Homily for the 5th Sunday afther Epiphany C

My sisters and brothers, God calls us to ministry and mission despite, and sometimes because, of our personal faults.

Our first reading is an account of the wild vision in which Isaiah hears the call of God and offers himself in service. In this passage, Isaiah gives the grounds for his authority as a prophet – his credentials. The year is 742 BC, Assyria is expanding its borders and Israel is threatened. Israel, is trying to coerce Judah into a military alliance against the Assyrian threat.

The setting of this vision appears to be the Temple, so the “pivots,” which shake due to an earth tremor, are those on which the heavy Temple gates turned. Isaiah feels totally inadequate in God’s presence: he feels “unclean,” unfit to stand before God, yet he sees God, but a “seraph,” an agent of God, purifies him, rendering him fit and qualified to speak God’s word to his people.

In our second reading, Paul encourages the Corinthians to continue moving forward in the faith they received, the faith he preached. He especially emphasizes the physical resurrection of Jesus from the dead. The Gnostic’s, who getting established at this point in history, denied the resurrection and claimed that only one’s spirit mattered. Paul illustrates his point by recounting the numerous appearances Jesus made after his death and resurrection – in many of these stories the people touch him.

In our gospel story, Jesus calls the fishermen to be his disciples: Peter, James and John (sons of Zebedee). This is a story of commitment to Jesus – to his message and his destiny. Luke introduces Simon (Peter) earlier in the story but now Jesus calls him to be a disciple. In the preceding chapter, we read of hostility to Jesus, now we see some positive response.

To clear up and confusion, let me point out that the “lake of Gennesaret” is the Sea of Galilee. Gennesaret is the plain on its southwestern shore. The Greek verb zogron (“catching”) was commonly used of teachers: they caught their students and thereby brought them new life. Peter, James and John make a total commitment (“left everything”) to start a new life with Jesus their teacher.

Peter, Isaiah and even Paul see the power of God and are immediately aware of their unworthiness for be where they are. We often feel this way. God can’t want me to be involved in this or that ministry, because I have no talent. I’m not good enough; I have my sins, etc. But God, who knows this better than we do, calls us anyway - Despite our lack of confidence or our lack of vision.

Peter, Isaiah and Paul were called and prepared by the Holy Spirit for ministry. God purified, healed and taught them so that they could contribute meaningfully. We really are not that different for our predecessors! God will work with us the same way: purifying, teaching and healing us so that we can also make our meaningful contribution to the ministry we are called to take up.