Third Sunday after the Epiphany January 24-25, 2026
“Listen, God is Calling” Matthew 4:12-25
Rev. John R. Larson Ascension Lutheran Church Littleton, Colorado
The story goes that a guy named Mike had died. He had a few friends, Jim and Joe, who were talking about going to his funeral. Jim asked Joe, “Are you going to Mike’s funeral?” Joe, with a strong conviction replied, “Why should I go to his funeral? He’s not coming to mine.”
Well, if you decide to go to my funeral you are going to sing the hymn we sang last weekend, “I, the Lord of Sea and Sky”. (With One Voice, 752) The refrain goes, “Here I am, Lord. Is it I, Lord? I have heard you calling in the night. I will go, Lord, if you lead me. I will hold your people in my heart.”
Do you remember how it was that Isaiah received his call from God to speak to the people of Israel? God came to him. He saw the majesty of God in the temple and he became frightened and overwhelmed at the sight of God Almighty. Then he realized how sinful and inept and unprepared he was to be in God’s presence. But God took a coal from the altar and purified his lips and cleansed his soul. “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.” (Isaiah 6:7) Then God asks Isaiah a life changing question, “Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?” And Isaiah said in confidence, “Here I am. Send me.” (Isaiah 6:8)
In our reading from Matthew’s biography of the life of Jesus we read about Jesus selecting two sets of brothers to be His first disciples, the first people who would go for Him. He calls Andrew and his brother, Simon Peter. Then He calls James and John, the sons of Zebedee. “As Jesus was walking beside the sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fisherman. ‘Came, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘And I will make you fishers of men.’ At once they left their nets and followed him.” (Matthew 4:18-20)
Here is the first thing I see in this account. You can’t stay where you are when you follow Jesus. Can you imagine the radical changes that Jesus asked these 4 men to make as they lived life from that point on? “Come, follow me.” When Jesus told James and John to follow Him we read, “And immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.” (Matthew 4:22)
Now, not everyone has to give up their occupation or their family to follow Jesus. But following Jesus isn’t just one more thing that you add to your life, no, Jesus transforms everything that you do in life. You can’t stay where you are and follow Jesus. Now you are a follower of Jesus when you go to a party with your friends. Now you are a follower of Jesus with how you speak to your kids and converse with your spouse. You are a follower of Jesus when you keep your promise about the work that you are going to do for other people. Your calling from Jesus demands integrity in all you do. Following Jesus transforms every moment and every decision you make. This change? It is a wonderful thing. He leads you. He empowers you. Listen, God is calling – you.
In the book of Ephesians the truth of “You can’t stay where you are when you follow Jesus” is spoken like this, “He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his hands, so that he may have something to share with those in need. Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” (Ephesians 4:28-29)
The second thing that I see in this account is this – Following Jesus is costly to you but beneficial to others. Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple computers, saw quick success and rapid growth at Apple in the 1980’s. He knew that his company was growing so quickly that he needed someone to run the whole operation. He needed someone who had the smarts and the leadership to take Apple to another level. He needed a person with great administrative and organizational skills. And he knew the right man. It was John Skulley, who at the time was the CEO of PepsiCo. Jobs reached out and offered Skulley the job. Skulley quickly turned him down. But Steve Jobs didn’t get to where he was by giving up, on anything, quickly. He persisted with Skulley. He said that he knew that Skulley was just the right man to lead Apple. But again, he rejected the offer, as well as Steve Jobs. Afterall, why would he leave the leadership of one of the largest companies in the world, with all his salary and benefits, for a fairly new idea – personal computers? But Jobs came back one more time. And this time John Skulley changed his mind and left PepsiCo for Apple Computers. Steve Jobs asked John Skulley this question, “Do you want to sell sugared water for the rest of your life? Or, do you want to come with me and change the world?”
Jesus said to the pair of brothers, “Come, follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” “Come with me and we’ll change the world.” And they went with Jesus and they changed the world.
Do you believe that Jesus can change people’s lives? Do you believe that Jesus can bring a new beginning to people? Do you believe that He forgives sins, brings hope and allows people to live fully in His love now, and forever, in heaven? I do. Jesus called for that splendid change when He said, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” (Matthew 4:17) Again, in Ephesians we read what Jesus does to people, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light.” (Ephesians 5:8) Following Jesus is costly to you but beneficial to others.
The final thing that I see in this reading about the calling of the first disciples is this: “Following Jesus means fishing for Jesus.” Chuck Mielke, one of our members, sent me a computer generated study on why Jesus chose His disciples. It was actually a well-designed document – all done by AI. It began: “Jesus chose ordinary, unremarkable men – on purpose. The twelve were: Fishermen, tax collectors, political zealots. Largely uneducated by rabbinic standards. Not religious elites, scholars, or power brokers. Jesus did not choose the best and brightest to validate His message. God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise. Their “density” highlights that the power of the gospel comes from God, not human ability.”
I think it was said pretty well. Those who were “fishing for Jesus” were pretty common people. I think we are pretty common folks. We are sinners. We struggle with doing the things that God calls us to do. We don’t wear a halo over our heads. To show how ordinary and common we are Paul would say, “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” (II Corinthians 4:7)
But God uses us to bring the truth of God to others. Now we don’t all have the same gifts and abilities to bring people to Jesus, but God will use us in common, ordinary ways to tell everyone that they need the Lord and that the Lord wants to bless them with the fullness of faith in Jesus. Did you know that God can use you to impact the daily and eternal life of other people? You and I are clay pots, but we share the greatest treasure, Jesus, with others by actions and words.
The people that I mentioned in today’s sermon – Isaiah, Peter and Andrew, James and John – gave up so much for the sake of other people. I know someone else who would give up so much for the sake of other people. And you do, too. His name? Jesus. God’s Son. The one who came to earth for the sake of people. Jesus, who spent years, teaching and healing and showing divine love for all people. Jesus, who rescued us and everyone from sin’s curse, died for us and rose again, and calls all to trust in Him so they would have the fullness of life, now and eternally. Jesus fulfilled God’s calling.
Those early disciples didn’t come to sell sugared water, they came to change the world. Do you know what we get to do in our life? We get to change the world. With God’s Spirit and grace we get to change the world. That is pretty big stuff!! Listen!! God is calling. Amen!!
