Luke 5:1-11
An odd thing happens in our gospel account for today that may challenge our understanding of what God desires for God’s people. Jesus encourages a group of fishermen to cast there nets into the Sea of Galilee. Even though they had caught nothing all night, the men do as Jesus says. “When they had done this,” Luke says, “they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, ‘Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!’ For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.’ When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him” (Luke 5:6-11).
On the one hand, Jesus’ instructions lead Simon and the others to an enormous catch of fish, one that would have provided significant financial reward to them and their families. So we might be tempted to assume that God wishes such financial health for all people, and that when we believe in Jesus we will find ourselves blessed in the same way. But Luke’s account goes on to tell us that just as Simon and the others began to react to the bounteous catch, Jesus invited them to come with him to “catch people” and, according to Luke, “When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.” So much for financial security. Luke doesn’t say that Simon, James, and John negotiated a sale of their fish before leaving, or that once they had sold their boats they departed, or that as soon as they had found someone to operate the business they were ready to go. Luke says that these men “left everything” to follow Jesus.
The truth is that sometimes following where Jesus is going to feel a lot like leaving behind everything we have, everything we know, everything we hold dear or that brings us comfort. Sometime following Jesus requires learning a whole new set of life skills and adapting to a completely new set of assumptions. And whatever reward we are to receive may not come in this lifetime. But that is the lesson we learn from Simon, James and John: when we decide to follow Jesus, the action should be a radical act of faith based on the trust we have in God and not a risk-free outing or an overnight trip out of town. To follow Jesus sometimes means to leaving behind what we think we value most in order to find out there is something so much greater waiting for us.
Prayer: Gracious God, help us to answer your call to discipleship with confidence and faith, leaving behind the lives we know in order to embrace that which only you can offer us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Showing posts with label Luke 5. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Luke 5. Show all posts
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
New Songs, Old Wine?
Psalm 96
Luke 5:27-39
There is an interesting contrast in two of our readings for this morning. On the one hand the psalmist tells us, “O sing to the LORD a new song…” (Psalm 96:1a), but on the other hand, Jesus says, “And no one after drinking old wine desires new wine, but says, 'The old is good'" (Luke 5:39). The convergence of these two verses strikes me as typical of life in our times where that which is traditional and that which is new or contemporary often vie for our attention. It happens in every aspect of our lives, both secular and religious. Think of the music you listen to; what era does it come from? Think of the books you read; are they classics or were they recently published? Do you dress in a “retro” style or are you up to date on your fashions? And when you think of worship do you prefer hymns and prayers from an earlier time in the life of the church, or do you more readily respond to praise choruses and modern liturgies?
But in truth, Luke’s quote of Jesus is not easy to interpret. It may actually be intended as irony used to point out how complacent we may become with what we know until we are unwilling to try something that is new or different. If that’s the case, then Psalm 96 and Luke 5 may be saying essentially the same thing. Yet even here the tension between old and new remains, because while Jesus may be condemning false contentedness, the Psalm, even as it calls for a “new” song, is drawn from the heart of very ancient traditions dating back centuries and calling people to recognize what has always been true: God is King.
Ultimately we are left with the realization that the tension between old and new, between traditional and contemporary, between “the way we’ve always done it” and fresh perspectives is going to remain. But then God is going to remain as well, challenging us to consider both the new and the old as valuable to our lives of faith. The ancient truths about God remain relevant, but how we express those truths bears constant reevaluation. God is doing new things in our midst and they should remind us of the mighty acts that God has performed before. After all, history belongs to God, and we are blessed to be living in it.
Prayer: Lord, may our lives be centered on you alone and may we be open to your work in whatever form it takes. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Luke 5:27-39
There is an interesting contrast in two of our readings for this morning. On the one hand the psalmist tells us, “O sing to the LORD a new song…” (Psalm 96:1a), but on the other hand, Jesus says, “And no one after drinking old wine desires new wine, but says, 'The old is good'" (Luke 5:39). The convergence of these two verses strikes me as typical of life in our times where that which is traditional and that which is new or contemporary often vie for our attention. It happens in every aspect of our lives, both secular and religious. Think of the music you listen to; what era does it come from? Think of the books you read; are they classics or were they recently published? Do you dress in a “retro” style or are you up to date on your fashions? And when you think of worship do you prefer hymns and prayers from an earlier time in the life of the church, or do you more readily respond to praise choruses and modern liturgies?
