THE KING’S BUSINESS
925
Tuesday, October 26. Luke 5 :9-ll.
kinds, Chinese and Japanese, Australians, New Zealanders, Hindoos, English, Irish, Welsh, Scotch, Germans, French, Swiss, Russians, etc., etc. A 'blessing, always awaits the obedient (Deut. 11:27; Isa. 1:19; Acts 5 :32). Monday, October 25.' Luke 5 :7, 8. Peter got more fish than he could man age, and instead of foolishly trying to keep them all for himself, and thus losing both fish and net by his greediness, he calls James and John to come and share in his good luck. There is a lesson here for both churches and individual workers. How many a church that is utterly unable to secure all the fish in the neighborhood is still jeal ous of other churches that come to its help. They would prefer that the nets break and the fish escape, to their being caught by some other denomination. We need to be more concerned about the fish being caught than about who catches them. There were more than enough for all and both boats began to sink. God’s blessing often proves almost more than wë can carry. The mir acle, bringing Peter face to face with God’s power and presence, also brought him face to face with his own sinfulness. He gets a momentary glimpse of the Deity of Jesus and falls down at His feet. In a deep consciousness of his own sinfulness and unworthiness, and of Jesus’ Divine and infinite holiness, he cries to Jesus, “Depart from me; for I am sinful man, O Lord.” A little while ago he called Jesus “Master,” now he calls him “Lord.” As a view of Jehovah Tad brought Isaiah to realize his own sinfulness (Isa. 6 :1-5; cf. Job 42:5, 6), so by this view of Jehovah, Jesus had brought Peter to realize his. At à later day when Simon Peter recognized Jesus in a great draught of fishes, instead of praying for him to depart from him, he hurries at oncC to Jesus’ side (John 21:7). A recognition of Jesus as Divine^ and of our own sinful ness, ought to bring us to fall at His feet for pardon, and not to fall at His feet'with the prayer fhat He depart from us.
Jesus mercifully refused Peter’s petition that He depart from him. He did not de part from Peter, but on the contrary bade Peter that he follow Him (cf. Matt. 4:19). Peter and all that were with him were amazed at the draught of fishes which they had taken, but if they had only realized fully who Jesus was, it would only have been what they expected. The mighty work ing of Jesus, while it amazes the unbe lieving world, is only what the well-in structed believer expects. Jesus first cheered Peter’s trembling heart with the oft-re- corded “fear not;” then He gives the glor ious promise, “From henceforth thou shalt catch men.” Jesus first banishes our fear and then empowers us for service. The word translated “catch” is a suggestive word, it means “to take alive.” ' The ordi nary fisherman catches fish to kill and eat them, the Gospel fisherman catches them to make them alive and feed them. The day came when our Lord’s promise was so wonderfully fulfilled that Peter caught more men at a single haul than he did fish this day (Acts 2:14-41). Simon and his com panions showed that they believed Jesus’ promise and appreciated His call 'by leaving all and following Him. No one can really follow Jesus without forsaking all (Matt. 16:24; Luke 14:33). Their forsaking all will repay them; for they will gain all for time and for eternity (Matt. 19:27-29). Wednesday, October 27. Luke 5:12-14. Luke gives us a fuller description of this leper than that given in either Matthew or Mark (Matt. 8:2; Mark 1:40). He tells us not only that he was a leper, but that he was "full of leprosy.” It was an extreme case, type of the one in the deepest defilement of sin, but he was not beyond the cleansing power of our Lord. And today the one who is full of sin can be as perfectly and immediately cleansed by our Lord as the one who is just beginning to sin. He got in the right place “on his face,” in utter self-
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online