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Christ's Clarion Call
Matthew 17:24-27
Dr. Ernest Young, Associate Pastor
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Sunday, September 25, 2022 |
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Almighty God,
It is to Thee we come at this hour. We are thankful for every blessing Thou has bestowed upon us. Despite our mistakes, you have kept us. Now O Lord, I pray that Thy grace, love, and mercy will continue to lead, guide, and direct us until we reach that blissful shore, and we hear you say, “well done, enter the joy of the Lord” Amen.
To God be all glory for blessings even now. To Pastor Epps for the privilege to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ through the ministries of Second Baptist Church.
The scripture text is Matthew, Chapter 17, verses 24 thru 27.
24And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute money came to Peter, and said, Doth not your master pay tribute? 25He saith, yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, what thinketh thou, Simon? of whom do the Kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children or of strangers? 26Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, then are the children free. 27Notwithstanding, least we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast a hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth; thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.
The subject from which to preach: “Christ’s Clarion Call”
Introduction
Today is a special day. Yes, it is the day that the Lord has made. Sunday, which is part of its specialness, but also because it is Christian Education/Theological Education Emphasis Sunday at Second Baptist Church. It is a special time when we emphasize and recognize the immense importance of Christian Theological Education in it many forms.
Christian/Theological Education has provided the foundation on which to build lives filled with a fundamental focus on faith. It is indeed faith in God through Christ Jesus’ teachings and the power of the Holy Spirit that one in empowered to grow and develop as effective servants in the service of the Lord. Therefore, it is difficult, to overstate the sublime need for Christian/Theological Education in all of its dimensions. Whether that service is expressed through the church, the academy, or other service organizations, the need is achieved, and lives are positively changed.
Did not Jesus remind us: in Matthew 11:28, 29, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. 29.Take my yoke upon you and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls”. And so, we endeavor to persist in the path of learning about, learning from, learning of, and yes learning unto Jesus, our Savior, our Lord.
To that end, Horatius Bonar caught the vision and has left on record a seminal hymn of the church. Bonar asserts:
I Heard the Voice of Jesus say, “come unto me and rest,
Lay down, thou weary one lay down Thy head upon my breast!”
I came to Jesus as I was, weary and worn and sad.
I found in Him a resting place, and he has made me glad.
Consider what it means to have a basic understanding
of the Bible and its message for and to you.
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Monday, September 26, 2022 |
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The Florentine fresco painter Tommaso Guidi (1401-1428), called Masaccio, or “Slovenly Tom.” Although he lived a brief life (passing at age 27), he produced a provocative painting entitled, “The Tribute Money” which provides a visual image of the narrative in today’s text. The painting presents a scene in which Jesus honors the demands of the Roman state by paying a tax or “tribute”. The apostle Simon Peter gathers money from the mouth of a fish, as instructed by Jesus who stands in the center; on the right, Peter is shown delivering the coin(s) to the Roman tax collector.
The words from the scripture text are proclaimed by “those that received tribute money” most probably Jewish and/or Roman tax collectors. Simon Peter--one of Jesus’ disciples-- and Jesus himself. These words are written by Matthew, another disciple of Jesus and also a tax collector also. Beginning with verse 17 of this pericope, the text expresses the interest of the tax collector who came to Simon Peter inquiring about tribute or tax money. Isn’t it wonderful that Jesus was there to provide resources for those who were concerned? With respect to Christ’s Clarion Call, let me say that a clarion call, by definition, is a call of clarity, a call of certainty, and a call of command.
Therefore, I offer the following observations:
1.Christ’s Clarion Call Codifies our Capabilities. Verses 24-25
2. Christ Clarion Call Clarifies our Confidence. Verse 26
3. Christ’s Clarion Call Certifies our Commitment. Verse 27
Consider what it means to respond to the clarion call of God in Christ.
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Tuesday, September 27, 2022 |
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Clarion Call Codifies Our Capabilities (Verses 24-25)
Matthew has written in verse 24, “and when they came to Capernaum…”. Capernaum is located in what is now modern-day Israel. In Jesus’ time, it was a small village in Galilee located on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. When Jesus began his ministry, after he was rejected by the people in his hometown of Nazareth, he traveled to Capernaum where he received a warm welcome from the people there. (Luke 4:23 & 31) It was in and around Capernaum where many incidents in Jesus’ public ministry took place. It was a comforting and welcoming place; it was a physical “comfort zone” for Jesus and the disciples.
