Today’s Reading: John 1:1-13

Matthew started out his gospel story by listing out the paternal genealogy of Jesus, while Luke listed out his maternal genealogy. In both, it was made clear that Jesus was a descendant of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He came from the family lineage of Solomon, son of King David. Matthew and Luke made known where Jesus came from, his earthly ancestry, but John made known that Jesus existed long before Abraham. He was there in the beginning when life was created.

In the beginning the Word already existed.
The Word was with God, and the Word was God.
He existed in the beginning with God.
God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him.
The Word gave LIFE to everything that was created, and his life brought LIGHT to everyone.
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. – John 1:1-5

John does not use the name Jesus until verse 17; instead, he refers to God’s Son as the Word. WIth great intentionality, John starts his story of the life of Jesus by making clear that Jesus was present before God separated the darkness from the light on the first day of creation (Genesis 1:1-3). But he was not just a spectator on that day, Jesus participated in creation. In fact, all life was created through Him because he is the One who gave life to everything that was created. We would not be here, we would not experience physical life, if it were not for Jesus — the Word. But we would also not experience a rebirth or a second gift of life if it were not for the One who gave his life for us.

He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn – not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God. – John 1:10-13

We experience new life in God when we accept what Jesus did for us on the cross. When we see the part we played in his death and believe that he rose from the dead, we accept that Jesus is the only pathway to life. We experience a new life because of the One who gave life to everything. His light shines into the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.

JESUS, THE WORD, IS THE WAY TO LIFE.

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” – John 14:6

So why is this important for us to understand? What does the truth revealed in these verses mean to me today? When I acknowledge that Jesus was involved in the creation of the world, I have a better grasp on his deity. I understand that he is omniscient — he is all-knowing, which means he knows everything about me, everything going on in my life, and everything going on in the world that I am living in. Jesus is omnipotent — he is more powerful than the darkness pressing in, than my biggest fears, and the obstacle that seems to be preventing me from moving forward. Jesus is omnipresent — he is everywhere, which means I am never alone. Jesus is always with me, always aware of me, and always protecting me.

Jesus is here. Jesus is aware. Jesus is able. When I live in this knowledge and recognize that he is the only way to the Father, it changes my perspective on my life. It gets my attention and draws my focus to the Light of the World.

Jesus, we recognize you this morning as the Giver of Life. We thank you for each day you give us to experience life with our family and friends, and we praise you for the opportunity to experience new life through our relationship with you. You are the way to life, you are the truth that guides our life, and you are the source of life itself. We give you all the praise this morning as we recognize your gift of life and commit to keeping our eyes focused on you.

Today’s Reading: Luke 6:39-49

YOU WILL GET OUT OF IT WHAT YOU PUT INTO IT.

That’s a common phrase we hear throughout our lives, isn’t it? In fact, when you look it up online, you find several variations with multiple authors given credit for their wise words of inspiration. Where did the idea originate? From Jesus himself: “The amount you give will determine the amount you get back” (Luke 6:38b).

When each of my daughters left for college, I gave them the same advice I was given when I moved into the dorm at age seventeen — your college experience will be what you make it. If you jump in, get involved, and give it your all, you will get a great education plus have a lot of fun. This continues to apply to our adult lives post-college, from professional development to spiritual growth. The more we study God’s word, the more we understand and become like our teacher.

Then Jesus gave the following illustration: “Can one blind person lead another? Won’t they both fall into a ditch? Students are not greater than their teacher. But the student who is fully trained will become like the teacher. And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying, ‘Friend, let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.” – Luke 6:39-42

Part of our journey of learning includes gaining the ability to keep our focus on God and what He is teaching us instead of assessing the spiritual condition of those around us. This seems easy enough to do but it does not come naturally for us to mind our own business. It is a work of growth that we have to continually ask God to do. If we give grace to others, we will receive His grace in return — pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into our lap!

