“When Saying Yes Requires Saying No”: this theme runs through our scripture readings this Sunday. Jonah—after fleeing from the mission to which God was calling him (and three days and nights in the belly of the fish!)—now says “No!” to his former urges and “Yes!” to God as he sets out as God’s prophet to Nineveh. Paul invites us to say “No!” to trivial matters and “Yes!” to the things of God that have serious and eternal consequences (I Corinthians 7:29-31). Jesus calls the disciples to say “No!” to their boats and nets and families and much of everything else they have known and to say “Yes!” to his “Follow me and I will make you fish for people” (Mark 1:14-20).

Jonah struggles; he runs away from God and only relents after a huge fish vomits him onto a distant shore. The call-response stories of Simon, Andrew, James, and John make it all seem so easy. One little word of invitation from Jesus and these men turn in an instant from fishers to disciples. But most of us live somewhere in the middle, not resisting God’s call with the vigor of Jonah but certainly responding more slowly and ambiguously than the disciples. So a question for today is: To what is God calling us to say “No!”? Remember, it’s not just the ugly stuff but often good things that must be denied for the sake of following Jesus. And then we must also ask in faith: To what is Jesus inviting us to say “Yes!”?

Two children will be baptized this Sunday. In one of the oldest parts of the liturgy we’ll be invited to say “No” to what separates us from God, and to say “Yes!” to the God revealed in Jesus Christ. The “Yes!” is a yes to GRACE—undeserved, unearned—held out as a promise that is free. Faith takes hold of that promise, and faith follows it and the One who gives it into the fullness of life now, and into eternal life tomorrow.

Peace, Pr. Christian

(adapted from Sundays & Seasons)