To be sure, those who would receive the tribute or tax money came to Peter and said, “Does not your master pay tribute?" I contend, they raised the question because, as you bible readers remember, it was codified in the Mosaic law that all adult Jewish male twenty years old and upward, were assessed a Temple tax in order to maintain the Temple. It was a half-shekel tax to be paid by adult Jewish males annually to support the Temple (Exodus 30: 13, and 38: 26). The Temple, the house of God, the house of prayer, should and must always be maintained. It should be cleaned, repaired, refreshed, and serviced on a regular basis.
Therefore, our bodies are Temples. The Apostle Paul has reminded us in his statement in First Corinthians 3:16-17: 16Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 17If any man defiles the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
These words expand and extend our learning regarding the physical and spiritual temple to which we are interconnected by the knowledge and spirit of God through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
In the text, Peter answered “yes” to the tax inquirer’s question as to whether Jesus pays temple tax. They - Jesus, Peter, and the inquirers - are still outside of the temple. Then Matthew, writes in the same verse (25), And when they were come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, what thinketh thou Simon? of whom do the Kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children or of strangers?
Can you see Peter as he wrestles with Jesus’ questions. Peter knew, based on his Jewish culture background and teachings, that yes they were assessed temple tax, but he also knew, through Divine revelation, that Jesus was “the Christ, the son of the living God” and had brought him (Peter) into a relationship with Him and God the father, in other words, these are the children of God, the King’s kids and they should not be taxed in God’s house (the temple) at all because of their unique standing with God.
Notice Jesus questioned Simon Peter, do they tax their own children or strangers?
It is really a rhetorical question; Jesus already knew the answer. He raised the question to teach Simon Peter (and us) a lesson about our standing with God through Jesus Christ. Isn’t it wonderful to know beloved, that we as believers in God through Jesus Christ have standing, and a special relationship with God, also.
Consider what it means that being a believer in Christ gives you
a special relationship with God.
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Wednesday, September 28, 2022 |
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Christ’s Clarion Call Clarifies Our Confusion (Verse 26)
Peter rightly answered “yes” to the question Jesus raised in verse twenty-five. Now we see Jesus as he brought clarity to Peter’s response in verse twenty-six. Jesus said, “then are the children free”. This is a somber statement, not a querying question. Yes beloved, when we are clear about the challenge we face, we are confident regarding the conclusion.
The insightful and informative book, The Great Dissenter: The Story of John Marshall Harlan, American Judicial Hero (2021) by Peter Canellos makes this point quite well. Canellos argues that John Marshall Harlan was known as the great dissenter because he was the only United States Supreme Court Justice at that time (19th Century) who voted against the Plessy vs. Ferguson case, (separate but equal) and other racists decisions. His faith, as developed through New York Avenue Presbyterian Church, Washington, D.C., sustained him throughout his tenure for thirty plus years (1877-1911), on the Supreme Court. It is said of Harlan that he “went to bed every night with one hand on the Constitution and the other on the Bible.” Although his dissents did not prevail in his day, nevertheless, he planted the seeds of justice as a Justice on the court. These seeds are still germinating and calling for justice even in today’s Supreme Court.
The 19th Century abolitionist, Frederick Douglas, referred to Justice Harlan as a “moral hero”. Another former Supreme Court Justice, Thurgood Marshall viewed Justice Harlan’s dissent in Plessy vs. Ferguson as “his Bible” and it traveled with him (Marshall) everywhere he went. Let me say again, beloved, when we are clear about the challenge we face, we are confident regarding the conclusion.
Consider what it means that the clarion call of Christ clarifies any confusion about the expectations Christ has of you.
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Thursday, September 29, 2022 |
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Christ’s Clarion Call Certifies Our Commitment (Verse 27)
In order to certify our commitment, Christ’s clarion call is a go…and…call. See the text in verse 27: Then Jesus said to Simon Peter, “least we should offend them, go to the sea, and cast a hook." Jesus commands the disciple Peter to go to the sea. Biblical scholars assert that it was the Sea of Galilee, a place of familiarity to Peter. The place where Peter fished, and where he walked on the water to Jesus.
Additionally, this command is to every present-day "Peter": go to our personal seas, our local and global seas of familiarity. We are commanded to go to the seven C’s: Carson, Compton, Crenshaw, Claremont, Covina. Cape Town, and Copenhagen. Yes, go to our local and globule C’s and cast a hook. Cast our hook of faith because we are saved by grace through faith. Cast our hook of grace because it is God through the Spirit that grants grace to everyone; and but for the grace of God where would we be? Cast our hook of love, because it was the love of God through Jesus Christ that lifted us from sin, guilt, and shame. Go and cast our hook!