“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven. Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.” – Luke 6:37-38

Lord Jesus, we want to be like you in every way so we ask that you help us with this area of our life. We are sitting at your feet, eager to learn and willing to be transformed. We long for you to do a work in our lives so that grace beautifully flows and fruit naturally grows. Fill our hearts with your love so that your righteousness naturally flows from our lives.

“A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. A tree is identified by its fruit. Figs are never gathered from thornbushes, and grapes are not picked from bramble bushes. A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.

“So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say? I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built. But anyone who hears and doesn’t obey is like a person who builds a house without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will collapse into a heap of ruins.” – Luke 6:43-49

Father God, please forgive us for those moments when we do not act like we should. Forgive us for those moments when we do not follow your teaching but do what we feel like doing in the moment. Lord, fill us with your Spirit and strengthen us so that we can follow your lead in every moment of our day. We want to build our house on a foundation made of solid rock, with doors of love wide open and windows of grace to see others as you would see them. Amen.

Today’s Reading: Luke 6:32-38

“If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them! And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you get credit? Even sinners do that much! And if you lend money only to those who can repay you, why should you get credit? Even sinners will lend to other sinners for a full return.” – Luke 6:32-34

WHY SHOULDN’T I GET CREDIT?

How often do we do something for someone else and then creatively describe our generous act for our next social media post? Generosity feels good and it quickly becomes our next Tweet; self-sacrifice is rewarding and gets posted on Instagram before the day is over. But what if we did something God led us to do and then never told anyone else about it? What if God moved on our heart to be kind to someone else without it becoming part of our Snapchat story?

“Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate. – Luke 6:35-36

WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME?

Reciprocity is the exchange of things with others for mutual benefit. When our girls were little, we would trade childcare nights with our friends so that each couple could go out on a date without the cost of a babysitter. One mom would watch another mom’s kids while she ran errands and then the other would return the favor. It was mutually beneficial, gave our girls time to build friendships, and it saved everyone money.

But what if there’s nothing in it for me? What if God moves on my heart to be generous towards someone who is self-absorbed or thoughtless? What if the Spirit tells me to be kind to someone who has been less than kind to me? What if my good deed will never be reciprocated? Am I willing to be who God is calling me to be even if I never receive credit or even gratitude for my actions?

“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven. Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.” – Luke 6:37-38

GIVE AND YOU WILL RECEIVE.

God’s promise is that we do gain from all that we give, but it is not for us to decide what that should look like. It is not for us to judge the hearts of those who receive our kindness; it is not for us to condemn the response of those who benefit from our generosity.

We are to respond to the Spirit’s lead in obedience and be quick to forgive those who are ungrateful. We are to let our light shine in the darkness, even when it seems to go unnoticed. We do not demand an apology, and we do not need applause. Our acts of righteousness are not for public admiration but a natural outflow of our relationship with Christ. When His light is shining within us, there is a natural glow that sheds light so that others can see who He is — not who we are. It leads us to be kind and thoughtful, as well as generous and good.

Light shines in the darkness for the godly. They are generous, compassionate, and righteous. – Psalm 112:4

Father God, may we look to you alone for our reward. May we feel your smile of approval and may that be enough for us as we live out our relationship with you. Give us eyes to see, ears to hear and hands to respond today. Amen

Today’s Reading: Matthew 12:15-21; Mark 3:7-12; Luke 6:12-19

Jesus went out to the lake with his disciples and a large crowd followed him. They came from all over Galilee, Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, from east of the Jordan River, and even from as far as Tyre and Sidon. The news about his miracles had spread far and wide, and vast numbers of people came to see him. – Mark 3:7-8

Word was spreading of Jesus’ healing power and people were bringing their sick from all over the region. Everywhere Jesus went, large crowds followed. Some were genuinely seeking to follow Christ, and some were only there to be entertained.

THEY CAME TO SEE JESUS DO SOMETHING GREAT, NOT TO DO SOMETHING GREAT FOR JESUS.

