{"id":22798,"date":"2024-12-06T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-12-06T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailchi.mp\/urc\/urc-daily-devotion-6-december-2024"},"modified":"2024-12-06T06:00:00","modified_gmt":"2024-12-06T06:00:00","slug":"urc-daily-devotion-6-december-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.trinitywimbledon.org\/index.php\/urc-daily-devotion-6-december-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"URC Daily Devotion 6 December 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"

St Luke 5: 1 – 11<\/strong>
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, \u2018Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.\u2019  Simon answered, \u2018Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.\u2019  When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. So they signalled to 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\u2019 knees, saying, \u2018Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!\u2019  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, \u2018Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.\u2019  When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.<\/p>\n

Reflection<\/strong>
I don\u2019t know if you\u2019re watching the series \u2018The Chosen\u2019 (if not, I highly recommend it), but I love the portrayal of Peter. In the first episode, we meet him in a fist fight. He\u2019s rough, tough, loves to drink and gamble and he\u2019s not above cheating. <\/p>\n

He loves his wife, Eden, and we see he\u2019s got a good heart. He\u2019s simply trying to make a life in a hard world, but he’s not what the religious leaders would call a \u2018good\u2019 Jew. He\u2019s not as scrupulous about keeping sabbath as he could be. He even comes to an arrangement with the Roman occupiers about grassing up fellow Jews who are avoiding taxes. All in all, I can see why Eden\u2019s brothers aren\u2019t keen on their ne\u2019er-do-well brother-in-law.<\/p>\n

And then Jesus arrives on the scene. And the carpenter tells the fisherman how to fish. I imagine that Peter\u2019s words were a bit more fruity than Luke\u2019s demure, \u201cMaster, we\u2019ve worked hard all night and haven\u2019t caught anything.\u201d I mean, how would you react if you had spent all night in hard, physical labour and got nothing to show for it? You\u2019re tired, hangry, and not a little scared about where the next meal is coming from, and then some bloomin\u2019 handyman strolls up and tells you how to do your job! I\u2019d have been livid! \u201cWho the [bleep] do you think you are? Do I tell you how to fix a [bleep]in\u2019 table leg?\u201d<\/p>\n

However, Peter does what Jesus says and suddenly there are fish everywhere. I love Jesus\u2019 laughter as he watches it.<\/p>\n

Peter leaps from the boat and kneels at Jesus\u2019 feet. \u201cYou don\u2019t know who I am, the things I\u2019ve done,\u201d he says. Jesus smiles. Of course he does. He knew Peter before he was born. He knows about the fighting and the gambling and the everything else. <\/p>\n

\u201cFollow me,\u201d says Jesus.<\/p>\n

Because in the end, that is all that matters.<\/p>\n

Prayer<\/strong>
Lord Jesus,
I say, \u201cYou don\u2019t know who I am, the things I\u2019ve done.\u201d
And you reply, \u201cOf course I do. I\u2019ve always known and love you still.\u201d
I say, \u201cGo away from me, Lord; I am a sinful person.\u201d
And you reply, \u201cNever will I leave you; never will I forsake you.\u201d
You say, \u201cFollow me.\u201d
And I reply, \u201cYes, Lord.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

St Luke 5: 1 – 11Once 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 … <\/p>\n

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