What Are You Passionate About?
Good Morning Friends,
I absolutely loved watching basketball during the month of March. College basketball is a lot of fun and this year we had Sister Jean to make it more engaging. You see she absolutely loves the Loyola Ramblers. She apparently loves everything about the sport too. Well maybe not so much the loosing. I imagine that as chaplain of the team she prays through the good and the bad, but is also a wonderful witness and coach with an uplifting spirit that defies gravity much like some to those playing the sport. Her fervent and sometimes fiery attitude is instructive for us as we contemplate the coming of Pentecost and the story of some fishermen engaged in another sport/vocation of interest. What Are You Passionate About?
Scripture: Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” Simon answered, “Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.” When they had done this, 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 5:1-11 (NRSV)
While Peter and John were speaking to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came to them, much annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming that in Jesus there is the resurrection of the dead. So they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. But many of those who heard the word believed; and they numbered about five thousand. The next day their rulers, elders, and scribes assembled in Jerusalem, with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. When they had made the prisoners stand in their midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, if we are questioned today because of a good deed done to someone who was sick and are asked how this man has been healed, let it be known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that this man is standing before you in good health by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead. This Jesus is ‘the stone that was rejected by you, the builders; it has become the cornerstone.’ There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.”
Acts 4:1-12 (NRSV)
After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way. Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, “Children, you have no fish, have you?” They answered him, “No.” He said to them, “Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the sea. But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off. When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.
John 21:1-14 (NRSV)
Message: Let’s face it, Jesus was a good fisherman in difficult times. And the miraculous fish story which took place on the shores of Galilee after Jesus’ resurrection was not the first instance of its kind. It had occurred similarly at the beginning of His ministry, when He first used Simon Peter’s boat as a pulpit. After netting a great multitude of fishes, Peter, James and John were immediately called to give up their vocation and follow Jesus. Jesus was going to make them fishers of men. So, after the resurrection the disciples left Jerusalem to make their way to Galilee, as Jesus had earlier instructed the women to tell them, and many returned to their vocation of fishing. And I am sure that Peter, James and John remembered their first fishing encounter with Jesus and the extraordinary success in their catch when they let the Lord join in the work. Similarly, on this later trip, they were not catching anything. All night they fished with nothing to show for it, but in the morning a stranger appeared on the shore, and asked if they had any fish, as if he desired to buy from them. Then, Jesus instructed them to try again, specifying where they would find their desired catch. Again, they knew success, and they caught a total of 153 fishes. And no, I am not sure if the number is significant more than being a lot of fish. Some same that it represents all the known nations at that point in history. But what we do know is that when they did recognize the man as Jesus it got real exciting. They are invited to a meal of bread and fish which would have reminded the disciples of the feeding of the 5000 and 4000 and maybe Peter would have recollected how he once paid the tax on behalf both Jesus and himself with a coin found in the mouth of a fish. But the experience would not end there. There would be questions and forgiveness and assignments. After three years on the road with Jesus, the time has come for the fishermen to shepherd the flock of Christ. And in all this, what is relevant to today’s question, is that Peter was passionate about fishing and Jesus used this passion to help make Peter enthusiastic about engaging believers in the Way. So, Peter became zealous about seeing ministry take place, and people healed and souls saved. And the thing is that we should be passionate too in sharing the saving love of God that we have found. We too need to be filled with Holy Spirit fire. We too need to be passionate.
Pray we are not ashamed of our past or afraid of the future. Pray have the passion to share the Gospel. Pray we love enough to feed those who hunger for spiritual food. Pray we too are catching people for Christ. Pray we appreciate the power and passion in the name and person and Spirit of Jesus. Pray we have a passion for Jesus and feed His sheep.
Blessings,
John Lawson
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