But in truth, Luke’s quote of Jesus is not easy to interpret. It may actually be intended as irony used to point out how complacent we may become with what we know until we are unwilling to try something that is new or different. If that’s the case, then Psalm 96 and Luke 5 may be saying essentially the same thing. Yet even here the tension between old and new remains, because while Jesus may be condemning false contentedness, the Psalm, even as it calls for a “new” song, is drawn from the heart of very ancient traditions dating back centuries and calling people to recognize what has always been true: God is King.
Ultimately we are left with the realization that the tension between old and new, between traditional and contemporary, between “the way we’ve always done it” and fresh perspectives is going to remain. But then God is going to remain as well, challenging us to consider both the new and the old as valuable to our lives of faith. The ancient truths about God remain relevant, but how we express those truths bears constant reevaluation. God is doing new things in our midst and they should remind us of the mighty acts that God has performed before. After all, history belongs to God, and we are blessed to be living in it.
Prayer: Lord, may our lives be centered on you alone and may we be open to your work in whatever form it takes. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Strange Things Indeed
Luke 5:12-26
The story from Luke today is a familiar one. A paralyzed man is brought by his friends to the place where Jesus is teaching and healing. As the account draws to a close, Luke says, “Amazement seized all of them, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, ‘We have seen strange things today’” (Luke 5:26).
How interesting that the presence of God in the healing and teaching ministry of Jesus is considered strange by those who witnessed it. To be honest, though, it shouldn’t surprise us. Think for a moment about your own life. What events do you consider common, ordinary, unexceptional? You may be thinking about the errands you need to run or the tasks you need to accomplish at work. Maybe you are considering your housework or your school assignments, maybe your plans for the evening. Whatever the case, I suspect that none of us are prepared to witness an exchange like the one that Jesus had with the Pharisees or his healing of the paralyzed man. And yet, if what we say we believe is true; if God is Sovereign over all creation and present in all we do; if Jesus Christ is Lord of all; if the Holy Spirit is constantly at work in our midst inspiring, guiding, blessing us all, why should Jesus’ actions be called “strange”?
They aren’t, they just fall outside of the normal mindset for most of us. Strange would be going an hour – let along a day – without some sign of grace appearing in our lives. Strange would be no order within creation. Strange would be no kindness in those around us, no gentleness, no encouragement. A world devoid of God and God’s many, many blessings…now that would be strange. Strangeness, it would seem, is in the eye of the beholder, but for the eye of faith, God’s work should be the norm not the exception.
Prayer: Lord, give us eyes to see that your grace surrounds us and sustains us all the days of our lives. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
The story from Luke today is a familiar one. A paralyzed man is brought by his friends to the place where Jesus is teaching and healing. As the account draws to a close, Luke says, “Amazement seized all of them, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, ‘We have seen strange things today’” (Luke 5:26).
How interesting that the presence of God in the healing and teaching ministry of Jesus is considered strange by those who witnessed it. To be honest, though, it shouldn’t surprise us. Think for a moment about your own life. What events do you consider common, ordinary, unexceptional? You may be thinking about the errands you need to run or the tasks you need to accomplish at work. Maybe you are considering your housework or your school assignments, maybe your plans for the evening. Whatever the case, I suspect that none of us are prepared to witness an exchange like the one that Jesus had with the Pharisees or his healing of the paralyzed man. And yet, if what we say we believe is true; if God is Sovereign over all creation and present in all we do; if Jesus Christ is Lord of all; if the Holy Spirit is constantly at work in our midst inspiring, guiding, blessing us all, why should Jesus’ actions be called “strange”?