After we cast a hook, we are commanded to take up the first fish that comes up.
I proclaim that the fish in the text is a metaphor for men, for all humanity. Did not Jesus say to Peter, I will make you to become a fisher of men. Yes, beloved, we are called to be fishers of men, and equip them for service for the Lord.
Then Jesus said, after you take the first fish, open the fish’s mouth, find the money, take it, and give unto the tax collectors for me and thee. When we cast a hook and take up humanity, we, like Peter, are commanded to open their mouthes and find the treasure, the word of God. God’s word is “the treasure in earthen vessels”. It is that treasure which maintains the temple of our bodies and keeps us clean and secure from all the traps and tricks of the devil.
Let me say that Jesus’ clarion call to Peter was not an introductory call. It was a call to additional learning and service. Peter and Jesus had already been introduced and were now in service to God through humanity. In like manner, Jesus calls us who are familiar because He already knows all about us. He knows our ability, our habits, our hang-ups, our personality, and our temperament, yet he calls us because he sees the best in us. He sees the service for kingdom building that we can render. He sees how He can take us to the next level of service. Yes, it was this Peter, after he was converted, that preached on the day of Pentecost and some three thousand plus souls were added to the church.
Consider what it means that the clarion call of God in Christ
certifies you for your commitment.
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Friday, September 30, 2022 |
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Conclusion
The clarion call that Jesus set forth in the text is still used by Jesus today. Jesus still makes clarion calls to whomever, whenever, and wherever He chooses. Jesus' clarion calls are most effective.
It was Edward Mote who grew up playing in the streets of London where his parents were the managers of a pub. He acknowledged his lived experience with the challenges of life. Then, one day something new and different happened in his life, he accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior and Lord. He went on to pastor Rehoboth Baptist Church in Horsham, West Sussex; England, where he served more than two decades there. He was also a hymn writer and wrote one hundred plus hymns. One of the most renowned hymns from his pen is, “The Solid Rock”, written in 1834. The first stanza contains these lyrics:
My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand, all other ground is sinking sand,
This hymn speaks the sentiments of countless believers throughout the world. I concur and embrace this perspective as well. It is indeed, on Christ the solid Rock we stand.
Oh yes, beloved, it is not on our ability or our alibi, but on Christ,
Not on our academic achievement or our ancestry anchors, but on Christ,
Not on our beauty or our behavior, but on Christ,
Not on our competence or our comportment, but on Christ,
Not on our degrees or our pedigree, but on Christ,
Not on our determination or our destiny, but on Christ,
Not on our energy or our essence, but on Christ,
Not on our family or our finances, but on Christ,
Not on our performance or our predicament, but on Christ,
Not on our portfolios or our promotions, but on Christ,
Not on our positions or our possessions, but on Christ,
Not on our title or our talents, but on Christ,
Consider what it means that Christ is a solid rock on which
you can stand throughout your life.
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Saturday, October 1, 2022 |
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On Christ the solid Rock we stand all other ground is sinking sand.
We began talking about Christ’s Clarion Call. Notice, in verse 24 the question concerning the tax money was raised to Peter. Then in verse 27, Jesus provides the resources to meet the need. Isn’t that just like Jesus?
I have learned since following Jesus that Jesus will always hang around long enough to finish what He has started. What I’m proclaiming is that:
-Jesus will hang around the Church House long enough to seek and save those who are lost.
-He will hang around the Court House long enough so that, in the words of Amos, to “let justice roll down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream (Amos 5: 24).
-He will hang around the Healing House (Hospitals) long enough to bring forth successful diagnosis, therapies, and surgeries.
-He will hang around a Personal House long enough to set the whole house in Divine order.
-He will hang around the School House long enough until learning and graduation are achieved.
-He will hang out on Calvary long enough to utter, “it is finished” and to bring salvation to sinful and suffering humanity. And out on Calvary we saw life at its lowest, hope at its highest, faith at its finest, and fellowship at its fullest.
I ask that you join me and listen, listen, listen as Jesus is still calling.
Will Thompson reminded us that:
Softly and tenderly, Jesus is calling, Calling for you and for me,
See, on the portals He’s waiting and watching, Watching for you and for me
Come home, come home, come home,
Ye who are weary come home.
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling, Calling, “O sinner, come home!
Finally, Christ’s clarion call is a call of clarity, a call of certainty, and a call of command. May we always hear and heed the call of Christ as He is calling us into His service today.
Consider what it means to hear and heed the call of Christ in your life.
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Softly and Tenderly
~Carrie Underwood
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2412 Griffith Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90011
Phone: (213) 748-0318
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