Redeem the Time

Mark 1:14-20

January 23, 2000

The sound of his voice was immediately recognizable. It was strong, demanding, and had the effect of raising one from a dead sleep to being wide awake. “Richard! Let’s get at it.” That was the voice of my adopted father. Every morning at 5:30 I was startled awake by the sound of that voice booming into my bedroom, bouncing off the walls, and bursting into my head. It sure got my attention. I never had a problem waking up in my adult life because inwardly, I was ready to respond to that voice. Sometimes I still jump when Bonnie wakens me from sleep. Then she jumps and one might think we were doing a dance.

There is a point to this. Have you ever thought about how good it might be if God would just audibly, and firmly call out your name so you could respond? Of course God is not in the habit of doing that. But, He, for sure, is calling our name. And that brings us to the goal of our meditation today. We want to hear and respond to Jesus’ call to personal faith and discipleship.

The story is told of how a little child invited a friend to church. The friend was a little puzzled after the service because he did not see God. So the child’s mom explained that God is Spirit and somewhat like the wind. We can’t see the wind, but we can see what it does, like a balloon being blown up, or like a flag waving in the breeze.

Something similar happens when God speaks. We are not accustomed to hearing His voice and often do not recognize it. Even when Jesus walked and talked on this earth, people did not always hear His message. As if by signal Jesus went about doing the work He was sent to do. John, the Baptizer, was in prison and about to die when Jesus said, “The time has come, The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!” In other words, He was saying to sinners, “It’s your time. Turn from your wickedness and live.” The message to us still is, “Repent and believe … !” “Turn from you wickedness and live.”

Even so, some people do not hear this call of God because they do not think they are in need of repentance. Nor do they believe that God is speaking personally to them. On the other hand, some want to hear God’s voice when and where He does not speak. Essentially, it is the same today as it was in the days of the prophets, and in the day of the Lord Jesus Christ. People still harden their hearts against the voice of God and His kingdom.

In our eclectic society, we take as much time as we feel is necessary to pick-and-choose the spiritual things we want, while we have no problem assigning what we don’t want to the dung heap. Can you see the problem? Do you see what we are capable of doing to God’s Word and Message and Call? Jonah is undoubtedly a good example of this very thing. How very sad and telling of humanity, that, even this prophet had to be called to “Turn from his wickedness and live.”

My friends, it is just as the apostle says: “Time is short.” Our time is short. Now is the time for repentance and faith. Now is the time of God’s calling. So, let us redeem the time we have, to live out our lives as the children of light that we have been called to be. Let us ask God to open our hearts and minds to hear and to receive the good news in faith. And what is that good news? It comes from Jesus Himself. “Come follow me.”

Yes, follow Jesus on His way to Calvary and the Cross. See what He does for you, healing and teaching and forgiving. Yes, follow Jesus to the Resurrection and the empty tomb. See how life is restored by God, raising up the downtrodden with peace and love. Yes, follow Jesus to His glory at the powerful right hand of God. And gaze in utter awe at His mighty power to seek and to save the lost, and to bring love to the loveless, hope to the hopeless, life to the lifeless. “Come, follow me,” He says to you and to me, “and I will make you fishers of men.”

Is not God calling us to reach out in love through child care? Yes! Is not God calling us to reach out in love through sharing our space with the People Of the Book (POBLO)? Yes! Is not God calling us to reach out in love to sinners who need His help in many other ways that He might touch them through His Word and Sacraments? Yes! God is calling us to reach out in love as He also reaches out to us in love, forgiving our sins and keeping us safe in His kingdom of grace, through faith? “The time has come,” He says. So let us redeem the time that He has given us. Amen.