They aren’t, they just fall outside of the normal mindset for most of us. Strange would be going an hour – let along a day – without some sign of grace appearing in our lives. Strange would be no order within creation. Strange would be no kindness in those around us, no gentleness, no encouragement. A world devoid of God and God’s many, many blessings…now that would be strange. Strangeness, it would seem, is in the eye of the beholder, but for the eye of faith, God’s work should be the norm not the exception.
Prayer: Lord, give us eyes to see that your grace surrounds us and sustains us all the days of our lives. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
The Real Dr. Love
Hosea 3:1-5
Luke 5:27-39
With apologies to the rock band Kiss, I think our readings from Hosea and Luke teach us something about love that the band’s song (and current Dr. Pepper commercial jingle) “Calling Dr. Love” can’t even begin to touch. In Luke Jesus calls a tax collector named Levi to become a disciple (Luke 5:27-28). Levi then holds a banquet in Jesus’ honor to which other tax collectors and “sinners” were invited (v. 31). When the Pharisees raise concern over the type of people with whom Jesus associates Jesus replies, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick” (v. 32). Jesus is not excluding the Pharisees from his circle, they are essentially excluding themselves by failing to recognize the love of God in Jesus’ actions. And what about Hosea? At God’s direction he had already married the prostitute Gomer. Now he must buy her back, out of adultery and prostitution, and with love and discipline demonstrate his devotion to her. This, of course, is symbolic of God’s love and devotion for a wayward people, Israel, who have gone after idols and other gods and who now, with judgment based in love, will be “bought back” by God.
Of course, Kiss is not the only group or individual to misrepresent love. We see it movies and on TV all the time. Romantic love seems to equate exclusively with sex. Love for our enemies, for those in need, even for our neighbor seems like a quaint notion reserved for “religious types.” But Jesus, and Hosea before him, makes very clear that love for others should be neither quaint nor drenched in hedonism. God’s love is the kind of love that seeks out tax collectors and sinners and says “Follow me. Leave your sinfulness behind and I will show you a better way of life, one worth sharing with others, one with purpose and meaning, one that safeguards dignity and values the other as a child of God.”
While most people of faith have little trouble dismissing songs like “Dr. Love” as indicative of nothing but sex, we still must guard against going too far in the other direction such as limiting those with whom we associate, as if God’s love is only for the pure of heart and the blameless. In such circumstances we forget that we, too, are prone to sin and in need God’s healing love. Thanks be to God that in Jesus Christ we find a physician whose love overwhelms us all.
Prayer: Lord, help us to accept your healing love and to share it with others so that the circle of faith may grow and your light be shared with all people. Amen.
Luke 5:27-39
With apologies to the rock band Kiss, I think our readings from Hosea and Luke teach us something about love that the band’s song (and current Dr. Pepper commercial jingle) “Calling Dr. Love” can’t even begin to touch. In Luke Jesus calls a tax collector named Levi to become a disciple (Luke 5:27-28). Levi then holds a banquet in Jesus’ honor to which other tax collectors and “sinners” were invited (v. 31). When the Pharisees raise concern over the type of people with whom Jesus associates Jesus replies, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick” (v. 32). Jesus is not excluding the Pharisees from his circle, they are essentially excluding themselves by failing to recognize the love of God in Jesus’ actions. And what about Hosea? At God’s direction he had already married the prostitute Gomer. Now he must buy her back, out of adultery and prostitution, and with love and discipline demonstrate his devotion to her. This, of course, is symbolic of God’s love and devotion for a wayward people, Israel, who have gone after idols and other gods and who now, with judgment based in love, will be “bought back” by God.
Of course, Kiss is not the only group or individual to misrepresent love. We see it movies and on TV all the time. Romantic love seems to equate exclusively with sex. Love for our enemies, for those in need, even for our neighbor seems like a quaint notion reserved for “religious types.” But Jesus, and Hosea before him, makes very clear that love for others should be neither quaint nor drenched in hedonism. God’s love is the kind of love that seeks out tax collectors and sinners and says “Follow me. Leave your sinfulness behind and I will show you a better way of life, one worth sharing with others, one with purpose and meaning, one that safeguards dignity and values the other as a child of God.”
