A synopsis of the sermon delivered by the Rev. David L. Hicks at St. Paul’s Reformed Episcopal Church at the 10:30am service on Trinity III, June 12, 2005. Please read St. Matthew 9:9-13.

While Jesus walked this earth, many people followed him, and they did so for many reasons. Some wanted to be healed, others had questions to be answered, and others simply wanted to see what he would do next. In the case of Jesus’ closest disciples, those who were eventually named his apostles, they did not find Jesus; rather, he found them. This is illustrated in today’s lesson about the calling of St. Matthew to follow Jesus. Matthew was a tax collector, and it was in the midst of his conduct of business that Jesus calls him to a life of service to the gospel. “He saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, ‘Follow me.’ And he arose, and followed him” (Matthew 9:9). The other eleven disciples were called in a similar manner. They did not go looking for Jesus; rather, Jesus found them wherever they were, whether fishing or sitting under a tree, and invited them to follow. He reminds them of this truth in St. John 15:16, “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that you should go and bring forth fruit.”

Although our calling is not exactly the same at the twelve disciples – they were to have a foundational ministry as apostles in the building of the church (Ephesians 2:20) – there is a parallel with the way Jesus calls each of us to be his disciple. Jesus looks for us, as a shepherd searches for his lost sheep. He comes to us where we are, in the midst of our labors, and invites us to be his follower. St. John tells us, “We love him, because he first loved us” (I John 4:19). Similarly, St. Paul writes, “But God commends his love to us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Therefore, as we consider God’s call upon the life of Saint Matthew, we see also God’s call upon our own. The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ, comes to us in the midst of our achievements and struggles, strengths and weaknesses, and yes, even in our sinfulness; and he says, “Follow me.” May we give thanks for such gracious goodness to us, and may we also be Christ’s instruments to extend that same call to others. 
Amen.