Called to Follow - John 1 - Epiphany 2B

Called to Follow

Tony E Dillon Hansen

Sermon based upon John 1:43-51, Psalm 139, 1 Samuel 3: 1-10

Opening Prayer

Dont you love how the day after caucus? There is the blissful silence of phones and less garbage for the mail. All kinds of claims that rot our TV screens that negatively attack people go away until next election.  

We hear (especially during the times leading up to elections) politicians tell us they will lead and that we should "follow."  When they say that, most often, it is ego and ambition that is guiding them. They may frame it as some purpose or vision, but ultimately, they are expressing a form of ambition.

Contrastingly, when Jesus calls upon the disciples, ambition and ego are not part of the “call.”

You have heard me talk about “being called,” and some ask, why do you say this? “I don’t want to be a priest or a nun.” 

“To be called” it isn’t necessarily that, but Jesus calls us to follow - like he calls upon the disciples.

What does that mean?

So we read Jesus calling onto Phillip and Nathaniel to “follow me.” God calls to Eli and Samuel.

That following, To follow, is to witness, to hear, to see, to learn, and to encourage others. 

Phillip expresses this fully with “Come and see.” I have been following this Jesus. He could have went on and added, “I have learned, I have grown, and my eyes have opened wide.”

That is what happens with Jesus. When we let Jesus be in our midst and when we follow Jesus, instead of ego or ambition. We learn, we grow; eyes and hearts open. 

Why?

We let the love be with us and lessons of love tell us and encourage us to open our hearts. 

An epiphany for us then is to let Jesus be with us even when we don’t think we are worthy, when we are struggling, when we don’t think we have enough time, or even when we might curse God. Then is when we ought to find the love and the divine presence with us, talking to us and teaching us. 

You are called to follow, to see - to “come and see” what Jesus brings to you and how that is unique to each of us. 

So the question is what do you see ?  Open your eyes, open your hearts to the word made flesh. 

I submit to you that when we see, when we truly see, we discover- we find. What do you find when you see?

Phillip fiinds Nathaniel . Jesus finds both of them. Jesus sees both of them. 

A call is not a once and done but a way of being and ongoing journey that to follow Jesus is more than just a few words or a one time decision. 

To follow Jesus to be called  then is a daily, hourly thing because we all know that being a good Christian can be difficult as much as it can be graceful.

Jesus calls upon us to believe and to enter into relationship - not only with Jesus  but each other. Jesus sees these people and Jesus sees you, finds you. Jesus is our Shepard and our Shepard looks for us even when we feel lost and thank God for that. Jesus calls upon us to find each other as well - to see each other. 

Yes see the homeless, the mental patient, the drug addict, the prostitute, the prisoner, the migrant and those who are asking questions, those who are trying to understand, as well as those who have made it. Yes God is for you and for us to share love. 

Yes the language of the psalm begins with a thankful prayer, “Lord you have searched me and known me” because God wants you and God knows you. God calls upon you to be more than your own thoughts. God walks with you on your journey - when you let him.

God want wants to reveal the holy presence in our lives when we eat, when we go to bed, when we talk with our friends, when we talk enemies (yes when talk with enemies) and to become more than our thoughts.

That doesn’t require theology degrees or fancy robes. It does require of us to let God be with us - to follow God - instead our ego or ambition. 

Thus the politician that claims all the vision in the world is flawed just like we are but the politician that asks us to find the better angels within, the love and compassion within, that one is guiding us a little closer to the love of Christ.  That one deserves a second look.

Loving Jesus and being called by Jesus is thus a call to follow the good way, the God way through the good times and the bad and with our neighbors and those we disagree.

That Beloved is …

Thanks Be to God.