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12 When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he withdrew to Galilee. 13 Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali— 14 to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah: 15 “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles— 16 the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” 17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” 18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 20 At once they left their nets and followed him. 21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. 23 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. (Matthew 4:4:12-23 NIV)
The cartoons of yore got it right. Whenever they wanted to show the power of attraction of an aroma, the inviting odor would take a snake-like shape and waft its way through the air in visible form usually from the cooking pot to the very nostrils of the intended recipient. In the cartoons the aroma was hard to resist, sometimes lifting up the man, usually heavy-set and male, and carry him to the kitchen where the food was being prepared. The Apostle Paul used that in his message such as 2 Corinthians 2:14-15, "For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing." Paul knew that we, if we are connected and obedient to Jesus, we are to those who need Him, that enticing aroma of life and freedom that can lead them there. And as a part of that aroma, the words from John the Baptist and Jesus Himself, "Repent, for the kingdom of Heaven has come near," attracted them to life as found in Jesus.
I was eight years old when a pastor of mine gave the invitation, like many pastors still do Sunday after Sunday, to come to the Lord if you hadn't already. Our pastor does and I always pray that if they don't come forward they will, in the silence and privacy of their hearts, invite Jesus into His heart. One of the first times I visited and our pastor made the invitation and three children came up! I also said out loud, "Hallelujah," but then realized the three were the acolytes. Sigh. I've shared the story of Rev. Dr. Zan Holmes, a preaching professor at SMU and also senior pastor of a large church in Dallas, shared how he wanted to grow his church and knew that having an effective altar call would be one of the keys and so he went to the Cokesbury store in downtown Dallas to see if United Methodists had books in their bookstore about altar calls. Nope. Zero. None. Hmm, he thought, maybe the Baptists do in their bookstore. So, he wore dark glasses, a hat, and an overcoat in hopes of not being spotted in a Baptist bookstore by other Methodists. He discovered there were shelves and shelves on altar calls, and bought an armload of them, and that became the remedy he sought. And his church grew!
People are still walking in darkness. The need to repent is still there in a lot of hearts. People still hunger for forgiveness; and God is still the answer and source of the fullness of life; why do we need gimmicks or tricks to get people to come to Jesus? The truth is that like Andrew, it starts with our being willing to tell someone we know and love, about Jesus. Andrew met Jesus and believed in Him right away and Andrew knew he needed to tell his brother, Simon Peter, about Jesus. Peter believed Andrew and became not only a disciple, but the lead disciple and the one known as the first Pope of the Catholic Church. People telling people is what will bring light to darkness. The "Come, follow me," first spoken by Jesus can be spoken by us as we tell them about life and its fullness as we have found it in Jesus. Jesus told fishermen, "And I will send you out to fish for people." Hunters? You can "hunt" people for the Kingdom; and fill in the blank; whatever you relate to may relate to others as they seek to share the good news with the world.
The Epiphany reminds us that Christ is still being revealed, still walking the shorelines of our ordinary lives, still calling. The question is whether we'll recognize him when he comes—and whether we're willing to leave our nets behind. The goal remains the same: Let's win the world for Jesus Christ!
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, Light of the World, you came to those dwelling in darkness and called them by name. Open our eyes to recognize you in the ordinary moments of our lives. Give us the courage of those first disciples to leave behind whatever keeps us from following you fully. We confess that our nets—our securities, our plans, our comfortable routines—often feel safer than the unknown path of discipleship. Yet you promise to make us fishers of people, to give us purpose beyond anything we could manufacture for ourselves. Help us to hear your voice above the noise of our busy lives, and grant us grace to respond with the same immediate, wholehearted yes. In your holy name we pray. Amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: This week, ask yourself: What are my nets? What securities, comforts, or plans might Jesus be inviting you to set aside in order to follow him more fully? Choose one concrete step of obedience—it might be beginning a conversation you've been avoiding, offering forgiveness you've been withholding, or serving in a way that stretches you beyond your comfort zone. Don't wait for perfect clarity or ideal circumstances. Follow the example of Peter, Andrew, James, and John: respond immediately to the call you've already heard.
I love you and I thank God for you! You matter to God and you matter to me! We have lots of work to do!
Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.