While most people of faith have little trouble dismissing songs like “Dr. Love” as indicative of nothing but sex, we still must guard against going too far in the other direction such as limiting those with whom we associate, as if God’s love is only for the pure of heart and the blameless. In such circumstances we forget that we, too, are prone to sin and in need God’s healing love. Thanks be to God that in Jesus Christ we find a physician whose love overwhelms us all.
Prayer: Lord, help us to accept your healing love and to share it with others so that the circle of faith may grow and your light be shared with all people. Amen.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
God's Choice
Hosea 2:16-23
Acts 21:1-14
Luke 5:12-26
The words of the leper in Luke 5 are an example of sincere faith. “Lord,” he says to Jesus, “if you choose, you can make me clean” (Luke 5:12). Jesus does choose to make the man clean just as he chooses to forgive the sins of the paralytic later in the chapter, and then to heal this man as well. “Lord, if you choose…” In Acts the same sentiment is expressed, though in slightly different words. The apostle Paul is determined to go to Jerusalem and face whatever may happen there, even over the objections of his friends. “Since he would not be persuaded,” says Acts, “we remained silent except to say, ‘The Lord’s will be done’” (Acts 21:14). Lord, if you choose… The Lord’s will be done… in each case there is a willingness to allow God to work as God sees fit, because God can!
The prophet Hosea looks at a nation full of idolatry and far removed from its own God. And yet this same prophet can affirm God’s intention to “make for (Israel) a covenant on that day with the wild animals, the birds of the air, and the creeping things of the ground…” (Hosea 2:18). War will cease and all people will live in peace and safety. How can this happen among such faithless and fickle people? Lord, if you choose… The Lord’s will be done… The prophet knows that God will because God can!
What problems do we see in our world? What circumstances seem beyond hope? What difficulties lie in our path? Is there nothing that can be done about the violence that erupts so often? Is there nothing that can be done about human divisiveness and isolation? Is there no healing to be found for the ill? Is there no hope to be offered to the lonely? There is: Lord, if you choose… The Lord’s will be done… We, like the prophet, like the man with leprosy, like the friends of the paralytic, like Paul’s companions, may lay claim to the good news that God will because God can address our needs with mercy and grace! It may not be exactly what we want. It may not be exactly the way we saw things happening in our own mind, but the truth is that faith in God is never misplaced. God’s choice is to stand in relationship with God’s people, to hold us accountable, but also to meet our needs in ways that only God can know. God chooses. Thanks be to God.
Prayer: Almighty God, may we be guided to trust in you and your love for us, that all the days of our lives may be lived in faithfulness. When we falter, Lord, give us the courage to move ahead. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Acts 21:1-14
Luke 5:12-26
The words of the leper in Luke 5 are an example of sincere faith. “Lord,” he says to Jesus, “if you choose, you can make me clean” (Luke 5:12). Jesus does choose to make the man clean just as he chooses to forgive the sins of the paralytic later in the chapter, and then to heal this man as well. “Lord, if you choose…” In Acts the same sentiment is expressed, though in slightly different words. The apostle Paul is determined to go to Jerusalem and face whatever may happen there, even over the objections of his friends. “Since he would not be persuaded,” says Acts, “we remained silent except to say, ‘The Lord’s will be done’” (Acts 21:14). Lord, if you choose… The Lord’s will be done… in each case there is a willingness to allow God to work as God sees fit, because God can!
The prophet Hosea looks at a nation full of idolatry and far removed from its own God. And yet this same prophet can affirm God’s intention to “make for (Israel) a covenant on that day with the wild animals, the birds of the air, and the creeping things of the ground…” (Hosea 2:18). War will cease and all people will live in peace and safety. How can this happen among such faithless and fickle people? Lord, if you choose… The Lord’s will be done… The prophet knows that God will because God can!
