Come and See
Sermon by Pr. Michelle Sevig + January 14, 2024 + Third Sunday after Epiphany
This Monday our nation honors the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a prophet of justice among races and nations. He was an eloquent preacher, a leader of the non-violent resistance to a race-segregated society, and a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. On this day we remember and celebrate his accomplishments and his strong witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ, but seldom do we hear about his struggles.
In a passage from his book Stride Toward Freedom he shares with the reader about a time when he was ready to give up and struggled with his call to this ongoing work. He wrote,
“I was ready to give up. With my cup of coffee sitting untouched before me, I tried to think of a way to move out of the picture without appearing a coward. In this state of exhaustion, when my courage had all but gone, I decided to take my problem to God. With my head in my hands, I bowed over the kitchen table and prayed aloud.
The words I spoke to God that midnight are still vivid in my memory. “I am here taking a stand for what I believe is right. But now I am afraid. The people are looking to me for leadership, and if I stand before them without strength and courage, they too will falter. I am at the end of my powers. I have nothing left. I’ve come to the point where I can’t face it alone.
At that moment, I experienced the presence of the Divine as I had never experienced God before. It seemed as though I could hear the quiet assurance of an inner voice saying: “Stand up for justice, stand up for truth; and God will be at your side forever.” Almost at once my fears began to go. My uncertainty disappeared. I was ready to face anything.”
Dr. King, at his kitchen table, had an epiphany. Usually, when I think of an epiphany, I think of something becoming clear, an a-ha moment of sorts. Throughout his ministry, Dr. King would refer back to this incident as his “vision in the kitchen.” A touch-point where things became clear and vital. An epiphany–when his call to stand up for justice, stand up for truth became clearer and he trusted that God would be by his side forever.
In the scripture readings today we hear two more call stories–epiphanies when all became clearer, and they were assured of God’s presence with them in whatever the future held. These stories show us that God calls people out of the shadows to more than they can ever imagine.
In the first scripture reading, Samuel is called to become a "trustworthy prophet of the Lord." Certainly, there are plenty of other potential leaders who are older and wiser, with more experience and importance. Yet, God chooses a young boy to deliver the news and the message, and an old man guides him into accepting the call to be a prophet. Eli is the one who has the epiphany after the third time the child is called by name. “Oh! Now I get it! It’s God calling you Samuel!” And Samuel grows to be one of the greatest leaders in Israel’s history.
And then in the Gospel, another call story, Philip and Nathanael are asked to leave everything behind and follow Jesus. But before Nathanael could follow, he had a question. Phillip had already told him that Jesus was the one they’d been waiting for, the one they’d been told about for generations. And he’s the son of Joseph, from Nazareth. But Nathanael is skeptical, and asks, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”
Can anything good come from such a place? Can anything good come from those people? Nathanael didn’t think so. He already knew enough about that place and those people to know that nothing good could come from there, and certainly not their long-awaited ‘Son of God’ and ‘King of Israel.’
Nathanael’s question does not go unanswered. He’s invited to “Come and see.” I like to imagine the parts of the conversation that were never written down. “Come and see,” Jesus says. ‘Check it out for yourself. Come, see how God is working through me. Come and see all I have in store for you. Come and be in a relationship with me, and you will be part of something greater than you could ever imagine. And somewhere in between “Can anything good come from” and Nathaniel’s proclamation, “You are the Son of God” an epiphany happens. Nathaniel’s ah-ha moment. This is what an epiphany can be like; going from closed to open. From sealed shut to fully revealed.
Jesus knows Nathaniel. He understands his doubts and potential. God knows Samuel; his gifts and his future. The Holy One also knows Dr. King; a man of vision and passion.
God also knows us. We, too, are called to come and see, to love and support the people and places that may be considered unworthy of our love and attention. Because we may be surprised to know that God is at work through them just as God is at work through us. You may wonder sometimes, ‘Can anything good come from me?’ I don’t feel called. I’ve heard nothing in the middle of the night. Me, called? To what?
You are called to a lifelong relationship with God. In the waters of baptism, you were called to see that the Holy One is with you and loves you more than you could ever imagine. You are called in all the places you work, study, and play to stand up for justice. To stand up for truth. To trust that the Holy One is with you.
Week after week we come back here to remind one another that God’s love is not just for us and the people we love, but for all those who are hurting or forgotten or despised. We rejoice in this community of welcome, called to love friend, neighbor, and stranger amid life’s challenges and adversity, trusting that we are indeed the body of Christ in the world.
So on this cold, winter evening, we gather at this table because the Holy One calls to you, “Come and see.” Be part of something greater than you can possibly imagine. Remind one another of the sure and certain hope from the one who knows us, sends us out and goes with us forever. Amen
