Sunday July 25^th. 2010

 The Net!

Matthew 13:47-51

            The wind off the Sea of Galilee stirred the waves as it blew the date palms lightly. Fishermen wet their fingers and held them knowingly to the breeze. There would be no fishing that day if the mood of the wind held. This body of water was moody and uncertain and earned the name “Kinnereth” which meant “harp-shaped.” The lake was the focus of Capernaum’s life. The town had become a bustling bazaar but it was to the fishing boats that the town owned its fame.

 He was speaking to fishermen. No other carpenter had been so at ease with the sea as He and He seemed to know the ways of the wind. The crowd grew, drawn from the marketplace – buyers, sellers, and peasants joined in. It was the place where Peter and his brother Andrew had been called to, “follow him.” He said, “Come, follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” Further down the shore he had called James and John who had been mending nets and they followed Him.  

 Fishers of men – it was a puzzling phrase particularly when it came from the lips of a carpenter. No other carpenter was so at ease with as they rode the waves with their boats. This Jesus could calm the angry seas with his words. He also had an uncanny knack for knowing where the fish were and where they ought to cast in their nets. All they had to do was to cast their nets where he had pointed and you had a catch that would dazzle the market place.

 He had been preaching from the waterfront for a week telling He told His tales with word pictures so that they understood. His stories came from everyday life like the farm and the fields, the bazaar and the home. Now, with a smile, he embraced the fishing fleet saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a net cast into the sea.” The nets of the fishermen were formidable, stretching as long as a quarter of a mile – but they were also narrow (some only ten feet wide). They were meticulously kept, hard-knotted, and weighted down with lead. On the top-side there were cork floats that required a fleet of men to manage them.

 “The kingdom of heaven is like a net gathering fish of every kind. When it was filled it was drawn up on shore and the good fish were kept and the bad fish were cast aside to be burned.”

 The fishermen eyed Jesus and nodded in agreement. There were at least twenty-two kinds of fish. Most were edible but those without scales and others such as catfish, undersized fish, mutilated fish, and the scrapings of the lake bottom were not acceptable. Sorting took a practiced eye, skilled hands, and hours of hard work.

 But what did a net of fish have to do with the kingdom of God?

 Jesus continued; “So will it be at the end of the world. The angels shall go out and separate the wicked from the just and shall cast the wicked into the furnace of fire.”

 There are two great lessons from this parable:

 First: The nature of the drag-net does not and cannot discriminate. Its contents are bound to be a mixture. Nor can the church be discriminative. There are bound to be a mixture of different people good and bad some useless and other useful in the kingdom of God.

Second: The time of separation shall come - but it must be in the hands of God and not in the hands of humanity. It is our responsibility to gather in all who will come and not to judge and separate. God will be the final judge.

Sincerely,
Peter G. St. Don

 Prayer - http://www.allaboutprayer.org/

Sunday August 1^st. 2010

 The Wedding Feast!

 “Go, therefore, to the main highway and as many as you find there invite to the wedding feast”
(Matthew 22:9).

 Matthew 22:1-14

The late afternoon sunlight filtered through the temple windows. He spoke so quietly that the bearded listeners had to strain forward. Yet, His voice struck like lightning into the secret recesses of each heart. “The kingdom of heaven is like this. A king made a marriage feast for his son. And he sent his servant to call those invited. ‘Tell those I have invited I have prepared a dinner, my oxen and calves are killed, and everything is ready. Come to the marriage feast!’”

 The Pharisees grunted. They were accustomed to comparing their relationship to God as a great marriage. The reference to the king’s son, however, was disturbing. Jesus often referred to Himself as “the son of God” – and the son of man.” Jesus faced them somberly and continued, “But they did not take the king seriously and went on to their own way, one to his farm and another to his business. Some of them laid hold of the king’s servants and insulted them and put them to death.” The Pharisees raised their eyebrows in anticipation of what would come next, “But, when the king heard that,” said Jesus, “he was angry and sent his armies, destroyed the murderers, and burned their cities. Then he said to his servants, `Go out to the highways and invite whomever you find.’ And the servants went out and gathered all they found, both good and bad, and the marriage feast was filled with guests.”

 The disciples looked at the Pharisees and tried not to grin. How disturbing it was to think that the kingdom of God would be overrun by a bunch of nobodies. Then Jesus turned His attention to the guest who arrived at the wedding feast and did not wear his wedding garment. This was totally uncouth. The bridegroom’s family provided the garment. All you had to do was pick it up and wear it. Jesus continued, “Friend, how did you come here without a wedding garment? Tie his hands and throw him into outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!”

 Jesus had turned the tables back on the Pharisees. They were more than willing to condemn those who they deemed “unfit” or “ill-prepared” to the depths of hell. Jesus concluded, “For many are called – but few are chosen.”

 “Many are called – but few are chosen.”

 The sun slipped away and the gathering of darkness settled in. In the years to come His servants have called to persons everywhere. But not everyone would be there at the nuptial feast of the King’s Son.

 It all comes down to those who think, like the Pharisees, that they are “chosen” or “special.” They are quite sure of themselves because of it. The Pharisees were not the only spiritual snobs.

 The words echoed through the vaulted walls of the Temple remain. 

Come hear the details, and stories...! 

We invite you to our gathering at 5:00pm Sunday!

Sincerely,
Peter G. St.Don