Jesus touched many lives as these massive crowds formed. There was so much to do and so many people who needed his healing touch, but Jesus intentionally pulled away from the crowds and found time to be alone with His Father.

One day soon afterward Jesus went up on a mountain to pray, and he prayed to God all night. At daybreak he called together all of his disciples and chose twelve of them to be apostles. Here are their names: Simon (whom he called Peter), Andrew (Peter’s brother), James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James (Son of Alphaeus), Simon (who was called the zealot), Judas (son of James), Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed him). – Luke 6:12-16

After spending an extended amount of time in God’s presence and in prayer, Jesus called all of his followers together and distinguished between those who would be disciples and those who would be the twelve apostles. Don’t miss that he made this decision AFTER going to the Father in prayer.

It is easy for us to fall into the trap of working hard for the Lord without taking time to be alone with the Lord. We think of all who are depending on us to get something done or to accomplish something great, and we make everything else a priority over intentionally creating periods of sabbath rest. We hit a point of pure exhaustion and start making critical decisions when we are mentally worn out. Jesus is saying — “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

IF WE WANT TO DO SOMETHING GREAT FOR JESUS, WE NEED TO COME ALLOW JESUS TO DO SOMETHING GREAT WITHIN US.

When we are rooted in Christ and filled with His presence, we are ready to be used by Him. We can be more effective for the work God is calling us to do if we go to Him with all of our decisions. He fills us with His power and equips us for the call. Even Jesus knew that he needed time on the mountain with the Father before stepping into the crowds. If Jesus needed that time alone with God, we absolutely do.

When they came down from the mountain, the disciples stood with Jesus on a large, level area, surrounded by many of his followers and by the crowds. There were people from all over Judea and from Jerusalem and from as far north as the sea coasts of Tyre and Sidon. They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those troubled by evil spirits were healed. Everyone tried to touch him, because healing power went out from him, and he healed everyone. – Luke 6:17-19

Today’s Reading: John 5

It was not about the WHEN, but the WHO.
It was not about the PHYSICAL, but about the SPIRITUAL.
It was not about HEALING, but about CHANGE.
It was not about the BODY, but about the HEART.
It was not about the TIMING, but about the SOURCE.
It was not just about a MOMENT, but about a LIFE.

Afterward Jesus returned to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish holy days. Inside the city, near the Sheep Gate, was the pool of Bethesda, with five covered porches. Crowds of sick people – blind, lame, or paralyzed – lay on the porches. One of the men lying there had been sick for 38 years. When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, he asked him, “Would you like to get well?”

“I can’t sir,” the sick man said, “for I have no one to put me into the pool when the water bubbles up. Someone else always gets there ahead of me.”

Jesus told him, “Stand up, pick up your mat and walk!”

Instantly, the man was healed! He rolled up his sleeping mat and began walking! But this miracle happened on the Sabbath, so the Jewish leaders objected. — John 5:1-10a

There were crowds of sick people all around, yet Jesus approached one man because he knew this man had been ill for a very long time. He knew this man; he knew his situation and his need — not only for PHYSICAL healing but for SPIRITUAL healing. Jesus’ desire was for this man’s life to change. For 38 years he had been sick but Jesus had more than just physical healing in mind to change this man’s situation. Jesus wanted to give this man eternal life!

This was a miracle of life that Jesus was offering. The physical touch was for the purpose of this man believing in Jesus and choosing obedience. Jesus told this man to do two things: “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!” and then “Stop sinning”. The first required a MOMENT of faith and obedience. He had to believe in Jesus enough to stand up. The second required a LIFE of faith and obedience, a healing of the heart that would change the way this man lived – holy and set apart for the One who had healed him.

