The Unbroken Net

Jesus came to Earth, lived a life completely free of sin, died a cruel death on the cross of Calvary, rose from the grave in a triumphant return to His throne in Heaven and fulfilled what had been God’s plan since the beginning: to provide man with the opportunity for salvation.  The Gospel, the “good news” of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, is what gives us hope for eternal life in Heaven.

There are two stories told in the books of Luke and John that are among my favorites, especially when read together, because they paint a beautiful picture of the friendship between Jesus and Peter.  The first account is found in Luke 5:1-11 and the second is in John 21:1-11.  Recently, as I read these stories again, I discovered a powerful metaphor involving a fishermen’s net and the all-sufficient power of the Gospel. 

In the first verse of Luke 5, we find Jesus standing on the shore of Lake Gennesaret.  He stepped into the boat of Simon Peter, who had fished all night with his partners, James and John.  Jesus asked Peter to take the boat out a little from the land and He sat down and began to teach the crowds from the boat.  When Jesus stopped speaking, He said to Peter, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”  Peter explained to Jesus that they had been fishing all night long and had caught nothing, but he agreed to let down the net. 

“And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking.”  (Luke 5:6, emp. added)

The catch was so great that the net could not hold the fish.  Another boat had to come out and help carry the load to shore and, even then, the boat began to sink under the weight of the fish!  Peter, in his astonishment, fell on the knees of Jesus and said, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!”  Jesus answered Peter saying, “Do not be afraid.  From now on you will catch men.”  After bringing their boats to the land, the fishermen left everything and followed Jesus.

Turning over to the book of John, chapter 21 beginning in verse one, we find Jesus, after His resurrection, standing by the Sea of Tiberias.  Again, Peter and some of Jesus’ disciples had been fishing through the night and had caught nothing.  When they returned to the shore, Jesus stood there, but they did not recognize Him.  Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any food?”  They answered Him, “No.”  He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.”  When they did as He instructed the net became so full of fish that they were not able to draw it back into the boat.  At that moment, knowing there is only one who can call up the fish from the sea—the same one who miraculously filled their empty fishing nets once before—John cried out, “It is the Lord!”

Peter, hearing that it was Jesus, put on his outer garment and plunged into the sea.  Jesus—his Master, his Teacher, his Friend—was alive!  He swam to His Savior, not able to wait on the boat to make its return to shore.  What a beautiful picture of love and devotion!

When the disciples approached Jesus, He said to them, “Bring some of the fish which you have just caught.”

“Simon Peter went up and dragged the net to land, full of large fish, one hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not broken.”  (John 21:11, emp. added)

In the first story, think of the net as the Old Covenant.  At the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, in Luke chapter 5, the net in the hands of the fishermen was the Law of Moses, an imperfect Law in that it could not grant salvation.  It was a “net” that would break under the strain of sin.  

When Jesus called His followers to be fishers of men, He began weaving together an unbreakable net that would be placed in their hands at the time of His death.  With the words, “It is finished,” Jesus gave up His spirit on the cross and established the New Covenant, one of promise and of life, and the Old Covenant was made obsolete.  Where the Old Covenant was broken and could not remove sin through the blood of bulls and goats, the New Covenant is complete, offering purification and sanctification for sinners through the blood of Jesus Christ.

This was the net that the resurrected Lord gave to His disciples, the net described in the John 21, and one that Christians continue to hold today:  the soul-saving Gospel of Jesus Christ…the net that cannot be broken.  The words of the Lord rise from the pages of the Bible and call out to us today, “Cast the net!”

A New Perspective

I love the church.  As the body of Christ, it is where salvation is found.  As the family of God, it is where encouragement and comfort are shared.  As the kingdom of God, it is where my hope for eternity rests. Yes, I have a deep and sincere love for the church, but I have to ask myself this question, “Do people in the world around me see that love reflected in my life?”  I couldn’t stop thinking about this the other night after the memory of a pickle woke me from my sleep.

You’ve seen the jars.  They are typically found in gas stations, near the cash register, with a sharpie written price tag taped to the front.  With their Martian colored liquid and floating oval shaped specimens, the glass containers look as if they belong on the shelves of a secret laboratory and not on the counters of Kangaroo Express and Mapco.  I’ve never had the slightest urge to buy one of those big, green pickles…until last week.

