"Jesus Makes a Weird Pitch (And It Works)" - Epiphany 3 (Year A | Jan. 18, 2026)

CPTB is a conversational, funny, and thoughtful take on this week’s Bible readings - for preachers, church leaders, deconstructors, and curious listeners who still love scripture, even when they’re not sure what to do with it. We explore the text with humor and theological depth, without certainty, outrage, or easy answers.

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What do you do when Jesus walks up and offers you something that isn’t fishing?

In this Short Take episode of Comedians with Pastors Talking Bible, we turn to Matthew’s call story and sit with how strange it really is. Jesus starts his ministry in the wrong place, calls people with a wildly unclear job description, and somehow convinces fishermen to drop their nets and follow him immediately.

Joined by our resident comic theologians Abby Evans (@itsabbye) and Erick Williams (@comicaledubs), we talk about bad neighborhoods, worse recruiting pitches, Zebedee left in the boat, and why discipleship has always been more weird than heroic. Along the way, we stumble into some surprisingly serious theology about calling, cost, baptism, and what actually makes ordinary things matter.

Funny, thoughtful, and a little sideways—this one’s for preachers, deconstructors, and anyone who’s ever wondered why that pitch worked.

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Matthew 4:12–23 (NRSVue)

[12] Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. [13] He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, [14] so that what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: [15] “Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali, on the road by the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the gentiles— [16] the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned.” [17] From that time Jesus began to proclaim, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” [18] As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea—for they were fishers. [19] And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of people.” [20] Immediately they left their nets and followed him. [21] As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. [22] Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. [23] Jesus went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people.

Hosted by Pastor Eric Damon and Pastor Bob Schaefer.

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Scripture quotations are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.