The Jewish leaders tried to make this next miracle about timing but Jesus corrected them, letting them know this was not about WHEN but about WHO – not about the physical healing but about spiritual healing. While the Jewish leaders focused on the TIMING of the miracle, Jesus tried to point out to them the SOURCE of the miracle. Jesus had come to bring life and they were missing out on this miracle that was also available for them because they were too caught up in the legalism of when the miracle had taken place. What is it that has us so distracted that we are missing out on the miracle of life that God is offering?

For just as the Father gives life to those he raises from the dead, so the Son gives life to anyone he wants…I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death to life. And I assure you that the time is coming, indeed it’s here now, when the dead will hear my voice – the voice of the Son of God. And those who listen will live. The Father has life in himself, and he has granted that same life-giving power to his Son. — John 5:21, 24-26

The miracle of life is what Jesus was offering at the pool of Bethesda and it is what He is still offering us today. This miracle comes from the love of a God who would send His one and only Son to die for our sins so that we might believe and experience eternal life. This miracle of life is available to all of us – it requires a MOMENT of faith and obedience, as well as a LIFE of surrender and submission. The purpose of all of these miracles performed by Jesus was to prove that He was sent by God so that we might truly believe and experience eternal life (5:36).

Lord, give us eyes to see what today is about – not what WE want to make it but about YOUR purpose. Give us patience to focus on the source instead of the timing, the spiritual instead of the physical. Thank you for being a Father who is always working (5:17). Amen.

Today’s Reading: Matthew 12:1-14; Mark 2:23-3:6; Luke 6:1-11

QUESTION: “Why are you breaking the law by harvesting grain on the Sabbath?” – Luke 6:2

The Pharisees watched Jesus closely, especially on the Sabbath. They wanted to catch him breaking the Jewish traditions and laws so that they would have grounds to accuse him and shut down his ministry. They had his disciples under close surveillance.

The question they asked Jesus also exaggerated the truth; it made it sound like the disciples were harvesting the fields on the Sabbath. The truth was that they simply broke off some heads of grain, rubbed off the husks with their hands, and then ate the grain. In other words, they fixed themselves a quick snack as they walked through the grainfields.

ANSWER: “The Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath.” – Luke 6:5

Jesus knew their thoughts. He said to the man with the deformed hand, “Come and stand in front of everyone.” So the man came forward. Then Jesus said to his critics, “I have a question for you. Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?” He looked around at them one by one and then said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” So the man held out his hand, and it was restored! – Luke 6:8-10

Wouldn’t you have loved to have been there in that moment as Jesus took the time to make eye contact with each and every one of his accusers? Jesus knew their thoughts and he knew their motives. He knew what he was about to do was going to make them very angry — angry enough to make them start plotting against him.

Jesus looks at the heart of each and every one of us — individually. He knows when we use the Sabbath as an excuse to make the day about ourselves when His intention has always been that the Sabbath would be about Him. The Sabbath is not a day for us to focus on our own needs for rest but to slow down the busyness of our lives and focus our attention fully on Him.

“I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.” – Matthew 12:7b & Hosea 6:6

When we are fully focused on Him and we feel His eyes on us, God may move on our hearts to show mercy to someone or to do something for Him. Our response should be one of obedience. The Sabbath is a great day to worship God and a great day to hear from Him. Isn’t it also a great day to respond in obedience, no matter what He is asking us to do? Are we so busy doing all the church things that we are missing the opportunity to meet the needs of those around us?

And he answered, “If you had a sheep that fell into a well on the Sabbath, wouldn’t you work to pull it out? Of course you would. And how much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Yes, the law permits a person to do good on the Sabbath.” – Matthew 12:11-12

Then Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath. – Mark 2:27

Mark described Jesus as experiencing both anger at the Pharisees’ manipulation and sadness at the hardness of their hearts. Knowing how they were about to respond, he told the man to hold out his deformed hand and he healed it. He restored that which was broken and healed that which was wounded.

HOLD OUT YOUR HAND.

Let’s reach out and allow God to use our hands however and whenever He asks. Let’s care more about ministering to the needs of others than we care about having our own needs met.