It had been a long day.  Our Spring Break trip to New Orleans was coming to an end and we were spending our last day exploring areas of the French Quarter.  Following our third consecutive breakfast of beignets and cafe lattes at Café Du Monde, we enjoyed a wonderful tour of the Quarter then walked to the French Market for souvenir shopping.

We were hot.  We were tired.  We were hungry.  At one point, in the middle of the market, I distinctly remember thinking, “It’s time for us to stop and take a break;” and that’s when I saw the pickle.

Dressed in a little white napkin skirt and held in the hand of a happy tourist walking in front of us, the pickle looked anything but threatening.  It was already missing a bite or two from the top and its consumer appeared to be thoroughly enjoying the experience.  She laughed as she snacked, casually wiping pickle juice from her chin, and shared a bite with a child.  As I watched the lady eat her pickle, I found myself wondering how it might taste.  Sour?  Crunchy?  Delicious?

The gas station delicacies that I formerly regarded with suspicion suddenly became interesting!  In the heat of the New Orleans sun, with exhausted children, and an empty stomach, my perception of the pickles changed because of a stranger.  In that moment, as I stood between tables of leather purses and hand-carved wooden puzzles…I began to crave a big, green pickle.

Thinking about that day I am reminded that you never know who might be watching you and who might be searching for something you have.   What a difference we could make, as Christians, if we would remember this when it comes to the church! 

For some people, church is like a jar of pickles at the gas station—it holds no appeal to them, it’s something questionable, something a little odd, something they just don’t think they need.  But, the time will come when they catch a glimpse of one of those pickles in the real world and that could be a perception changing moment!

Here is what I learned from the lady with the pickle in New Orleans that I believe we can apply to the church:

She invested time and money in the pickle.  She waited in line and when her turn came to place an order, she willingly—happily—gave the amount required to purchase her pickle.

She handled her purchase with care.  She placed the pickle in a napkin, but not haphazardly!  The napkin looked somewhat like an ice-cream cone holder, wrapped around the pickle and then twisted at the bottom into a point.  All she had to do was push up the pickle as she ate, and her hand and arm stayed drip free. 

She enjoyed her treat.  You could see it in her face!  She was eating her snack of choice and it was clear that she loved every bite.   

She shared it with others.  At least a couple of times she received a tug on her sleeve when one of the little people with her wanted a bite.  She would gladly give a taste and then offer some to those who hadn’t even asked!

She disregarded the opinions of pickle doubters.  She didn’t care if people with a disdain for pickles surrounded her in the French Market.  She proudly ate her pickle regardless of what others might have thought.

I hope that when others look at me, they see someone who invests her time and money in the church, someone who treats the church with care, someone who enjoys the church, someone who is willing to share the message of the church—the Gospel of Jesus Christ; and someone who stands up for the church despite the efforts of the world to bring it down.  Even more, I hope that there will be moments when my love for the church is seen through my actions, and someone—even a complete stranger—will be inspired to seek that joy in their own lives.

You might be wondering if I bought a pickle that day in the market?  I didn’t.  I bought a King Cake Snowball.  But I left the market with a new perspective because of the lady with the big, green pickle.  Without even knowing it, she reached up, took the pickle jar off the laboratory shelf, and placed it on a countertop in my world.  I don’t look at those jars and cringe anymore, instead, I think about the lady in the market with pickle juice on her chin and a smile on her face.  And someday…I just might buy one.

Exceedingly Abundant Grace

In one of my favorite Andy Griffith episodes, Barney struggles to stay awake while listening to a visiting preacher present a lesson on the importance of slowing down.  After the service, Barney meets the preacher and (clearly not having paid attention) says, “That’s one subject you just can’t talk enough about: sin.”  As they walk away, Andy tells Barney, with a hint of exasperation, “He didn’t talk about sin!”

In the Bible we find that the Apostle Paul often spoke on the subject of sin. Within his letters to the early churches he defined sin, warned against sin, and offered his own confessions of sin.  Memories of how he persecuted the church, before becoming a Christian, plagued his mind and he had to remind himself to forget what was behind and continue pressing on toward the ultimate goal.  His past haunted him.

