C. E. Lord OBE

St Mary Magdalene Munster Square (11:00) Open Table, St John Waterloo (18:00) Sunday 14 January 2024

Epiphany 2 – Gospel: John 1:43-end

Can anything good come out of Nazareth?

That was Nathanael’s sceptical response to Philip’s invitation to meet Jesus

the one he said was prophesied in the Law and by the Prophets.

Can anything good come out of Nazareth?

And yet within moments of saying those words, Nathanael recognises Jesus as the Son of God, the King of Israel.

Such was the overwhelming impact of Jesus even at the very start of his ministry, as he began to call his first disciples.

At this point, there had been no miracles, no parables, no sermons.

But here he was, Jesus, the carpenter’s son from Nazareth.

Able to say “follow me”. And they did.

Those first disciples saw something in that young man that they knew would transform lives, not just their own, but those of countless millions.

They saw someone sent by God to change the world.

And they followed him.

If we were in their position, Philip and Nathanael, would we?

And right now, in this moment, today, would we?

Could we?

Or maybe we have already become disciples of Jesus Christ?

Last year, I was asked to write an essay about the challenges to discipleship today.

And that got me thinking about what it means to be a disciple.

Jesus said “if any wish to come after me, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me”

But, following Jesus isn’t always easy.

Knowing God, and acting upon that knowledge to become a better, more Christ-like, person often comes at personal cost – in time, certainly; sometimes it’s monetary cost – income that maybe we don’t earn, or that we choose give to church or to charity; or perhaps it’s the cost to relationships or friendships that break because of a difference in opinion about faith or the kind of fairer, more just, society we as Christians want to see.  

As theologian Dietricht Bonhoeffer said

“Discipleship means commitment, costly commitment, … it means seeking and striving and growing in faithfulness, not just waiting for God to do something.”

Are we ready for that?

I wonder if it was easier for Philip and Nathanael because they actually met Jesus.

They literally heard his call to discipleship.

They were in his presence. They recognised God in him.

But other than as represented in the body and blood shared in the Eucharist, we have never been in the presence of Jesus.

For us to become disciples requires faith, it requires belief.

However, unlike Philip and Nathanael, who had seen nothing other than the young man in front of them, we have the Gospel.

We have the accounts of Jesus’ ministry in the Holy Land two thousand years ago.

We do know about the miracles, the parables, the sermons.

We know that Jesus came amongst us on earth and taught about God’s offer to humankind.

An offer of hope, of love, of peace, of joy, of truth, and of justice.

He taught us how to be better

how to live our lives in the service of others and in the service of God.

Jesus taught us to love God, to love our neighbour, to love one another.

He called us all to be disciples, to follow him.

And then he died for us, on the Cross, to save us from our sins.

So, should we be disciples?

Are we able to meet his call?

What does that mean for us?

Being here, in Church, is a great start: listening to the Gospel, praising God, confessing our human weaknesses, being in communion and peace with one another and with Christ through the sacrament of the Eucharist.

We need to remember how Jesus and those first disciples acted in their ministry and strive to be more like them.

We need to look for Jesus and listen for the Spirit in our daily lives and in the lives of others and derive our inspiration from them.

Contributing to our communities in any way we can.

Being advocates for inclusion and social justice.

Campaigning for peace and reconciliation, now, today, more than ever.

Loving our neighbours, acting kindly, giving whatever we can afford.

Being present to God, reading the Bible, praying, being open to the Holy Spirit.

And saying an enthusiastic YES whenever [Mother Sally/Grey] asks for volunteers

So, Can anything good come out of Nazareth?

Yes! It did. Jesus did. And we should follow him.

Amen