Today’s Reading: Matthew 9:14-17; Mark 2:18-22; Luke 5:33-39

QUESTION: “Why don’t your disciples fast like we do and the Pharisees do?” – Matthew 9:14

This was a question asked by one of the disciples of John the Baptist. He had been taught to make a regular habit of fasting, as did the Pharisees. He noticed that Jesus’ disciples were not fasting and he went straight to Jesus for an explanation. What a great place to take our questions — straight to the One who has the answer!

It seems like a common tendency in the church for us to look around at other believers and take notice of how they are living out their faith. We question their choices and sometimes doubt our own habits of discipleship. We wonder who is right and who is wrong, or we arrogantly assume we are the one who needs to impose our own thoughts on those around us.

We have a tendency to compare ourselves with others and worry about how we measure up with someone else, or how another believer measures up with us. God has made each one of us unique and He has a plan for our lives that is different from anyone else’s. It is NOT God’s plan for us to criticize our brothers and sisters in Christ, but to lift them up in prayer and support their obedience to God.

Jesus’ response to John’s disciple spoke to the heart of this question. The great teacher did something so many educators are known for doing — he answered his question with another question.

ANSWER: Jesus responded, “Do wedding guests fast while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.”

Then Jesus gave them this illustration: “No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and uses it to patch an old garment. For then the new garment would be ruined, and the new patch wouldn’t even match the old garment. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the new wine would burst the wineskins, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine must be stored in new wineskins. But no one who drinks the old wine seems to want the new wine. ‘The old is just fine,’ they say.” – Luke 5:34-39

Sometimes the old is not compatible with the new. If I buy the newest available software and then try to load it on a computer I have had for ten years, the two are not going to be compatible. If a church hangs onto old traditions in a changing culture, they may find their numbers declining. My point is that sometimes we hold so tightly to the non-essentials of yesterday that we miss out on the new thing that God is doing today.

Are we ready for the new thing God wants to do in our lives? When we daily spend time in the Word, are we available to receive a new revelation from the Spirit or are we hanging on tightly to an old mindset? Are we too comfortable with the familiar or are we eager for God to give us a fresh perspective?

Lord, open our hearts so that we are always ready to love and support our fellow believers. Open our minds so that we are always a student of the Spirit living within us. Open our schedules to spend time studying your Word with fresh eyes and clear thoughts so that we can hear from you today. Amen.

Today’s Reading: Matthew 9:9-13; Mark 2:13-17; Luke 5:27-32

Jesus endured many questions during his ministry. He was challenged on why he did one thing and why he failed to do another. He was questioned regarding the places he went and the people he spent time with. He was questioned by the religious leaders, by his disciples and even by his own family.

We continue to question Jesus today on things we do not fully understand, or things we understand but dislike or even disagree with. God is Almighty and we say we trust Him, yet we find ourselves challenging him. We like to think of ourselves as nothing like the teachers of the law and the Pharisees; yet, if we were honest, we would see that we have moments that are more similar than we wish to admit.

We are going to spend the next few days looking at three questions asked of Jesus during his earthly ministry.

QUESTION: “Why do you eat and drink with such scum?” – Luke 5:30b

This was the question asked of Jesus when he attended a banquet that Matthew (Levi) held in his home in Jesus’ honor. The guest list included Matthew’s coworkers and colleagues — tax collectors and other guests.

Scripture says the Pharisees and teachers of the law complained BITTERLY that Jesus was spending time with people who were considered unrighteous. In the ancient world, meals were rituals of social status and Jesus’ act of dining with Matthew and his friends was seen as Jesus socially accepting them regardless of their lifestyle.

ANSWER: Jesus answered them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor – sick people do. I have come not to call those who THINK they are righteous, but those who KNOW they are sinners and need to repent.” – Luke 5:31-32

Investing in sinners by spending time with them and inviting them into our fellowship is not accepting their sin, as some would accuse. Jesus calls us to reach out to anyone who needs him and love them as they come to recognize their sin and understand what it means to repent – to admit they have sinned and come to a point of change.