To a mob in Jerusalem before being taken to the barracks Paul said, “I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.” (Acts 22:4)

To King Agrippa, he said, “Indeed, I myself thought I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.  This I also did in Jerusalem and many of the saints I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them.  And I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities.” (Acts 26:9-11)

Paul felt the suffocating guilt of sin.  In his first letter to the church in Corinth, he wrote, “For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.” (1 Corinthians 15:9)

Paul questioned his worth, but he knew he was forgiven and he acted forgiven.

This man, who formerly consented to the death of Christians (Acts 8:1), also earnestly expected and hoped to magnify Christ, without shame, through his life or by his death (Philippians 1:20-21).

This man, who committed men and women to prisons for practicing Christianity (Acts 8:3), also became an ambassador in chains for the Gospel (Ephesians 6:19-20).

This man, who tried to destroy God’s church (Galatians 1:13), also told the saints in Rome that there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus for those who walk according to the Spirit (Romans 8:1).

This man, who had been deceived by sin (Romans 7:11), also approached the end of his life “having fought the good fight” and “having kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7).

This man, who considered himself to be “chief of sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15), also wrote about a crown of righteousness that would be given to him by the Lord on Judgment Day (2 Timothy 4:8).

How could Paul feel unworthy but have such confidence in his salvation?

The answer is: his faithful response to God’s exceedingly abundant grace.

“And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.  And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.” (I Timothy 1:12-14)

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (Romans 5:1-2).

In Acts 22, Paul recounted the story of his conversion before the Jewish mob.  He described how he had been traveling the road to Damascus and had heard the voice of the Lord.  He explained how the Lord had instructed him to go into the city where he would be told what he needed to do.  He remembered how Ananias had come to him, restored his sight, and declared that he had been chosen by God to be His witness to all men.  Ananias had said to him, “And now why are you waiting?  Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of Lord.”  And Paul did.

Paul was not saved on the road to Damascus.  He was saved when he became obedient to God’s grace by washing away his sins through baptism.  He believed in his forgiveness.  He felt sure of his salvation.  He never denied his sinful past, but he never let it hold him back from living for Christ in the present. It was because of Paul’s faithful response to God’s exceedingly abundant grace that he, the chief of sinners, was able to become—and is forever remembered as being—a chief apostle.

The Death of Death

I have a working relationship with death, but we are not friends.  He stirs within my heart a concoction of anguish, hate, gratitude, and hope, so forcefully that he leaves me speechless.  Even now, as I sit at this counter in my kitchen, I will admit that I have typed and erased—typed and erased—typed and erased—as I try to articulate my thoughts on death.  I know that we all must die; I understand that death is a part of a greater plan for the living; I believe that death opens the door that leads to a better place; but even when considering these truths, I cannot help but come back to this simple fact:  I don’t like death.

 

I have had to encounter death in a variety of ways while working as a bedside nurse and now as a Nursing Supervisor.  I have held the hands of my patients as they took their last breath and I have made every effort as part of the hospital emergency response team to keep death from taking one who still clings to life.  I have stood with the heartbroken in quiet rooms, in chapels, and in morgues as they mourn the loss of someone they love.  I have cleaned the bodies of adults, young people, and even babies so that their families might be able to see them and say their final goodbyes.  It is an excruciating honor.  I love the people, I love the souls, I love the joy that awaits the Christian on the other side, and I hate the death.

 

I don’t like death because he is unpredictable.  In one person’s world he might appear as a gentleman, kindly stopping the death carriage and delivering his passenger to the grave, as described by Emily Dickinson.  In another place he incites the cry, “Do not go gentle into that good night.  Rage, rage, against the dying of the light,” words written by poet Dylan Thomas as he pleaded for his father to remain in this life and not to die.  I have seen him compassionately end suffering, but I’ve also seen him unexpectedly and tragically barge into the lives of the happy and healthy.

 

I don’t like death because he causes tremendous pain.  I don’t like death because he disregards dreams and future plans.  He does not care about numbers, he is not concerned with timing, and he will not be bothered by fairness.

