In the eleventh century, King Henry III of Bavaria grew tired of court life and the pressures of being a monarch. He made anapplication to Prior Richard at a local monastery, asking to be accepted as a contemplative and spend the rest of his life in the monastery. "Your Majesty," said Prior Richard, "do you understand that the pledge here is one of obedience? That will be hard because you have been a king."
"I understand," said Henry. "The rest of my life I will be obedient to you, as Christ leads you."
"Then I will tell you what to do," said Prior Richard. "Go back to your throne and serve faithfully in the place where God has put you." When King Henry died, a statement was written: "The King learned to rule by being obedient." Being called to do something is a common trait for us all - called to be a Vicar, a teacher, an engineer, a doctor, a builder, or anything else. But there is one common thing to which we are called as Christians and that is to proclaim the gospel message through our lives, whether it be in words or actions, or more likely a combination of both.
And our readings this morning help us with that theme of calling. In the gospel (Matt 4:12-23) we hear of the calling of some of the disciples. Jesus said to Peter and Andrew, 'Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.' It was tremendously important that as he called the disciples he also outlined some of what he was calling them to do - they were to fish for people. In other words they were to share the gospel message they had accepted.
United as part of the family of God throughout the world we are to be ambassadors for him, but therein lies a problem which we will probably all understand and it's one that was apparent in the early church too. In his 1st letter to the Corinthians (1:10-18) Paul is addressing a church that is in danger because of divisions.
Sometimes when we respond to a call as part of the Christian church, we still get things wrong. We meet other personalities who we find difficult, we find people of different traditions and backgrounds who may have very different ideas to ours and we realise that life as part of the Christian family isn't easy.
And it was into situations like this that Paul offered these words that remain as relevant today as they were then - whatever differences we may have they are nowhere near as important as the unity we have as part of the family of God, and as part of that family we are to recognise that the exact details of doctrine or practice are less important than proclaiming the gospel - not with eloquent wisdom as Paul puts it, but with a life where people can recognise something of Jesus in us.
Like the willing response of the first disciples to follow Jesus, living as a family is not easy. But the Christian life was never meant to be easy. It is life - and we will face all of the complications that others face, but we do it secure in the knowledge that we live with Christ alongside us. The good news we proclaim is not of an easy life, but a life lived in a relationship of love which is unbreakable, a life where we, in whatever situation we find ourselves, can know that we are never alone and never will be.
And in the Old Testament reading from Isaiah (9:1-4) we are invited to look for inspiration with some of the best words of the whole bible, 'The people who have walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness - on them light has shined.' The words remind us that Jesus has stepped into the darkness of the world and has changed it forever, and has changed us forever.
Going back to the gospel again that is the message we are given - we are told that after John the Baptist had been arrested Jesus left his home in Nazareth and moved to Capernaum, by the sea. It was a fulfilment of what the prophet Isaiah had written, 'Land of Zebulun and Naphtali, on the road by the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles - the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death, light has dawned.'
And so began the ministry of Jesus on earth - and that ministry has never stopped, just as his love never stops, and he invites us to live secure in that knowledge and he encourages us to share that message that for all people, a light has shined and is shining that will never go out. To finish with some words of the psalm (27), 'The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom then shall I fear.'Amen
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