Answering the Call

Jan. 24 Answering the Call Jonah 3*Psalm 62:5-12*1 Corinthians 7:20-31*Mark 1:14-28

Our readings for today deal with answering God’s call to service in Christ’s name. People are called for a particular job at a particular time, as are we. Jonah is sent to save the Ninevites, even though he doesn’t want to see that happen. Other prophets were called at other points in the story to declare the will of God to a people that had gone astray. The Twelve Apostles were called to proclaim the Good News of Jesus and carried the power to cast out demons and heal the sick. Each of us is called and empowered by the Spirit to be the people we were created to be as we seek to follow in the footsteps of Jesus.

Today, when we discuss a person being called, we usually talk about pastors, missionaries, and others being called into formal service, generally within the Church or one of its agencies. We think only special people are called to special tasks, deserving of special treatment from the rest of us. But since the Day of Pentecost, all those who confess Jesus as their Lord and Savior are filled with the Spirit and are called to serve Him, being active in the Body of Christ and sharing Jesus with a world that desperately needs Him.

In the Old Testament, there was a priesthood of a select few set aside for God. In the New Testament, there is a Priesthood of All Believers, with only one Chief Priest, Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, who has fulfilled and perfected the old priesthood and ushered in a new age for the Church. No longer are there a select few set aside for ministry, we have all been chosen for ministry, called to love God and love our neighbors. But that does not mean that the people chosen in the Old Testament no longer have anything to teach us.

The Book of Jonah doesn’t say much about who Jonah was, only that he was the son of Amittai. In 2nd Kings, we read:

In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, began to reign in Samaria, and he reigned forty-one years. And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. He did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin. He restored the border of Israel from Lebo-hamath as far as the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word of the LORD, the God of Israel, which he spoke by his servant Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet, who was from Gath-hepher. For the LORD saw that the affliction of Israel was very bitter, for there was none left, bond or free, and there was none to help Israel. But the LORD had not said that he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven, so he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash. (2Ki 14:23-27 ESV)

So, Jonah was from an insignificant town, somehow got attached to the king as an advisor of some kind, and was known as a prophet, called by God in a dark time. Jeroboam was not particularly faithful and is known as one of the “bad” kings, but he was used by God to preserve His people. If it wasn’t for the Book of Jonah, Jonah would just be a very minor footnote in the history of Israel. But this was the man God called to go on an incredibly special mission, which Jonah didn’t want to do. Jonah has helped protect the land of Israel, but the Ninevites were their enemies, so it might not make sense that God wants to save them, too. Jonah was sent to Nineveh around 760 B.C., not long before the fall of the Northern Kingdom of Israel to the Assyrian Empire, to which Nineveh was part of.

We aren’t told why God wants to save the city, other than that He has heard about their evil ways. I suppose this would be similar to one of us being called to go to North Korea or Iran. It doesn’t really make sense to us, nor to Jonah, apparently, for he took off in the opposite direction. Why do you think God sent him of all people to save the Ninevites? If nothing else, the story of Jonah may warn us of the consequences of not following God’s call, something we all are most likely guilty of. But God makes Jonah an offer he can’t refuse, and against his will, he winds up in Nineveh. Our reading begins right after the whale that swallowed Jonah brings him to where God wanted him to go. Jonah learns his lesson, sort of, and says in Chapter 2:

“I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay. Salvation belongs to the LORD!" And the LORD spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land. (Jon 2:9-10ESV)

So, Jonah gets up and heads for Nineveh, and warns them of the wrath to come if they do not repent. When we compare this to our own time, we might think it miraculous and even hard to believe that the whole city, including the king, listen to Jonah and turn to God. If only it was so easy for us today! Most people would be thrilled with such an incredible success, in fact most would be happy just to save a few people, but Jonah is not. What does he do? He goes off and pouts! A reminder that God can even use the spiritual immature to accomplish His purposes!

Most of us won’t be called to go save an entire city, but we are called to make an impact in our city. Perhaps the real lesson of Jonah is that we are not to focus too much on what we want to accomplish, or to prove to God that we are right, like Jonah, but to rely on God to direct us through the Spirit to do what He wants to accomplish through us. As we listen for God’s call, we must ask what He wants, and not just assume that what we want to do is His calling to us.

