth and leaven in the loaf, blooming where they're planted.
And age is not barrier for our preaching Jesus. Here is a story.
Six-Year..Old Missionary
Milton L. Rudnick recalls the faith of a six-year-old boy named Billy as he spoke to his friend Celia. “Celia, Jesus was the nicest person who ever lived. He was so good to everyone. If they were sick, He would make them well. If they were hungry, He would feed them, If they were sad, He would cheer them up. He was so nice. But some had people hated Him, and one day they caught Him and they hurt Him and they killed Him.”
“I think I heard about that once,” Celia interrupted. “They stuck arrows in Him, didn’t they?”
“No, they hung Him on a cross. But He didn’t have to let them do that,” Billy quickly added. “He wasn’t just a man. He was God, too, and He could have stopped them, But He let them do it anyway, and you know why, Celia? He did it for us, so that God would not have to punish us for the bad things that we do.”
Celia responded, “Aw, He shouldn’t have done that.”
“But He didn’t stay dead,” Billy explained excitedly. “Three days later He came back to life again. He went to see His friends, and were they ever glad to see Him! Then, after a while, He went back to heaven again, but you know what? He’s still here anyway. We can’t see Him, but He’s here all the time. When we’re good, it really makes Him happy When we’re bad, it makes Him sad. And someday, Celia, He’s going to come back from heaven and we will be able to see Him, and He’s going to take us to heaven to be with Him forever. Isn’t that wonderful?”
And isn’t it wonderful that Billy’s parents shared with him the greatest gift of all—Jesus…and even greater that he shared the story with Celia?
I wonder how that story will interrupt Celia’s life now that she knows about Jesus.
Something little like that can send us to Jesus and make us a follower.
We as Christians need to be aware that we re-build our lives after interruption one minute at a time.
Each time we pray, spend time with our Lord, we are building our life of faith.
Each time we look past ourselves, give of ourselves, we are building our life of faith.
Life is like a stream, it looks the same, but it is different all the time.
The water looks always like water passes by and new water atoms take the place of the old. It looks the same but is different.
Each minute of our lives may seem the same. Each week the same, but every time is different and unique. We show up at the same place each day, or week and it is similar. But time has passed, we are different and when we show up we are different people than we were and the place is different.
That is what Christ is doing in this text. Men going to work the same as usual, doing the same thing they have done for years, but there is an interruption, and their lives take a new and tremendously different path.
We are challenged today to invite the interruption of Christ into our lives and to take a new direction.
We may show up at the same places as we did last week. Our lives may seem the same, but in the interruption of Christ into the center of our being we are radically different.
The old form of the world is passing away and the new is coming.
That is where we live.
We like the disciples must stop, be interrupted, and follow Christ.
Pastor Andrea Anastos says it this way:
“As we allow God more and more deeply into the very center of our being, our form will be shaped gracefully for its eternal work and God’s eternal vision. As each of us is changed individually by our obedience to God’s desire, our communities will be changed, our schools, hospitals, and governments, and social programs will pass from this world to eternal agendas. The form of this world will pass away not simply because what is temporal dies, but because each of us is intentionallycommitted to helping God create the form that was God’s intention for creation from the beginning of tie. Truly God’s commonwealth will come and God’s will shall be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
Amen
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