Quasimodogeniti Wednesday - Devotions in Exile

Quasimodogeniti Wednesday - Devotions in Exile

The daily lection for Quasimodogeniti Wednesday:
Exodus 24:1-18       Luke 5:1-16

As I considered these two texts, I remembered a sermon I wrote a while back. I looked at it again. I decided to use it and adapt is for this space. It took more time to do than I expected. Maybe I should have written a new devotion from scratch. Well, now it is done… here it is... And yes, it is pretty long. I thought you might be bored "safer-at-home."

There was such a crowd that had followed Jesus, and they were pressing in on Him so close, that only a few could hear.  So, Jesus went over to Simon Peter’s boat which was beached nearby, and had him put out a little from the land.  Then, Jesus sat in the boat and taught the people from there.  When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch."   And Simon answered, "Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets."

You all know what happened.  The nets were lowered and filled two boats to the point that they were near sinking.  Simon fell before Jesus’ knees and begged Him to depart, for he was a sinner, unworthy to have Jesus in his presence.  Jesus response was to make Peter His disciple, from that point on he would be catching men.

At this point, this text is used as a pep rally message - we are all to be out there evangelizing our neighbor, bringing the good news to them.  Do I need to tell you that is what you are to be about? How would you like it if I were to ask you, “how many you have personally brought the Gospel of Jesus Christ?” Most people you would be embarrassed to have the question asked of them. Why? Because people do not do this well.

This could be a mission devotion, but it is not. That previous question does get to the heart of what this text is about, it can be summed up in a three word statement - At your word!

At your word - and they let down the nets. 

At your word - and they left everything and followed Him. 

At your word - and the children immediately did the dishes. 

At your word - and you immediately went about the task you boss set you to. 

At your word - and you immediately tackled the honey-do list. 

At your word - and you immediately jumped to make your spouse happy.

And Simon Peter answered, "Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets." 

Simon was tired. He was physically exhausted from his night’s work. Along comes Jesus, just an itinerant preacher with some mighty fine words. Maybe a prophet, for he had healed Simon’s mother-in-law. But what could he know about fishing?  “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing!” You can hear the weariness of his voice, and his sigh of resignation. Jesus has just taught with authority, He had done some healings. BUT, Simon expects nothing different will happen. “But at your word I will let down the nets.”

Expecting nothing, much less a miraculous catch, Peter had let down the nets for a catch.

What was Jesus to Peter at this time? A rabbi? Possibly. A good teacher? Definitely.  A prophet, who had God with him? Probably. But Peter had no idea that Jesus was the “Christ, the Son of the living God” as he would later confess.

Nevertheless, what does he say when Jesus tells him to let down the nets for a catch? Does he say, “I saw the miracles, I heard you teach, and I know there is something different about you, but you are asking me to believe that you can put fish where there were none - all night!  You expect me to believe that you can change the laws of nature”

No, he simply says, “At your word!” I do not believe that anything different will happen than what happened all last night, but I will let down the nets - because you say to do so.  At your word!

How do people respond to the Word of God today?  We all know we should not be doing as Christians, yet how often they are done by us - and then we try to justify our sinfulness with excuses.

There are things we should do as Christians, and those are the very things that we fail to do. 

When God’s Word is clear (and it always is), do we say, “At your word,” and then immediately go do so?  Or, when shown the clear teaching of God’s word, do we promptly ignore it, because it does not fit our world view?

Instead of doing according to God’s Word, we are more like Peter when Jesus explained that He must suffer many things at the hands of the chief priests, scribes, and elders. That time, Peter did not say, “At your word.” In that instance, Peter said, “God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to you.”

On that occasion, Jesus had to rebuke Peter. He called calling him Satan, for he did not have in mind the things of God, but of men. How often do our human desires trump God’s Word.

How willing are you to say, “At your word!”, and then do as Christ commands? Go, bring the Gospel to your neighbor!  Yes Lord, at Your word.

Forgive your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.  Yes Lord, at Your word. 

Forgive and be reconciled with your neighbor, for if you do not forgive, then neither will your heavenly Father forgive you.  Yes Lord, at Your word.

Such a list could extend forever, and the longer it continued, the lower we would hang our head in shame.

Thankfully Jesus did not respond in like manner when His Father’s will was that He suffer and die.

Son, my beloved Son, my only begotten Son - you must take on human flesh in the womb of a virgin named Mary. 

At Your word.

You must then be obedient to all my laws, and the laws of our creatures, even when they are unjust. 

At Your word.

You must also submit to baptism, taking into your flesh the sins of all mankind. 

At Your word.

You must walk among the people, teaching them, doing miraculous signs among them, even though they will not believe that you are God.

At Your word.

You must submit to the authority of Jewish leadership when the arrest you and falsely accuse you. 

At Your word.

You must submit to the authority of Pilate when brought before him. 

At Your word.

You must allow yourself to be mistreated in the most vile manner, to be spat upon, beaten, whipped, humiliated, and lied about.

At Your word.

You must submit to the most cruel form of punishment, punishment reserved for the most foul criminals.

At Your word.

Upon the cross you must give your life unto death to pay for the sins of all those who did these things to you - yea, to pay for the sins of all mankind. 

At Your word.

Love them as you do all this for them. 

At Your word.

Three days later, I will raise you from the dead. 

At Your word.

You must give the authority I give to you to your disciples, the authority to forgive sins.

At Your word.

You yourself must be present in the forgiveness they dispense.

At Your word.

You must be the water of life - the Word of Peace - the food and drink to satisfy their hunger for righteousness.

At Your word.

All this Jesus did, in obedience for your sake...  And all these things He DOES...  for you.

Jesus declares to you… “Hear the absolution my minister speaks to you and know your sins are forgiven.”

Yes Lord, at your word.

…“Bring your children to the font, that they may be united to me, made my dear children.”

Yes Lord, at your word.

…“Hear my word proclaimed to you, for it is the means by which I will come to you and build you up in the most holy faith unto life everlasting.”

Yes Lord, at your word.

…“Eat and drink at the table I set before you of My precious body and blood. Eat and drink of forgiveness.  Partake of the salvation I won for you out of My boundless love for you. Be strengthened in faith by this holy meal unto life everlasting.”

Yes Lord, at your word.

…“You are mine now, and will be forever.”

Amen. That is, Yes Lord, at your word.