Many pastors at this point in similar sermons will quote Frederick Beuchner, who once said that “Vocation is the place where the world’s greatest need and a person’s greatest joy meet.” How many of you remember hearing this? You probably all have. It sounds nice, but experience has made me wonder if it is true. I have certainly suffered in responding to God’s call, and sometimes must do things that are definitely not a source of joy. Overall, I do get a lot of joy from being a pastor, but sometimes wonder if I would do it again if I started over, knowing what I know now. Sometimes God calls us to do things that we don’t want to do, that cause us to suffer greatly, like Jonah. But we still need to be ready when God calls. We keep asking what we can do for Jesus. We keep seeking to develop a servant’s heart.

Our need for obedience to God’s call is still necessary even though He works differently now than in Jonah’s time. But He still loves his people and wants them to be saved from evil. Certainly, He still calls prophets, but he has given the task of reaching out to the lost to all of us. Perhaps we are thinking that is only the job of pastors and Apostles, but that just doesn’t have any Biblical support.

Let’s look at the Apostles. It has always struck me as haphazard how Jesus chooses them. He just seems to be walking along and invites them to join Him. As far as we know, none of them know anything about Jesus, but they drop what they are doing and immediately follow Him when they are called. But certainly, Jesus knew God’s plan for Himself and for them. But these first men He chose were nothing special until after Jesus’ death, when they were the first to be filled by the Spirit and were sent out into the world to proclaim the Good News of Jesus’ resurrection. On the Day of Pentecost, many more received the Holy Spirit, and soon waves of the Spirit spread out and continues to do so today, as people hear the Gospel and respond in faith.

The Gospel of Mark tells us that:

Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news." As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea--for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, "Follow me and I will make you fish for people." And immediately they left their nets and followed him. (Mark 1:14-18)

“The time is fulfilled.” Or in modern lingo, there’s a new sheriff in town. The old ways are completed, in Christ a new day has come, even before His resurrection. The Kingdom of God has arrived, and the world will never be the same again. It all started with the birth of that baby boy in a manger. It ends when He returns. Until then, we are the ones working to prepare the way of the Lord. We are the ones Jesus is relying on to introduce Him to those who don’t know Him yet.

Our passage from 1st Corinthians is one we may skip over since it seems rather strange. But we remember that all folks who accept Jesus as their Lord are called into God’s people, no matter where they come from or what their station in life is. We have all been called here by God at this particular time to this particular place for a purpose. That doesn’t mean we leave our former lives and places in the world, but we do enter into a new reality in Christ, with a new home after this life. We may not change our jobs or our family life, but we do change our hearts as we allow the Spirit to take control of our lives.

In Paul’s time, apparently some were saying that they needed to split from their spouses to enter the church, and there was also talk about what slaves should do when they were called into God’s people. Paul says:

...let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches...Each one should remain in the condition in which they were called. (1Co 7:20 ESV)

Paul is not talking just about pastors and missionaries, but about all people in the Church. We are all called to be part of the Church, and are all called to play our part, but we are also called to live wherever we find ourselves in the world, such as it is, for now. The old world is passing away, but not quite yet: we now focus on the Kingdom of God and spreading the message of Jesus. As each of us vows to care for each other through Baptism, our calling into the Body of Christ requires us to fulfill what our membership requires, including giving of our time, gifts, and treasures, and our very lives. Our goal as a church should be to have all members involved in ministry, whether in the church or out in the world.

So, as we move forward, the question is not if we have been called, because we are all called to play our part in the Body of Christ. The question is: how are we going to respond to that call at this time in the context we are in? What are we going to do to share Christ with our neighbors? What are we going to do to show God’s love to our world? What can we do for those around us who need our help; what are we going to do for our country in Christ’s name in a time of division and a pandemic? What are we going to do for ourselves to help us grow in God’s wisdom and be better prepared to answer His call?

We generally think that we are called once, and that’s it. We have a “lifetime” calling. That may be for some people, but for others, God’s call can change over time as He needs us to do something else. Or perhaps you have received a calling, but God tweaks it or adapts it to something new. No matter how old we are or where we are, we always listen for the voice of God to guide us and direct our steps as we seek to serve Him and His people. When God’s call comes, we too must immediately obey. Are you ready?