Repent
The Third Sunday of Epiphany | The Conversion of St. Paul | Amos 3:1–11; Matthew 4:12–22
This sermon was preached on January 26, 2026, at St. Dunstan’s Anglican Church in Largo, FL, in response to recent events in Minneapolis, including the shooting of Alex Pretti the previous day.
Introduction
Today’s Gospel reading directly follows Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness. In that scene, Jesus is offered all the kingdoms of this world and their glory if he will worship Satan instead of following God’s plan. Thankfully, Jesus said no. But the Satanic temptation to embrace the kingdoms of this world - their power, their methods, their promises of security - did not die in the wilderness.
Normally, I spend all week thinking about what I’m going to say on Sunday mornings. I read, research, write, meditate, and pray, and then usually on Saturdays, I take what I have written and rework it into its final form. That method typically works well, except on occasion when something disrupts my Saturday. The disruption yesterday wasn’t due to plans with my family or a must-watch football game. What threw off my Saturday yesterday was a video I saw on social media showing a man on the ground being shot by federal officers in Minneapolis. That video completely changed what I had planned to say today.
The Shadow of Violence
Our Gospel reading today begins:
“Now when he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee” (Matt 4:12).
John the Baptist has been taken into custody by the state. And Jesus, knowing this, begins his public ministry, proclaiming:
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt 4:17).
The proclamation of the kingdom of God begins in the shadow of state violence, and he calls the people to repentance. Repentance on the lips of Jesus here doesn’t mean feeling sorry about your sin, although it can and should include that. What it means instead is to turn around and go in a different direction. Jesus could see the way the world was headed in his own day, and he pleaded with the people to turn around and follow him on a different path.
The Question from Amos
Our reading from Amos asks:
“Do two walk together, unless they have agreed to meet?” (Amos 3:3).
This proverb says that sustained partnership requires substantial agreement on values and commitments. In God’s mind, the people no longer share his values, and so he can no longer walk with them. The prophet declares:
“Proclaim to the strongholds in Ashdod and to the strongholds in the land of Egypt, and say, ‘Assemble yourselves on the mountains of Samaria, and see the great tumults within her, and the oppressed in her midst.’ ‘They do not know how to do right,’ declares the LORD, ‘those who store up violence and robbery in their strongholds’” (Amos 3:9–10).
The prophet is clear: God will not walk with those who pursue oppression and violence. His kingdom follows a different path, so if we would walk with him, we must turn around and go another way.
Repentance, Not Authorization
Today is the Third Sunday of Epiphany, but it is also the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul. So, I have to ask, in the Book of Acts, does anyone read that Saul was ravaging the church, entering house after house, dragging off men and women, and putting them in prison (Acts 8:3), and think that he was morally justified because he had an official letter from the high priest authorizing him to do so? I certainly hope not, but then again, preachers in the South found a way to use the Bible to support slavery, so nothing should surprise us.
I am no politician, nor do I worship at the altar of any political party. I didn’t dare turn on cable news yesterday because there is quite literally nothing good that comes from that, and I don’t claim to have the divine perspective on what is happening in our country or in Minneapolis. I will never tell you who God wants you to vote for, and our services will never serve as a political rally for any party.
However, like the prophet Amos and our Lord Jesus Christ, I will tell you, and I would be negligent as your priest if I didn’t, that violence and oppression are on one path, and the kingdom of God is on another. And the only way from the former path to the latter is to do exactly what Jesus says:
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt 4:17).
A Litany of Confession and Lament
What follows is a litany of confession, lament, intercession, and vision—a way to bring before God both our complicity and our grief, our failures and our hopes. As you read, the lines that trouble you most are probably the ones you most need to hear. That’s how it worked for me as I was writing it.
Confession
(Asking for Mercy for our Sins)
For the fear, unrest, and violence in our country,
Lord, have mercy.
For the times we have chosen security over faithfulness,
Christ, have mercy.
For the comfort we enjoy that depends on oppression we do not have to see,
Lord, have mercy.