 

I don’t like death, but I will not fear him.

 

I will not fear him because I know his origin.  Death was born of sin and his presence in this world is rooted in darkness.  The power of death did belong to the devil, but when Jesus died on the cross, He rendered the devil powerless and freed us from the fear of death (Hebrews 2:14).

 

I will not fear death because thirty years ago I was lowered into the watery grave of baptism where I died to sin through the blood of Jesus and now I live for righteousness (1 Peter 2:24).  I have already died the death of eternal consequence.

 

I will not fear him because I know that his days are numbered.  Death will taste his own cryptic medicine when Jesus Christ abolishes him forever at the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:26).  Yes, death will die along with all of his grievous side effects:  “and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying.  There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4).  I look forward to that day and I thank God who gives us victory over death through His Son (1 Corinthians 15:57).

 

Because I will not fear him, I want death to know exactly where we stand:  I respect his role in my mortality, but I know that he has no power over my soul.  I realize that I have an appointment to keep with him, but I know that ultimately the only engagement that matters is when I go to meet Jesus in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:17).  I recognize that death can change my life in an instant, but I know that this moment, right now, is mine to live…and every moment counts.

The Bible Tells Me So

“Isn’t it wonderful to know that Granny is feeling better, Kate?”  Driving down the road, I glanced back at my then four year old daughter sitting in her car seat, looking out the back seat window, with a Half Nelson hold on a smartly dressed stuffed leopard.  I quickly identified the moment as a teachable one and I jumped in with both feet!  “Kate, remember how we talked to God and prayed for Granny to get better?  Well, God answered our prayers!  We need to thank Him for taking care of Granny.” 

The rear view mirror revealed a slight change in Kate’s status: a sweet smile playing around the corners of her mouth as she thought about her beloved Granny.  Feeling like the moment was going well, I continued, really wanting to drive home the idea of God answering our prayers.  “Kate?  You know that we are talking to God when we pray and He will answer our prayers; we just might not always get the answer we want.”  I paused briefly before heading into the “sometimes yes/sometimes no/sometimes not right now” portion of my lesson, when Kate suddenly turned from the window, her eyes wide with excitement and sudden revelation.  “Mommy!  God just told me that I could have some gum!”  Oh, dear.

Thus the teachable “moment” became the teachable “afternoon while running errands”.

As a Christian, I know that the Bible is inspired of God (2 Timothy 3:16).  I recognize that God speaks to me, not through any supernatural means, but through my own study and understanding of the scriptures.  I understand that when I read letters from Paul, or psalms of David, or one of the gospels, or any one of the 66 books of the Bible, I am reading the words of God Himself as He, through the Holy Spirit, guided the hand of each writer (2 Peter 1:20-21).  I just need to be sure that I am teaching this to others, as well.

I love reading books to my children.  It’s one of my favorite bedtime rituals at our house and we enjoy all types:  fiction, fantasy, adventure, you name it!  It is important though, that as they grow older, children realize the difference between the book about a magical world that exists within a rabbit hole and the Bible’s account of Balaam’s talking donkey.  One is written by a talented man and the other comes from the very mouth of God.  Our children should be taught that the Bible is not simply another book of stories, but rather the one and only book written by God and given to us that we might have a means of hearing His words today (1 Thessalonians 2:13).

We teach our children to sing “Jesus Loves Me” when they are very young and praise their efforts as they belt out the finale: “……the Bible tells me so!”  But, do our children know why they can believe what is read in the Bible?  They sing the words, “Oh, the B-I-B-L-E, yes, that’s the book for me!  I stand alone on the Word of God, the B-I-B-L-E!”  But, do they know why they can “stand alone” on the Bible?  We empower our children when we teach them the scriptural and historical facts that support the Bible as God’s divinely inspired book.  Then, when confronted with questions about the Bible, they are confident and ready to answer!

Kate and I had a great afternoon running errands together.  While we were in the car we talked about how we speak to God through prayer and how God speaks to us through His words recorded in the Bible.  We talked about how God answers our prayers and the importance of thanking Him when He gives us what we ask.  We also laughed, sang songs, bought groceries, and chewed a lot of gum.   

