5 September 2013 - conditioned response

5 September 2013 - conditioned response

“Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing,

We often feel this way.  We exhaust our own efforts.  We do everything we can, humanly, and get nothing for it.  We have skill and expertise but we cannot ultimately fulfill ourselves.  We may feel there is no hope left.  But having exhausted our resources, let us give Jesus a chance.

but at your command I will lower the nets.”

He longs to reveal himself to us if we are willing to simply look beyond ourselves.  We just need to lay down our pride and look up.

The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.

It is, of course, about more than even supernatural fulfillment of our natural needs.  But first, he reveals more about our current condition than we can easily accept.

He delivered us from the power of darkness

The power of darkness?  Isn't that a little harsh?  But if we can accept this we can also accept the salvation he offers.  Once we realize both from what and for what we are set free we will naturally "break into song" before him.

and transferred us to the Kingdom of his beloved Son,
in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

We hear about the Kingdom all the time and it begins to sound abstract and irrelevant.  What's so great about the kingdom?  Precisely that in it we are free from the powers of darkness.  We are free from the domination of sin, which, if we're honest, dominates all of us when we are outside that kingdom.  He makes us to share "in the inheritance of the holy ones in light." It is inheritance because he himself becomes our Father.  It is light because in his presence is the source of light.  How blessed are we.

Indeed, when we see the superabundance of the salvation he offers we may be tempted to say with Simon Peter, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.”

Let us take heart when Jesus tells us, "Do not be afraid".  Let us leave "everything" that holds us back and follow him.  And, when he desires to use us to fish for men and thereby to spread his salvation throughout the world, let us do so with gratitude and thanksgiving.  By our thankful praise we spread his fame and glory.

Sing praise to the LORD with the harp,
with the harp and melodious song.
With trumpets and the sound of the horn
sing joyfully before the King, the LORD.