For our silence when we should have wept and protested,
Christ, have mercy.
For every time we have called violence “necessary,”
Lord, have mercy.
For the divisions in your church, where some see murder and others see justice,
Christ, have mercy.
For believing the kingdoms of this world could ever align with the kingdom of God,
Lord, have mercy.
For storing up violence in our strongholds while claiming to walk with you,
Christ, have mercy.
For forgetting that you began your ministry in the shadow of state violence and ended it under the weight of the empire’s cross,
Lord, have mercy.
Silence is kept.
Lament
(Asking God to Hear our Grief)
For the image of God destroyed in the victims of violence and oppression,
Hear our lament, O Lord.
For the mothers and fathers who grieve,
Hear our lament, O Lord.
For the communities living in fear,
Hear our lament, O Lord.
For the impossible position of those called to serve and protect in a violent world,
Hear our lament, O Lord.
For a nation that has made peace with violence and has forgotten mercy,
Hear our lament, O Lord.
For a church that has forgotten how to speak truth to power,
Hear our lament, O Lord.
For a people that never learned that you desire mercy and not sacrifice,
Hear our lament, O Lord.
Silence is kept.
Intercession
(Asking God to Help and Guide Us)
For our president, governor, and all in authority, that they may govern with wisdom and pursue both justice and mercy,
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
For lawmakers and judges, that your law may be written on their hearts,
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
For law enforcement officers, that they may serve with integrity, courage, and restraint,
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
For our bishop and all bishops and clergy, that they may faithfully proclaim your Word and rightly administer your sacraments in turbulent times,
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
For those who have been harmed by violence, that you would bring healing and restoration,
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
For those who mourn, that you would comfort them and turn their mourning into hope,
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
For all who suffer in body, mind, or spirit, and for those in any need or trouble,
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
For communities torn apart by division and conflict, that you would bind up their wounds and make them whole,
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
For this congregation, that we may be instruments of your peace and agents of your kingdom,
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
For the church universal, that we may bear witness to your kingdom and stand with the oppressed,
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
For ourselves, that we may have the courage to turn from complicity and walk in the way of Jesus,
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Silence is kept.
Vision and Renewal
(Asking God to Show us the Way Forward and Renew Us)
Grant us vision for a world where both justice and mercy flow like rivers,
Thy Kingdom Come, O Lord.
Show us the way to where swords become plowshares and spears become pruning hooks,
Thy Kingdom Come, O Lord.
Give us the courage to walk in that way, even when it costs us everything,
Thy Kingdom Come, O Lord.
Create in us clean hearts, O God,
And renew a right spirit within us.
Do not cast us from your presence,
Or take your Holy Spirit from us.
Restore to us the joy of your salvation,
And sustain us with your mercy, justice, and love.
Silence is kept.
Closing Prayer
God of justice and mercy, we confess that we do not know how to walk in your ways. We have made peace with violence. We have chosen the comfort and power of the kingdoms of this world over your kingdom. We have stored up violence in our strongholds. We have failed to see your image in those destroyed by power. We have chosen the rule of law over mercy.
Forgive us. Remake us. Help us to follow Jesus, who rejected Satan’s offer of earthly kingdoms and began his ministry while John sat in prison.
Give us courage to repent - not just to feel sorry, but to turn around and walk a different direction. Give us eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts that break for what breaks Yours.
We ask this in the name of Jesus, who knew what it was to live under occupation and to die at the hands of the state. Amen.
Silence is kept.1
General Confession & Absolution
Most merciful God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we confess that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed. We have not loved you with our whole heart. We have not loved our neighbours as ourselves. In your mercy, forgive what we have been, help us to amend what we are, and direct what we shall be; that we may do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with you, our God. Amen.
Almighty God, who forgives all who truly repent, have mercy upon you, pardon and deliver you from all your sins, confirm and strengthen you in all goodness, and keep you in life eternal; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
At this point in the service, after a time of silence, our Music Director, Christina Jimenez, asked if she could sing “The Kingdom of Jesus”. Here’s the link if you want to listen to the original recording: