Follow the Light

Isaiah 9:1-4; Matthew 4:12-23

The Rev. Rick Roderick
PC(USA) Disability Consultant for visual disabilities

Sermon preached at Crescent Hill Presbyterian Church, Louisville, Ky.

"Arise, shine, for your light has come." These are the words from Isaiah in today's Gospel lesson. But why should I talk about light? I can't see it. When I was in seminary, Dave, a new student, moved across the hall from me. He heard typing coming from my room. He came in, and the first thing he said was, "Why are you typing in the dark?" Yet, I can't deny the importance of light for all of us.

Without light, I would not be able to scan books. People could not drive me from place to place. I wouldn't be standing here today.

This dependence on light is particularly evident when the electricity goes out. We think of traffic lights as stoplights, but they are also go lights. When they are not functioning, traffic is backed up for blocks.

Power outages also cause screens to go dark. When we lost electricity in 1987, Carol and I were listening to the radio and heard, "Watch WHAS 11 to find out about the power outages. We asked, "How can we do this?"

Light can also help us to understand a situation. In the middle of a pizza order, I suddenly got the message, "The page cannot be displayed." This happened on every webpage I went to. Nothing worked. Carol looked at the modem lights. The online light was off. No information was coming in or going out. I also learned that the light in the room controls the electricity. Someone had turned it off, shutting down my modem. When I changed outlets, everything came back on. For me, light is like God. I can't see it, but I know it is there. God is the unseen presence for all of us.

Darkness is often a metaphor for confusion and despair. During the reign of King Ahaz of Judah, Assyria was the dominant power. King Tiglath-Pileser was on a tear to grab all the land possible. Judah was a very small kingdom, composed of only two of the twelve tribes. Not only did they have Assyria to worry about from the east, but Israel was also invading them from the north. Ahaz made a decision to do his best to appease Tiglath-Pileser. He sent him gold and silver. Unfortunately, some of this tribute came from the Jerusalem Temple. In return, Assyria decimated Israel, sending many of its people into captivity and bringing others in to replace them. For receiving its aid, Assyria made Judah into a vassal state, requiring yearly tribute.

Isaiah castigated Ahaz for making two wrong moves. First of all, he did not trust God. Second, he gave Tiglath-Pileser what belonged to the Holy One. He stated that a new and better king would be born. Ahaz's son, Hezekiah lived during a time of relative calm when Assyria was distracted by other issues to be as much of a threat to Judah as it had been. When Isaiah said, "Arise, shine, for your light has come,” he was speaking of that better day, not only for the monarchy, but for the people in general.

Jesus lived at a time when most people in Judea and Galilee did not feel much hope. The Romans had invaded. Although the people had relative freedom of worship, they paid high taxes, which were sent to a country that was far away. Soldiers quelled any rebellion with ruthlessness. The Romans appointed all kings and governors. Many people hoped for a Messiah, a deliverer. One of the parts of the Isaiah passage seemed unfulfilled. The prophet had believed that the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun would be saved first. In the opening verses of today's Gospel reading, Matthew looks back at the Isaiah passage and says that Jesus is the fulfillment of this earlier Scripture. Jesus is the light that ends all confusion. Jesus proclaimed "The Kingdom is at hand." Change for the better is on the way. And besides that, he came out of Galilee, where the tribes of Nathtali and Zebulun had once lived.

I find it significant that call follows proclamation. The Light, in the form of Jesus has come and must be followed.

Jesus went to the shore of the Sea of Galilee. He first called Peter and Andrew. They were told that if they follow him, their mission would be much greater than they could possibly have ever imagined. "You will become fishers of people." In other words, "You will change lives." They dropped what they were doing and became disciples. The same thing happened with James and John.

Why did they do this? We don't know. This was not typical of their culture. People generally lived in the same area all their lives. If your father were a fisherman, you would probably be one as well. Yet, these humble men sensed that something bigger was at stake and followed.

Although we live in a very different time and place, we must also follow the Light of Jesus Christ. What can we learn from this story that will make this possible?

The first idea I get from this scripture is that of immediacy. Peter, Andrew, James, and John could have said, "Let's start a Kingdom of Heaven club. You can come over and teach us on Saturday nights." Or "Why don't you get in our boat? We can always use another hand. When we are waiting for the fish to come, you can teach us." But, of course, they didn't do any of these things. They allowed their lives and careers to be transformed.

This passage also teaches us the importance of mentoring. These new disciples were not leaders. They were very ordinary people. They worked, perhaps at a subsistence level. When Jesus taught them, they did not always understand him. They ran from him at the time of his crucifixion. Yet, they became the leaders of what would become the Church.

