Jonah 3:1–5, 10
1 Corinthians 7:29–31
Mark 1:14–20
How do we respond to the calling for change? Many people do not like change and often, put up a fight or flight response to change. When God is calling us to change, do we look for the change to be a change in the way we “want it” or are you willing to respond in acceptance to the change that God calls for?
We can either be a sloth or a caterpillar. Being a sloth, we can hang around in a tree and eat until our bellies are full and sleep most of our life away doing the same thing, time after time, over and over. We can ignore the call and suffer what comes from that. Or we can respond to the call.
We can be the caterpillars who go through a metamorphosis, a change of such a magnitude, as to be something totally different, yet still in the same world that it was. When the caterpillar changes to a butterfly, its whole perspective of the world changes. How it responds to the world around it, takes on a new reality.
God calls out to each and every one of us to not be part of the status quo. We are called to be countercultural. We are called to reach out to the least, the last, the lost. We are called to be those that walk with the sinners, to care for everyone as if they were our brothers and sisters, as ourselves, giving back what God has given us. We are called to have a changed heart.
The scriptures today speak of change, and a response to the call for change. From Jonah, to the Corinthians and finally in the Gospel today, all call for a change and a response to the call of what God has done, is doing and will do. Most of us know the story of Jonah, the guy that was swallowed by a large fish. That is often all that many recall from the story.
God told Jonah, to go to Nineveh to warn them to repent or else they would be punished. Nineveh symbolized for the Jews, all that was bad, and all that had been done to them during the Exile. Jonah, no different than most people, could not let go of his anger towards the people and I am pretty sure, wanted to see the wrath of God rain down upon those sinners.
Jonah tried fight and flight, to the change that God was calling for. He argues with God and he tries to run away….of all things, run away from God! Eventually Jonah relents, and cries out against the people of Nineveh. The people repent and are saved. God’s grace and mercy is great and God’s justice, grace and mercy doesn’t seem to fit into the mold of Jonah’s and nor into what many think is just. The good news, God’s grace and mercy are great for God’s people. Just how do you respond to this good news? How will you respond today, tomorrow, next week and for the rest of your lives?
In the reading to the church in Corinth, Paul is letting the people know that kingdom of heaven is near. In fact, so near that today and even then, I would say that the kingdom has broken through to earth, upon the birth of Jesus Christ. The times are a changing and Paul is calling for a response to the changes that have been started by God, proclaimed and demonstrated by Jesus. The status quo of letting things be as they are cannot be allowed to continue.
Paul is calling for the people to let go of what they know in the present times. It is what is to come that is radically different. The present times are in the midst of an end; they are changing because of the gospel. There is even hope found now, in death. In faith, we can share in the resurrection of Jesus the Christ. It is through His death and resurrection that faith unites us to be heirs, changed, new people. Just how do you respond to this good news? How will you respond today, tomorrow, next week and for the rest of your lives?
The Gospel tells of the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. Jesus says, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”[1] Change has come, how did Simon, Andrew, James and John responds to the good news? How did they respond that day that Jesus called to them to follow him? How did they respond the following week and for the rest of their lives?
The first disciples dropped their nets, they did not fight, they did not run, and were willing to be caterpillars, to be change, to respond to the good news and see the world differently than they had ever done before. They were changed into butterflies, in their response to the good news.
God is not asking for each of you today to drop your nets, give up everything that God has given you and walk in the steps of Jesus and the Apostles. God is however looking for you to be compelled to respond to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. To care for the least, last and lost. To shepherd the good news to others, making disciples of all nations. To give back a fitting amount that has been given to you, in your time, talents and finances. To walk in a life befitting of a response to what has been and will be done for you in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
It may be scary to be changed by God into something new. But how can we ever fully experience the full potential that God has in mind for us if remain sloths? Just how do you respond to the good news, the gospel of Jesus Christ? How will you respond today, tomorrow, next week and for the rest of your lives? Are you willing to be a caterpillar so that you may be a butterfly in the kingdom of God?
[1] The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989), Mk 1:15.