Jesus did not say to Matthew and his friends that what they were doing was good and that they should keep doing it if they so desired. They were cheating their fellow Jews, unnecessarily putting financial burdens on others while padding their own pockets. In the same way, we are not called to condone sin nor have we been given permission to change what the Bible defines as sin.

Grace, mercy, and peace, which come from God the Father and from Jesus Christ—the Son of the Father—will continue to be with us who live in truth and love. – 2 John 1:3

To love them in spite of their sin is grace; to speak truth into their life is love. It was Jesus’ desire to free them of their sins, to release them from their current lifestyle. He did not love them enough to leave them in the mess they had made; he loved them enough to save them from it. He gave us a great example of how grace and truth work together in order to help others find freedom. Grace without truth is not love, while truth spoken in love is a great way to tell someone about the grace of our God.

And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” – John 8:32

Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?”
“No, Lord,” she said.
And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.” – John 8:10-11

Today’s Reading: Matthew 8:1-4, 9:1-8; Mark 1:40-2:12; Luke 5:12-26

WITH OR WITHOUT AN AUDIENCE

As we read through the gospels, we see that Jesus’ ministry had both its public and private moments. In many of those private moments, Jesus instructed the person he healed not to reveal his identity to others. There was a bigger plan at work and there was wisdom in what Jesus was asking his followers to do, even though they did not always listen to him. Let’s look at the difference between these two kinds of moments in the ministry of the Messiah.

In the first chapter of Mark, we read of a private moment when a man with leprosy fell on his knees before Jesus and was healed. There were probably very few people listening in on their conversation, or very few left within hearing distance when they realized the man had a highly contagious disease.

Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” Instantly the leprosy disappeared, and the man was healed. Then Jesus sent him on his way with a stern warning: “Don’t tell anyone about this. Instead, go to the priest and let him examine you.” – Mark 1:41-44a

But because the man left and told everyone who had healed him, large crowds began to follow Jesus. He struggled to enter into a town publicly because of the attention he would immediately receive. When Jesus arrived in Capernaum, news spread of the house where he was staying and it was soon packed with visitors. As Jesus was preaching to the standing room only crowd, four men dug a hole in the roof and began to lower a paralyzed man down in front of Jesus. Jesus not only met his physical needs, he also met his spiritual needs, which caused the religious leaders in attendance to grumble.

Jesus knew immediately what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you question this in your hearts? Is it easier to say to the paralyzed man ‘Your sins are forgiven’ or ‘Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk’? So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!”

And the man jumped up, grabbed his mat, and walked out through the stunned onlookers. They were all amazed and praised God, exclaiming, “We’ve never seen anything like this before!” – Mark 2:8-12

There may be moments in our lives when many people are aware of something we have accomplished or a way in which we have served God. We may get a pat on the back or the applause of an audience, and in all of that we hope and pray that God is glorified. But there may also be moments in our lives when God asks us to do something for Him, something we will never get earthly recognition for. We obediently follow Jesus REGARDLESS OF THE PRESENCE OF AN AUDIENCE. There is no need for public fanfare or media attention; we are simply daily responding to God’s lead.

This is the banquet season for the ministry I work for. This fall, we will hold nine fundraising banquets — events made possible by the hard work of our staff and volunteer teams. At many of these events, I will stand on the platform and receive the applause of our guests, while many of the volunteers around the room who give of their time each week will never receive that level of appreciation. My obedience to what God has asked me to do with my time is no greater than the faithful service of our volunteers, yet I guarantee you they are not craving a big public moment. That is not why they do what they do. They are humble servants of their Savior, and it is His approval that they are living for.

May our testimony today be the same — willing hearts, WITH OR WITHOUT AN AUDIENCE, whether or not our reward is on earth or in Heaven. May our testimony be as strong in today’s private moments as it is in the public moments when others are watching.