Give Them Something

"This is not what I believe at all!”

Those eight words tumbled out of an eight year old mouth from the back of a third grade classroom.

The students had started a new science unit that day, and the topic: “Evolution”.

The first part of the lesson included a discussion about the earth’s age.  When her teacher announced the earth to be around four and a half billion years old, something did not sit well with one little girl on the last row.  This was not what she knew to be true.

Her hand shot instinctively up into the air.

When her teacher called on her, my daughter gave that eight word rebuttal with all the conviction of a tender hearted child who loves God.

The teacher invited Evie to come up to her desk at the end of class and share her thoughts.  After class, at her teacher’s desk, Evie explained that God created the world and that the earth can only be thousands of years old, according to the Bible.

My child’s teacher kindly looked into her eyes and said, “I believe in the Bible too, Evie, I just can’t teach that in here.”

For me, as a Christian parent, this served as a wake-up call.  The teaching of evolution in our public school system is a reality, and as my daughter’s teacher relayed this story to me, I realized the necessity in providing my children with biblical answers when their belief in creation is questioned.  Along with teaching them to stand for the truth, I need to also empower them with a ready defense.

The indoctrinating of our children with the theory of evolution begins at a very young age.  I have watched television shows with my children and heard friendly cartoon characters talk about gigantic dinosaurs that roamed the earth “millions and millions of years ago”.  I have heard monkeys referred to as our “primate relatives”, and chickens described as “cousins” of the Tyrannosaurus Rex.  I have read countless excerpts from school textbooks that place global events on a billion year timeline.  As harmless as these phrases may sound in and of themselves, they create a foundation in our children’s minds for accepting the humanistic view of the origin of life, a view that completely leaves God out of the equation.

One of my missions is to prepare my children so that when they are attacked with the theory of evolution they will have the ability and the confidence to fight back.  In order to remain focused on this mission, there are three steps I keep in mind as I endeavor to effectively arm my children: 

1.      Teach The Truth.  The first, and most important step, is to teach my children the truth as it has been delivered to all people through the Word of God.  It is my responsibility to fill them with Bible knowledge.  As I tell them the true story of creation and read to them the account of the flood, I am already outfitting them for battle when they are confronted with ideas and theories of evolution.  Their faith will grow as they hear the Word of God (Romans 10:17), strengthening the shield that will quench the fiery darts thrown at them in the form of scientific “facts” and humanism.

 

2.     Point Out Error.  The second step involves “calling out” ideas related to evolution when I see or hear them being presented to my children.  I remember watching a cartoon with my children as toddlers, when the main character began a conversation with her young audience about dinosaurs by saying, “Millions of years ago…..”  Immediately, my husband called out from the kitchen, “That’s not what the Bible says!”  I laughed a little at the unexpected voice that came out of nowhere, but it started a practice in our family, of “calling it out when you hear it”.  We don’t let those little snippets of error slip by unnoticed.  We call them on the carpet and then remind each other what the Bible teaches differently. 

 

3.     Give Them a Righteous Defense. The final step is to give them a factual defense for creationism rooted in scripture and according to the biblical timeline.

 In talking with Christians about defending creation, I have heard these statements on occasion: “I don’t understand enough about it to make a good argument”, or “I can’t figure out the whole dinosaur thing.”  I have also been guilty of making comments like those and I cannot help but think of the words recorded in Hosea 4:6, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.”  We have to educate ourselves so that we can help educate our children and in doing that we provide them with hope for the future.

I must realize that my children will be challenged on their belief in creation, and it is my responsibility as a parent to make sure that when it happens they are ready with a logical, factual, biblical defense.  I do not want to let them stand under fire and not have anything to say about why they can know that God is The Creator.  I need to give them something!  It is essential that they are able to say, “I believe that God created the world”; it is equally vital that they are able to continue on to say “…and this is why...”

I cannot tell you how proud I was of Evie that day for declaring her disbelief in evolution:  One small voice speaking out for the truth.  It leads me to wonder…..what if Christians everywhere collectively raised our hands and emphatically proclaimed to those who push the humanistic agenda, “This is not what we believe!”