"I am with you"

Whoever receives this child in my name receives me. (Luke 9:48) 

What’s in a name? A lot? Or not very much at all? After reading today’s Gospel, you might say, “Both.” Because if your name is Jesus, that’s really something! But it’s “something” for you only to the degree that you are connected to him and to the grace that his name carries.

Jesus’ disciples were still playing the “name game,” squabbling over who would become the most famous apostle. So Jesus brought a small child to himself—a child whose name we never hear. You can imagine him situating the young person right by his side, with his hands on the little one’s shoulders. Then, when you hear him say, “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me,” you realize that Jesus has connected himself with this child in a special way (Luke 9:48). That’s one lucky kid!

That child is you! In fact, Jesus has joined himself with you in an even deeper way than the little one in today’s Gospel. Through the Spirit, he dwells in your heart. Think about that: the Lord of heaven happily makes his home in you. He delights in giving you a special place in God’s family and conferring his own name upon you. You could even insert your own name into this phrase and hear Jesus say, Whoever receives ___________ receives me, for I have joined myself to them and will never leave them.

It makes no difference if your name is never printed in newspapers or in the Bible, for that matter. When you turn to Jesus and call on his name, no matter the circumstance, you are reaffirming your permanent connection with him. And as you do, grace will flow into you through your bond with him.

So call on Jesus’ name in the middle of the storm, and you will receive his peace. Are you uncertain about a decision? You have access to the wisdom of Christ to guide you. Are you lonely or weary? Jesus walks alongside you, encouraging you and giving you his strength. You bear the name of Christ—and nothing can overcome that name!

“Jesus, ‘I call upon you, for you will answer me’ (Psalm 17:6). Thank you for joining yourself to me and standing beside me in every situation.”

from wau.org

There is HOPE

Nothing is new under the sun. (Ecclesiastes 1:9) 

Sixty years ago, the song “Que Sera, Sera” burst onto the scene: “Whatever will be, will be.” It’s the same note that the writer of Ecclesiastes originally sounded centuries ago as he contemplated the same old sameness of human existence.

Don’t you sometimes feel that way too? Nothing new happens; it’s the same old routine. We see new technologies and new discoveries all around us, but nothing changes. We may have the latest smartphone or the newest television, but it doesn’t make a dent in who we are or how we relate to other people.

What the writer of Ecclesiastes couldn’t yet see, and we sometimes fail to see, is that there really is something new “under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9). All because of Jesus!

Because of his resurrection, we can start each day in hope. Matthew was collecting taxes, and Nathanael was lying under a tree when Jesus called them and changed their lives forever. As he did for them, so he does for you. He is calling you out of the dullness of a life that ends with death and inviting you into a new life with far wider horizons, a life that offers you greater and greater transformation into his image.

The resurrection changes everything. It’s not just an article of our faith; it is a promise that can become the foundation of our hope and joy. It’s also something we can begin to experience here and now as we ask the Holy Spirit to give us a taste of Jesus’ love. 

The author of Ecclesiastes looked out on a bleak landscape and saw nothing worth getting excited about. All he saw was a meaningless endless cycle of life and death, leading to nothing. That doesn’t have to be your vision! Today may look like every other Thursday of your life, but in God’s eyes, it is brimming with potential. Jesus has new things he wants to show you. He has new areas of your life in which you can experience his love and compassion, wisdom and joy. 

Every day brings new opportunities—because every day brings new challenges. Every day, there absolutely is something new under the sun!

“Jesus, thank you for the resurrection. Help me find joy in knowing that I belong to you forever.”

from wau.org

Learning to say YES (Luke 5: 1-11)

Even as I begin my brief sharing today, I would like us to first appreciate the context of the reading. Before the time of Jesus just a few Israelites plied the fishing trade. Infact, it is reported that the Hebrews even had just one reference for fish which covered a list of other sea creatures; however at the time of Jesus a small flourishing fishing industry had surfaced around the Sea of Galilee or Gennesaret. 

In verse 1, we read that Jesus went to stand by the Lake of Gennesaret where he decided to teach the crowds about the word of God. He could have chosen to teach the people at any other place at that point in time. He could have chosen the countryside, market place, synagogue, to mention but a few. All these locations would always have a large crowd of people. But here, He decided to be at the location of the fishermen. This was no mean coincidence. I am convinced that this was a strategic action, as we observe in verse 3 where He got into the specific boat belonging to Simon. He was there for an encounter with Simon and his partners. I believe the Lord wants to remind and encourage us today, that He desires and purposes to meet us where we are. The fact that you are even here on the prayerline is not by chance. He is aware of your location at this stage in your life, He is aware of what ever situation or challenges you might be going through and He desires that you encounter Him through it all. He wants us to say YES to Him. 

In verse 3 we read that Jesus got into Simons boat and asked Him to put out a little from the shore. Simon and his partners had been fishing all night, and would have been mending his nets at the shore as was the usual custom. It is likely he was exhausted, busy with fixing the nets and even frustrated by their failure to catch any fish (verse 5). But he said YES to the request of the master. What has the Lord been asking of you? What has He been laying on your heart through the numerous homilies and exaltations, through your quiet time messages and messages from friends, and sometimes through the seemingly trivial occurrences in your life? And what is your response to Him? We are all very aware of the excuses we tend to give sometimes; busy at work, tired from work, frustrated with my situation...the list goes on. We see the same scene in our text, but today the Lord wants us to learn from Simon, and say YES to Him. We notice that as Simon said yes to Jesus, He taught the people from his boat. I believe that as we learn to say YES to the Lord He will use our lives as sources of nourishment and refreshment to all who come into contact with us. 

In verse 4, Jesus commanded Simon to “put out into deep water and, and let down the nets for a catch”. Simon and his men were experienced fishermen well abreast with the skills of the trade and were no strangers to the Sea of Galilee. They knew that it was best to fish at night as was the usual custom, since the water is cooler and the fish are more active. But here they were, having worked hard with all their knowledge and experience, receiving instructions from a carpenter about fishing. It was well within their right to have mocked Jesus’ suggestion and left, but they said YES. Today, the Lord wants us to learn to say YES despite our experience and knowledge. I have come to realise, especially during these times of an abundance of philosophical arguments and concepts, how much the seeming logic and knowledge is depriving people of an experience of the Lord. Sometimes the commands and promptings of the Lord may seem to defy the norm but He still wants us to learn to say YES. Verse 5 ends by telling us that “when they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break”. The Lord reminds us here of His omniscience and omnipotence and that learning to say YES to Him at all times will always end in success and astonishment. 

The text ends with Simon and his partners- James and John, leaving everything to follow Jesus. Here we learn that at the end of the day, it is about our personal relationship with the Lord. That even as He uses us for great things as we say YES to Him, the focus should not be on the accomplishment but the focus should rather be on knowing Him more. Today let us learn to say YES to Him and continue to trust that His commands and promptings to us are always good so that we may be like the man who built his house on the foundation of rock; when the flood came and the torrent struck that house could not shake. Luke 6:48. Amen.