Mentoring occurs in many ways in today's church. A person may say to a friend, "You've got to come to this church. It is friendly and open." It may happen because of Sunday school teachers, a particular pastor, or a meaningful moment during worship. It may happen in informal gatherings, church dinners, cottage suppers, or retreats. Much of Jesus' teaching didn't occur in preaching situations, and almost none occurred in classrooms. Much took place during meals, while going from one place to another, or on boats.

Sometimes, mentoring is not possible in the strict sense of the word. Our new board of deacons knows its general mission but is turning to Scripture and discussion to determine exactly how to carry it out. However, once this has been determined, this group can mentor those who will later take up the office, so that they can better serve others.

Following the light means being prepared for surprises. Jesus did not pick the religious leaders of his day to become his disciples. He picked fishermen, a tax collector, and others who would have been considered outcasts in his society. His circle broadened to include women and people of all walks of life. His ministry centered in Galilee, a region that was not highly regarded at that time. Although he followed the Torah, he had a way of drawing surprising conclusions from it. He did not come into Jerusalem on a horse or in a chariot, but on a donkey. The disciples didn't know what to expect, and often, we don't either.

If we follow the light of Jesus, we will realize that just like the disciples, we can be fishers of people. Evangelism is not always comfortable for us. Early Reformed theology didn't emphasize it. Sometimes, it is easier to take the path of least resistance and just be among the frozen chosen. Yet, Jesus is calling us to something much greater.

In order to understand evangelism, we should look a bit more closely at what Jesus meant by being fishers of people. When Jesus met Peter, Andrew, James, and John, they were not engaging in angling. They were using big nets to catch tens, and even hundreds, of fish at a time. This was a family business, and everyone had their jobs to do: casting the nets in the water, bringing them in, removing the fish, and cleaning them. All were part of the enterprise. Evangelism is not necessarily going out as individuals and converting others. It is working together as a community of faith to draw more people into a faith in God expressed in community. We let people know about our church, and invite them to worship. We let them know about activities and opportunities for participation and community outreach. We use our individual gifts to work together in God's service.

In 1978, Carol and I were coming back from an ordination service for one of my classmates. A couple of seminary students were in the car with us. We mentioned our dilemma about churches. We just hadn't found our niche yet. They said, "Why don't you come to Crescent Hill. It is a really friendly congregation, and the preaching is good, too." We found everything as they said, and we found much more. Crescent Hill has supported us in times of crisis and is a place where we feel free to share our time and talents.

The process of evangelism sounds a lot like mentoring, and mentoring is the first step. However, evangelism goes beyond getting people familiar with what we are doing. We must be guided by the Holy Spirit to be open to change, not just any change, but God's change in God's time. Failure to do this makes a church an anachronism without context in our community and the world.

If someone wandered into this church from thirty years ago, they might say, a lot of changes have occurred. The building looks different. Only some of the faces are familiar. Worship is done just a bit differently, and the emphasis on mission has increased.

I am proud that so many of these changes has come about in order to become more inclusive. When Carol and I joined the church, the congregation was working through inclusive language issues. During the 90s, I began working with the office to get the bulletin Brailed. This whole process has improved greatly over the years, and I can now read Westminster Ways with a computer and screen reader.

Our building projects have addressed many accessibility issues. The sanctuary entrances have been modified for better wheelchair access and lighting has been improved. When acoustical tile was removed from the ceiling of the sanctuary, assistive listening devices were purchased, making the hearing of the Word possible for more of us. More recently, the sound system has been upgraded.

Our inclusiveness is seen in the opening sentence of our mission statement. Crescent Hill Presbyterian Church welcomes all people, regardless of race, nationality, class, gender, age, ability, sexual orientation, or previous condition of life. We have joined both the Covenant Network and the Accessible Congregations of the National Organization on Disability.

We have been learning from the building task force about a plan for a possible building expansion that would increase accessibility and give us more usable space. It would be expensive, but it could reap great rewards. The movie, Field of Dreams, had the line, "Build a field and they will come." If we build a more accessible building, who knows what the future may hold.

Being fishers of people is about even more than physical accessibility. It is also about mission. To be inclusive is to minister to the world and to be ministered by the world. We have sponsored missionaries that have worked with partner churches in such countries as Peru, the Dominican Republic, the Cameroon, and China. We have also received missionaries from other places. We learn much from Carlos Lara and his family. We have sent mission trips to both Appalachia and Guatemala to see firsthand the situations to which the churches must respond. We realize the nets for catching people are interconnected, and by working together, we can accomplish a great deal

Jesus is the Light of the World. By following this light, we will be able to learn and teach, listen and act, and become a fully inclusive Christian community. By following Jesus, we will be fishers of people, not just keepers of the aquarium. May the Holy Spirit energize us to perform God's work.

Rick is one of four consultants who serve the PC(USA) in the areas of vision, mobility, hearing and developmental/cognitive disabilities.