Today’s Reading: Matthew 4:18-22, 8:14-17; Mark 1:16-34; Luke 4:31-5:11

THEN ANDREW BROUGHT SIMON TO MEET JESUS. Consider the weight of these seven words. Andrew did not soak up all the Jesus he could get and then just hope from a distance that his brother would someday have the opportunity to meet this incredible man. He brought Simon to meet Jesus – he introduced his brother to the one who would forever change his life!

One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. Jesus called out to them, “Come and follow me and I will show you how to fish for people!” And they left their nets at once and followed him. – Mark 1:16-18

God had a plan for the lives of these two brothers – a plan bigger than they had ever imagined. I would guess that, even in that moment, Andrew and Simon Peter did not fully comprehend the extent to which Jesus was going to penetrate their lives.

After leaving the synagogue that day, Jesus went to Simon’s home, where he found Simon’s mother-in-law very sick with a high fever. “Please heal her,” everyone begged. Standing at her bedside, he rebuked the fever, and it left her. And she got up at once and prepared a meal for them. – Luke 4:38-39

John the Baptist introduced Andrew to Jesus and then Andrew introduced Simon, now known as Peter, to Jesus. Now Jesus is not only impacting the lives of these two fishermen, He is reaching out beyond Peter to his family. This woman who was sick in bed is now on her feet serving Jesus. All who witnessed this were now aware of the power of the Son of God. The number of people whose lives are being touched by Jesus is multiplying.

As the sun went down that evening, people throughout the village brought sick family members to Jesus. No matter what their diseases were, the touch of his hand healed everyone. Many were possessed by demons; and the demons came out at his command, shouting, “You are the Son of God!” But because they knew he was the Messiah, he rebuked them and refused to let them speak. – Luke 4:40-41

Now Simon Peter’s family, as well as his entire community, had been greatly impacted by the power of the Son of God! No, not just impacted, touched. The touch of his hand healed everyone. By following Jesus, Peter had shortened the distance between those he came in contact with every day and the Savior of the world. They now had the opportunity to be touched by Jesus because of Peter’s faith.

One day the crowds were pressing in so close to hear Jesus that he stepped into one of Simon Peter’s empty fishing boats to preach. When he was finished, he told Simon to take the boat into deeper waters and let down the nets to catch some fish. They had not caught anything that night, but they did as Jesus commanded and caught so many fish that their nets began to tear! Another of Simon’s boats came out to help and soon both boats were on the verge of sinking from all the fish (Luke 5:1-7).

Now Simon’s relationship with Jesus was not only affecting his family and community, Simon had brought Jesus to work with him! Now all of his coworkers and colleagues were given the opportunity to see a miracle and to reap the benefit of this huge catch of fish. How do we know his coworkers and colleagues gained from this large catch? Because Simon was officially no longer a fisher of fish; the catch was theirs to keep. He was now Peter, a fisher of men!

When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, “Oh, Lord, please leave me – I’m too much of a sinner to be around you.” For he was awestruck by the number of fish they had caught, as were the others with him. His partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were also amazed.

Jesus replied to Simon, “Don’t be afraid! From now on you’ll be fishing for people!” As soon as they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus. – Luke 5:8-11

Our response to our encounter with Jesus will determine whether or not those around us get an opportunity to have their own encounter with Jesus. When we fall on our knees, admit that we are a sinner, and obediently follow Jesus – doing whatever He tells us to do simply because He said so – our submission impacts the lives of those around us. We can keep all this Jesus to ourselves or we can take Jesus into our family relationships, our community and our workplace.

Lord, help us to conquer our fears and uncertainties. Help us know that you are with us and that you want to make an impact on those around us. May our submission allow us to be your hands and feet to everyone we come in contact with today. Give us a new identity in you so that we stop seeing ourselves as “Simon” and begin seeing ourselves as “Peter”.