Immediately

Text: Matthew 4:12-25

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

          “And [Jesus] said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.’ Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. And going on from there He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John His brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and He called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed Him.”

There are things that we do immediately out of instinct and out of pure reaction. The deer darts out of the field in front of our car and without even thinking about it our foot flies from the gas to the brake pedal. Our favorite team scores the winning touchdown and before the referee even signals for it we’re out of our seat and cheering. But then there are the times when our reaction isn’t quite so immediate. Mom or dad asks you to take out the trash while you’re watching your favorite tv show and instead of getting up and cheering it’s more like you’re glued to the seat, unable, or unwilling to move. Or the taxes need to be done, and you’ve known about it since January, and yet it’s April 14^th and you’re finally searching for those final forms and receipts you need to get it done. So, what is it that makes us react so immediately in some circumstances, and so slowly in others? In the instances I just mentioned it has a lot to do with the necessity or the appeal of the activity being described. In our Gospel for today it has everything to do with the One who is appealing for the action. And that same One, Jesus, says to us daily, “Follow me.” Our response to that appeal should be to

IMMEDIATELY FOLLOW HIM.

          And yet, that’s not always our first or immediate response. Because we have a natural tendency to be hesitant to jump into something we’re not sure of. We tend to weigh the risks and rewards and then make a calculated decision about which way we’re going to go. But that wasn’t always the case. Think about how much more likely you were as a 2-year-old to jump off the couch. Or as a 5-year-old to jump out of tree. You did it without hesitation. I just watched Frieda the other day climb up onto a wobbly end table almost as tall as she is and without a second of hesitation dive off it onto a thin cushion on the floor.

But as children grow up, real-life risks become clearer. The child who has fallen out of that tree and broken their arm obviously becomes more hesitant to climb the tree again. But that same child’s confidence will resurface when someone stronger comes to help them. That simple act of being present creates a level of trust and confidence that had become weakened. The same is true when we consider the power of God being near to us. His presence creates the confidence to follow Him wherever He asks us to go. And to do whatever He asks us to do.

It’s the only way to explain the disciple’s reaction to Jesus’ invitation to follow Him. “While walking by the sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew His brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.” Peter and Andrew are just going about their business. Literally, their business. It’s not like they had the day off and decided to go down to the lake to catch a couple bass. This was their livelihood. And here comes Jesus with an offer that had to have sounded strange to them. “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” It’s an offer, but it’s also a command. Jesus expected that they would follow Him. And the text doesn’t tell us that they thought about it for a while or went home to sleep on it overnight. They didn’t consider the loss of income or status at losing their jobs. “Immediately they left their nets and followed Him.”

Jesus extends that same invitation and command to you. “Follow me.” And in the same way that His presence comforted the disciples to be able to leave their nets and follow Him, it should comfort and strengthen you. Jesus does urge His disciples to consider the cost of discipleship, recognizing the sacrifices that will need to be made to be His follower, but He also then says, to take up our cross and follow Him. Which is only possible because we know that He took up His cross, carrying it all the way to Golgotha, and willingly laid down His life for us. Knowing that, and understanding the cost He paid for you, you can put aside all the hesitation and excuses that are so easy to conjure up and immediately follow Him.

And that following of Christ, who walks beside us to make the difficult road easier, means that there are other things that we can’t hesitate to do. Because even as faithful Christians we can tend to push aside the importance of restoring our broken relationships with the Lord, and with each other. We make excuses about why it’s alright that we do this or that. We justify ourselves by saying that it was someone else’s fault and not our own. The only thing Jesus said in our Gospel reading before He called the disciples to follow Him was “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” It’s a powerful message and a powerful motivator. Because deep down we all know that we’re sinners in need of a Savior. We’ve fallen short and can’t be made right without His blood. So the life of a Christian is repentance, forgiveness, and walking with the Lord all tied up together. The Law calls us to turn from our sinful ways and back toward our Savior, and the Gospel reminds us that He’s waiting there with open arms to receive us. Why wouldn’t we do this immediately?

You might think, “well I receive that forgiveness in the absolution every Sunday, so I’ll just wait until then to make it right.” It’s true that absolution puts you right with the Lord, but what about the rest of the week when that relationship is broken. I know that when I’m not right with someone, worry and anxiety creep in. Sleep becomes more difficult. Life is just harder. I’m sure the same is true for you. So, when you hear the Lord’s voice calling you to repent. Heed it. Immediately. Get on your knees and confess your sins and see what He’ll do for you. You don’t need me for that. I know it’s nice to hear those words of forgiveness from your pastor’s mouth, but God is just as eager to offer them to you on a Tuesday at noon as He is on Sunday at 9:00. And then once that relationship with God is right again, think about the relationships with your neighbors that could use a little of that same restoration. Perhaps that feud that’s been ongoing with your brother or sister for years could use a dose of forgiving and being forgiven as well.

And don’t forget that as a Christian you have access to the gifts that God gives. His Means of Grace are here for you. It’s why you’re here. Because He called out to you and said, “Follow me.” And you heard His voice and recognized that following meant receiving everything that He has to give. You come to hear His Word. You come to receive His grace. May that be your immediate response. To desire to be in His house to receive that forgiveness and to be fed with His body and blood. Don’t hesitate to keep coming back. It’s always here. Even if you don’t even yet know that you need it. Like little Hildi here. Because God’s grace isn’t something we earn. Our actions haven’t merited it. It’s a gift. So, lots of credit to you, Peter and Rebekah, for immediately following our Lord’s command and for bringing your daughter to the waters of Holy Baptism. She is now a washed and reborn daughter of the King.

Peter and Andrew and James and John left everything to follow Jesus. And Matthew describes what happened as more and more people did the same. “And He went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. So His fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought Him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, those having seizures, and paralytics, and He healed them. And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.”

I don’t know what exactly God has in store for us here in little Adell. But I do know that He makes those very same promises to us. He’ll continue to teach as the Gospel is proclaimed in this place. He’ll continue to heal diseases, both physical and spiritual. I don’t know about great crowds being gathered from Galilee and the Decapolis, Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan. But I do know that those from Adell and Oostburg, Random Lake and Fond du Lac, Cascade and Belgium, Grafton and Howard’s Grove, Waldo and Mequon, Cedar Grove and Sheboygan, Batavia and Plymouth, and beyond the Onion River are going to continue to hear God’s Word and receive His gifts. And that our goal is to every day hear His appeal to follow Him and immediately take up our nets and do just that. May God grant us the ears to hear, the mouths to proclaim, and the hearts to do His will as we follow Him. Amen.

The peace of God which surpasses all understanding guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.