January 17th, 2021
Devotional
“Fish for People”
Luke 5: 1-11
Keep the sermon topic and Biblical text preaching all week by following Pastor Michelle on twitter @tinypastor and reading her sermon blog www.revmichelle.blogspot.com
Monday: “Boats” - Luke 5: 1-2
When Jesus called the first disciples, in the fifth chapter of the Gospel of Luke, they were fisherman. Not exactly the most high up of occupations at the time. Simon, James, and John would have had some education about the scriptures, but because they were on the boat that day, we can assume that they were rejected from going to further education at some point. So they entered into the trade of their kin, fishing on the sea.
While fishermen would not have been the most high up occupation, tax collectors, like Levi (who Jesus calls to follow him later on) were just despised. They were seen as being apart from the Jewish people, an arm of the Roman government. If that wasn’t bad enough the occupation of tax collector had a reputation that went with it for ripping people off - charging more for folks taxes then what Rome issued, thus getting wealthy at the expense of other people who couldn’t afford it.
We live in a mindset it today’s world that we want the absolute best to fill positions - at works, in the community, anywhere there are volunteers. But here is Jesus in the Gospel of Luke, not going to the synagogues to find the people who like him, at the age of twelve, asked deep questions, knew scripture instead and out and followed the religious rules and regulations to a ’t’. No, he is going down to the docks and picking out people who didn’t make it the whole way through religious education. What in the world is Jesus doing?
Why do you think Jesus called the fisherman first?
Prayer: Lord, we thank you that you do not call perfect people, or those who have life all figured out, but everyday people, like fishermen and tax collectors, to follow you. Thank you for calling us as well to follow you. Amen.
Tuesday: “Deep Water” - Luke 5: 3-4
Jesus, I think is not picking the best as the world may define them, but the best people to follow him. The people that he would later use to proclaim his message to the very end of the world. Those who will go into the deep waters of life to fish for people.
I was at a training once where the speaker was talking about how Christians miss the point sometimes of what it means to be a follower of Jesus. Sometimes we want to spend all of our time in church buildings, where we can be with people who are like us, apart from the world. And we want our pastors to spend the majority of their time on us - visiting, counseling, drafting sermons that are for us. But if we are truly going to model the mission and ministry of Jesus, we as Christians and our religious leaders need to be spending less time with people like us, and more time out with folks who do not yet know Jesus, meeting them where they are at. In other words, we as the church, need to go out into the deep waters to meet people where they are at.
How is Christ calling you to go out into the deep waters of life?
Prayer: Lord, we confess that we are not fond of the deep waters. They seem risky to us. We have excuses as to why we would rather not go there. Yet, O Lord, we ask for your strength to go wherever you may send us, even into the deep. Amen.
Wednesday: “So Many Fish” - Luke 5: 5-6
I’ve been thinking about how I spend my time, and who I encounter on most days, and I started to be incredibly intentional about making sure I was in places where I could talk to non-Christians. I would go to coffee shops to write my sermons. I would offer prayer for folks in the local pub. I taught Bible studies at the University, where I interfaced with a lot more students who weren’t quite sure about this Jesus thing then those who would consider themselves Christians. Some folks got it. They realized that I needed to be spending time in the community so I could meet folks who didn’t yet know Jesus and invite them to come and see what Jesus is all about.
Because of that, some of those folks who got it started to think about who they spent their time with and how they could interact with people who were searching and didn’t know Jesus yet, too. But a lot more people didn’t get it. They wanted a pastor who was there all the time for them, instead of out talking to folks who may never come inside of their buildings. They wanted the folks who were already here to come first.
But we can only catch many fish, if we go to where the fish are. In this scripture passage, the disciples were tired and frustrated, but they still did what Jesus said. And the result was more fish then they could count. Where are we fishing for people today?
How do you spend your time fishing for people?
Prayer: Almighty God, you have called us to be fishers of people, which is ultimately an act of trust. Help us to listen to the voice of the Spirit and go where we are sent to spread the Good News of the Savior. Amen.
Thursday: “Sinful” - Luke 5: 7-8
Simon Peter’s words echo those of Isaiah - you are too wonderful for me, Lord. Too powerful. Too perfect. I am a sinful person. What could you ever want with me?
Yet, that is exactly who Jesus calls again and again and again. Imperfect people. Sinful people in the words of Peter. People who do not have everything worked out, to come and follow him.
If Jesus was calling perfect people, they would be able to claim that all they did was in their own power and strength. Instead, Christ calls people like you and me, so we can give all of the glory to God alone.
Tell of a time when God used you in a mighty way. What was that experience like?
Prayer: God of Grace, we are humbled that you choose to use simple people like us for the sake of your Kingdom. We cannot even begin to fathom why you chose us, except for your grace and your love. Empower us to share this Good News with others, we pray. Amen.
Friday: “Left Everything” - Luke 5: 9-11
This passage is a challenge to all of us. It asks, first and foremost, if we are aware of the healing and new life we need? Because the truth is that as much as we may be able to project to folks around us that we have it all together, Jesus know the true state of our hearts. He knows where we are sick with sin. Where we need grace. Where we need a change. And he has come to offer us forgiveness and new life, but we have to realize that we are in need first. We need to humble ourselves enough to invite Jesus to come into our lives.
Second, we need to get out - to get out of our comfort zones, to get out of hanging out mostly with Christians, to get out into the places where people are in the world so we can form relationships where we can tell people about Jesus. Because we care about them. Because Jesus cares about them. Because this is what the ministry of Jesus is all about - not coming for those who are already well, but for those who are in need of healing. And because when we stop going where Jesus would go, we’ve stopped being the church. Let us reclaim being the church of Jesus Christ in the world!
How has following Jesus changed your life?
Prayer: God, we thank you that you do not leave us or forsake us. We thank you that you call us. And we thank you that we are entrusted with the Gospel truth. Send us out, we pray. Amen.
Saturday: Preparing for the Word
You are invited to read and pray this week’s text and topic to prepare for worship: “Healing on the Sabbath” - Luke 6: 1-16
No comments:
Post a Comment