Sermons for the Month
"A True Fish Story"
DATE: January 22, 2006
SERVICE: Third Sunday after the Epiphany
TEXT: Jonah 3:1-5, 10 and Mark 1:14-20“To all of you Saints here this morning, grace and peace to you from God our Father, from His Son, Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit. AMEN
Today's Old Testament lesson is a story. Some might call it a fish (or fishy) story, but actually it's a story about people. And, it's a story about God. Is it a true story, you ask? I would say, "Yes, it's true." Did it really happen, you ask? To that I would say, "I do not know." Nevertheless, it's a true story. It teaches us about people and it teaches us about God. Let's start with what we learn about people. If there is anything the story of Jonah does, it shows us that original sin made its mark. And, that "mark" is the ever-present tendency in people to focus on their own agenda, whatever that may be. For Jonah, it was NOT going to Nineveh. Jonah is a guy who is bound and determined to avoid God's call. You'll remember that last week we talked about the call of young Samuel, and how he was so shaken by the "ear tingling" quality of the message God had given him that he was afraid to speak it out loud. The only reason he did so was that his mentor Eli insisted on it. Well, Jonah is told by God to go to Nineveh, the capitol city of the dreaded Assyrians, those unclean barbarians and long time enemies of Israel who any good Jew would go out of his way to avoid. So, Jonah went out of his way. Instead of heading north-east he sails west. And, when God sends a storm upon the ship as punishment for Jonah's unfaithfulness he is all too willing to be cast overboard and drown rather than end up proclaiming God's word to pagans. One writer compares Jonah to a musician who refuses to make music. He describes records (remember records?) of great symphonies that a person could buy years ago. I've never heard of this, but evidently one part was omitted - the clarinet, or the second violin - so that an instrumentalist could practice playing his or her part with a great orchestra. Well, life is like a symphony given to us with one part omitted, and that part is our own. And Jonah was refusing to play his part. (1) It takes him being swallowed and regurgitated by a big fish to be convinced to obey. BUT, his bad attitude persists. He never does believe that the foreigners, the non-chosen-people, should even be given a chance to repent. Jonah is angry that God might even consider doing so. How could God command him to mingle with "the enemy", to being to THEM the word of the Lord? This is not a pretty picture; it is an example of self-will and self-protection run wild. His fear has curdled and become bitter and hateful. I've mentioned before the "This I Believe" series on National Public Radio (NPR). On Monday there was an essay read that was an extreme example of Jonah's problem. It was written by Dr. Pius Kamau who is from Kenya. He writes that while growing up in grinding poverty in Africa, America was his shining hope. America's ideals of freedom and equality filled his head. But as soon as he set foot in American hospitals reality intruded on the ideals. His color and accent set him apart. Yet, Dr. Kamau is a doctor who believes that every patient deserves the same care and concern from him. Every patient … including a 19-year-old who had been injured in a car accident. He was a white supremacist, an American Nazi with a swastika tattooed on his chest. The nurses said that the patient would not let Dr. Kamau touch him. When the doctor came close, he was spat on by that young man. But, no other physician would take him on and Dr. Kamau felt he had to minister to him the best he could. He talked to the patient, who refused to look at or acknowledge him. He would only speak through the white nurses and only they could check his body for injuries, touching his tattooed chest. It turned out that the 19-year-old was not seriously injured. After he left the emergency room Dr. Kamau asked himself if he could have done more, wondered if he could have won his trust. He wrote, "I believe it is my duty to heal. I believe all patients, all human beings are equal, and that I must try to care for everyone, even those who would rather die than consider me their equal." (2) Now that's a poignant story. And, I would point out this - that young man and Jonah had something in common; they both wanted to decide who is of value in God's eyes. And, at least for Jonah, God is having none of that. Remember that I began by saying that this story teaches us about people, and what it says is not exactly pleasant. Well, it also teaches us about God. One of the interesting details of this story is that when Jonah finally gets around to going to Nineveh to proclaim God's word, it's one of the shortest sermons in human history. It amounts to five words in Hebrew. Yet, it works! In spite of the enormity of the city and the fact that Jonah never even mentions God in his miniscule speech, the people of Nineveh, even their king, hear the proclamation and repent. It's astounding; even the animals are to put on sackcloth and ashes in repentance and worship. The humor in this part of the story is so subtle that we may miss it. The point is that it's not about Jonah! In spite of his antics, in spite of his pouting, the will of God prevails. It is the power of God that makes it possible for others to perceive God's grace and be transformed. There is a similar message in the familiar Gospel lesson we read today. The question always comes up, "How could Simon, Andrew, James and John just drop everything - leaving the fishing nets and father Zebedee behind - to follow Jesus and fish for people?" I myself have surmised in sermons that they had previous experience with Jesus or that they did not intend to follow him for more than an afternoon when they left everything behind. That's all interesting, but it's not the point. The point is that it's not the strength, boldness, courage or cleverness of prophets or disciples that allows them to follow, but the grace of the One who stands behind the message they live and proclaim. The focus should not be on Jonah's reluctance nor not the disciples' willingness, but rather on the power of the word of God which opens lives up and turns them around. (3) God has a sense of humor, it seems, and the story of Jonah is one at which we are supposed to laugh AND in doing so not take ourselves so seriously. God finds ways to work, even among those who attempt to have it their way. This story says to us, just try turning around and going the opposite direction from the way God would have you go, and see what big fish might show up in your path. Just try offering a half-hearted witness, and see how God uses it in big ways. Just try pouting and whining about the graciousness of God toward "those" people and see how uncomfortable life can become for you, even though you think you are "chosen". You better get ready to laugh at yourselves, God says, because in the end I will challenge every limitation you throw up. Yes, my sisters and brothers, this is a true story about people. And it's a true story about God, who as Jonah so eloquently proclaimed is, "a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and ready to relent from punishing…." (Jonah 4:2) It's a true story about how God works in spite of us, and no doubt is chuckling the entire time. (1) "More Than A Fish Story" by Rabbi David Saperstein, Program #4311, December 19, 1999, www.csec.org
(2) "A Duty To Heal" by Dr. Pius Kamau, "This I Believe", January 16, 2006, www.npr.org
(3) "Year B Epiphany: Jonah 3:1-5, 10" by Howard Wallace, Web OT comments, www.vic.uca.org
AMEN