MEDITATIONS

Word Among Us, Sep 2005

1 Thursday, September 1

Luke 5:1-11

From now on you will be catching people. (Luke 5:10)

Peter was having a rough day-hours of hard work fishing with nothing to show for it. Then Jesus got into Peter's boat, preached to the crowds, and told him to try again. What happened next astonished the seasoned fisherman: He caught so many fish that two boats couldn't hold them all!

Could Peter have possibly believed that Jesus' words about catching people would actually come true in his life? Fast forward to Pentecost: "Those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added" (Acts 2:41). Peter really was "catching people"!

Do you believe that God still wants to catch people? If you do, then it's a reasonable conclusion that he wants each of us to play a role in hauling in this catch-just as he used Peter and all the other apostles. Jesus is quite capable of working miracles through us. He may be the only one who can soften hearts, but he invites us to live in such a way that we are proclaiming Christ to those whose hearts are being softened.

Jesus didn't just make a prediction to Peter. He also gave him the power to make it come true. It is much like when God spoke in Genesis, "Let there be light," and there was light. Similarly, when Jesus speaks to us of evangelization, he gives us the power to bring about what he has promised.

We may not see three thousand people come to Christ in one day. Still, Jesus did call us the light of the world. Let's not hide that light under a basket! Our words and actions do matter. We really can bring Christ with us into every situation we enter. Our prayers of intercession really can transform others' circumstances and change their hearts. We really can "catch people" for God's kingdom!

"Thank you, Father, for using such an inadequate instrument as myself to bring people to you! Thank you that your love for us cannot be held back!"

Colossians 1:9-14; Psalm 98:2-6

2 Friday, September 2

Luke 5:33-39

No one after dunking old wine desires new wine, but says, "The old is good. "(Luke 5:39)

Actually, the old wine is not better. It's just what we've become accustomed to. It's what has sustained us and provided us with a philosophy of life for so long. So after drinking this old wine for so long, why would we bother with something new? Why jettison the old and trusted in favor of the new and untested? To be fair, the worldly philosophies that this "old wine" represents aren't always bad. They are a mixture of good and bad, combining thoughts like "Look out only for yourself" with the need to prepare for the future or the virtue of succeeding on the job.

The real problem is the tendency of these goals and philosophies to take a higher priority over serving the Lord or loving our neighbors. And that's why they need to be purified. We were made for eternity, after all. Regardless of whether the world's philosophies are good or bad, their usefulness is limited, and they will not bring us into the kingdom of God.

The real question to ask is why bother settling for the old wine when the new is ours for die asking? The truth is that what Jesus gives us to drink is far richer than anything the world can ever offer. And even better, when we do drink his wine, we begin to develop a whole new set of philosophies and goals. We develop new "wineskins" that can contain diis wine. This means that we begin to reject die negative aspects of the old wine and we experience the positive aspects of the old wine being raised up and filled with divine power by the Holy Spirit.

It's really quite simple. All we have to do is take a sip or two of the new wine, and the Spirit will begin transforming us. All we need to do is take one or two small steps toward the Lord. He will respond by filling us with such a desire for him diat we will want to drink more and more. Drawing closer to Jesus, we will taste and see that the Lord is, indeed, good!

"Lord Jesus, I want more and more of your new wine. Come transform my thoughts to be your thoughts and my desires to be your desires. Fill me up, Lord!"

Colossians 1:15-20; Psalm 100:1-5

3 Saturday, September 3

Colossians 1:21-23

... Provided that you continue securely established and steadfast in the faith.. . (Colossians 1:23)

When Carol was first converted to Christ, she was so full of joy, love, and gratitude to the Lord that she could not imagine herself being any other way. "At the start," she said, "I was so in love with the Lord that my relationship with him was always foremost on my mind. But as time went by and hard times came, my zeal began to fade. My love burned less fervently and I began to drift away."

Carol's statement gives witness to the fact that although conversion is a life-changing experience, it is only the beginning. Further deepening of, and abiding in, this newfound relationship with Jesus is crucial if we want to remain steadfast and grow in holiness.

That's where the Sacrament of Reconciliation comes in. It is probably one of the most powerful tools we have to help us deepen our conversions. Turning back to Jesus, confessing our sins, and experiencing his forgiveness, we are filled once again with knowledge of God's mercy and love for us. It's almost like experiencing conversion all over again! What's more, the grace poured out in Confession allows us to deal with any "estrangement" and "hostility" that still remains in our hearts and minds after our initial encounter with the Lord (Colossians 1:21).