What problems do we see in our world? What circumstances seem beyond hope? What difficulties lie in our path? Is there nothing that can be done about the violence that erupts so often? Is there nothing that can be done about human divisiveness and isolation? Is there no healing to be found for the ill? Is there no hope to be offered to the lonely? There is: Lord, if you choose… The Lord’s will be done… We, like the prophet, like the man with leprosy, like the friends of the paralytic, like Paul’s companions, may lay claim to the good news that God will because God can address our needs with mercy and grace! It may not be exactly what we want. It may not be exactly the way we saw things happening in our own mind, but the truth is that faith in God is never misplaced. God’s choice is to stand in relationship with God’s people, to hold us accountable, but also to meet our needs in ways that only God can know. God chooses. Thanks be to God.
Prayer: Almighty God, may we be guided to trust in you and your love for us, that all the days of our lives may be lived in faithfulness. When we falter, Lord, give us the courage to move ahead. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Fighting Spiritual ADD
Hosea 2:2-15
Acts 20:17-38
Luke 5:1-11
What a contrast we find between the Old Testament reading from Hosea, and the two New Testament readings from Luke and Acts! In the words of the prophet God laments that Israel has played the whore with idols and other gods. As a result, “She shall pursue her lovers, but not overtake them; and she shall seek them, but shall not find them” (Hosea 2:7). But in Luke’s account Simon Peter, James, and John are called to fish for people as followers of Jesus. And “when they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him” (Luke 5:11). And finally, in telling his friends from Ephesus goodbye, Paul affirms that he did not “count (his) life of any value” as long as he could finish the ministry given to him by the Lord Jesus (Acts 20:24).
The actions of Paul and the disciples do not indicate that all of God’s people have given up their idolatry, nor will these individuals themselves escape from their own sins entirely. But the invitation that Jesus offers, the one accepted by fishermen and Pharisee alike, is to be transformed from worldly concerns to those of the coming reign of God. Wherever their emphasis may have been placed, whether worshipping idols, running a successful business, or persecuting the church, Jesus called these men—and thus all people––to refocus on what is really important, and to give up everything else.
This is not an easy call to accept. We all know this because we all have our idols and our lives are distracted by many things, a sort of spiritual Attention Deficit Disorder. The good news is that God has no such ailment. God’s gaze remains firmly fixed on us, on our lives, on our needs, on our feeble efforts. The call to discipleship isn’t really about giving up. It’s about waking up, and seeing the good news all around us. In Jesus we are freed to live life the way it was intended. And while we will struggle mightily with that call, God remains steadfast in faithful mercy towards us.
Prayer: O God, help us to focus our lives on you and your will so that we will not be distracted by the idols that are so common in our world. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Acts 20:17-38
Luke 5:1-11
What a contrast we find between the Old Testament reading from Hosea, and the two New Testament readings from Luke and Acts! In the words of the prophet God laments that Israel has played the whore with idols and other gods. As a result, “She shall pursue her lovers, but not overtake them; and she shall seek them, but shall not find them” (Hosea 2:7). But in Luke’s account Simon Peter, James, and John are called to fish for people as followers of Jesus. And “when they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him” (Luke 5:11). And finally, in telling his friends from Ephesus goodbye, Paul affirms that he did not “count (his) life of any value” as long as he could finish the ministry given to him by the Lord Jesus (Acts 20:24).
The actions of Paul and the disciples do not indicate that all of God’s people have given up their idolatry, nor will these individuals themselves escape from their own sins entirely. But the invitation that Jesus offers, the one accepted by fishermen and Pharisee alike, is to be transformed from worldly concerns to those of the coming reign of God. Wherever their emphasis may have been placed, whether worshipping idols, running a successful business, or persecuting the church, Jesus called these men—and thus all people––to refocus on what is really important, and to give up everything else.
This is not an easy call to accept. We all know this because we all have our idols and our lives are distracted by many things, a sort of spiritual Attention Deficit Disorder. The good news is that God has no such ailment. God’s gaze remains firmly fixed on us, on our lives, on our needs, on our feeble efforts. The call to discipleship isn’t really about giving up. It’s about waking up, and seeing the good news all around us. In Jesus we are freed to live life the way it was intended. And while we will struggle mightily with that call, God remains steadfast in faithful mercy towards us.
Prayer: O God, help us to focus our lives on you and your will so that we will not be distracted by the idols that are so common in our world. In Jesus' name. Amen.
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