Sermon Scripture: Matthew 4:12-23

Last week we heard the story of the encounter between Andrew, Simon Peter, and John with Jesus (John 1:29-42). Their whole lives, these men have dreamed of following God and serving a Rabbi in the middle of the action of the Kingdom of Heaven, yet now, their prospects seem to have fizzled. But that was not how their story was fated to end, nor is it how any of our stories need to end, because inevitably, along comes Jesus.

Last week he invited us to “come and see” and to “go and tell.” This week, our invitation goes a step further: Jesus invites us to allow our minds, our assumptions, even our expectations to be opened wide as the fullness of God’s loving Kingdom is about to redefine everything we once knew.