Louise Gevers
But when Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees, and said, 'Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man.' Luke 5:8, NIV
Have you ever experienced a miraculous happening in your life? I’m sure that many of you have; you may also have learnt that sometimes the greater miracle is not so much experiencing the spectacular event, but the impact it has on your life. Simon Peter experienced such a miracle, and discovered that a divine meeting with Jesus would change his life forever as he saw His power at work in his life.
Simon and his team, experienced anglers, had worked hard all-night fishing on Lake Galilee, catching nothing, and were undoubtedly weary and disheartened. As they washed their nets, Jesus, who’d been crowded by people as He taught the word of God, nearby, got into Simon’s boat, and asked him to put out a little from the shore so that He could speak to the people from there.
I would love to know what Jesus actually taught from Simon Peter’s boat that day, because whatever He’d said had touched Simon deeply and had laid the foundation for the spiritual transformation that was to come. When we look closely at what happened that day, we see that what started off as an ordinary day resulted in two miracles!
When Jesus had finished teaching, He told Simon to, “Put out into deep water and let down the nets for a catch.” (Luke 5:4) Inclination to try again isn’t easy when you’ve worked all night with no reward, but despite his weariness, Simon’s answer showed his unwillingness to refuse Jesus: “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” (Luke 5:5)
Never before had his obedience provided such a return; the catch was so great that their strained nets were beginning to break, and they had to summon their partners in the other boat to help them; even then, both boats began to sink! It was all too much for Peter to absorb.
The enormity of the situation overwhelmed Simon. He recognised that Jesus, who’d held him and the people spellbound that morning as He spoke of the Kingdom of God, also had power over creation, and had performed this great miracle that he knew he’d done nothing to deserve. And like Isaiah before him, when confronted by a vision of God’s holiness, Peter keenly felt his unworthiness and fell at Jesus’ knees, in worship and surrender. “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man.” (Luke 5:8)
And that humble confession in the presence of God transformed him.
“Jesus said, ‘Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.’ (Luke5:10) Following Jesus became Simon’s new life; he left everything.
And so did his friends.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, open my eyes to the miracles in my life. May their impact on me help me to be humble and committed to You, always. Amen
Louise Gevers
Toe Simon Petrus dit sien, val hy voor Jesus se knieë neer en sê: “Gaan weg van my af, Here, want ek is 'n sondige mens.” Lukas 5:8, 1983-vertaling
Het jy al ooit 'n wonderbaarlike gebeurtenis in jou lewe beleef? Ek is seker baie van julle het. Julle het miskien ook geleer dat die grootste wonderwerk nie noodwendig is om die skouspelagtige gebeurtenis te ervaar nie, maar wel die impak wat dit op jou lewe het. Simon Petrus het so 'n wonderwerk beleef en ontdek dat 'n Goddelike ontmoeting met Jesus sy lewe vir altyd sou verander, want hy het Jesus se krag in sy lewe ervaar.
Simon en sy span ervare vissers was die hele nag uit op die See van Galilea om vis te vang, maar hulle het niks gevang nie. Hulle was ongetwyfeld moeg en moedeloos. Terwyl hulle besig was om hulle nette te was, is Jesus, wat daar naby besig was om mense die woord van God te leer, deur die skare verdring. Hy het in Simon se skuit geklim en hom gevra om 'n entjie van die kant af te vaar sodat Hy vandaar met die mense kon praat.
Ek sou graag wou weet wat presies het Jesus die mense daardie dag vanuit Simon Petrus se boot geleer, want wat Hy gesê het, het Simon baie diep geraak en het die grondslag gelê vir die geestelike verandering wat sou plaasvind. Wanneer ons die gebeure van daardie dag van nader beskou, sien ons dat wat as 'n gewone dag begin het twee wonderwerke tot gevolg gehad het!
Toe Jesus klaar gepraat het sê Hy vir Simon: “Vaar uit na die diep water toe en gooi julle nette uit om te vang.” (Lukas 5:4) Wanneer 'n mens die hele nag met geen sukses gewerk het nie, is dit nie maklik om weer te probeer nie, maar ten spyte van sy moegheid, bewys Petrus se antwoord sy onwilligheid om Jesus se versoek te weier: “Meneer,” antwoord Simon, “ons het die hele nag deur geswoeg sonder om iets te vang, maar op u woord sal ek die nette uitgooi.” (Lukas 5:5)
Nooit van te vore het sy gehoorsaamheid so 'n beloning tot gevolg gehad nie. Die vangs was so groot dat hulle nette wou skeur en hulle moes vissers in 'n ander boot vra om te kom help. Selfs toe, het beide bote begin sink! Dit was alles te veel vir Petrus om in te neem.
Die grootsheid van die situasie het hom oorweldig. Simon Petrus het besef dat Jesus, aan wie hy en die skare hulle daardie oggend verluister het toe Hy oor die koninkryk van God gepraat het, ook beheer oor die skepping het en dat Hy hierdie groot wonderwerk gedoen het wat hy nie verdien het nie. En soos Jesaja voor hom, het Petrus, toe hy met God se heiligheid gekonfronteer word en besef het net hoe onwaardig hy is, in aanbidding en oorgawe voor Jesus se knieë neergeval en gesê: “Gaan weg van my af, Here, want ek is 'n sondige mens.” (Lukas 5:8)
En daardie nederige belydenis in die teenwoordigheid van God het Simon Petrus verander. Jesus het gesê: “Moenie bang wees nie. Van nou af sal jy mense vang.” (Lukas 5:10) Om Jesus te volg het Simon se nuwe lewe geword; hy het alles agtergelaat.
En sy vriende het dit ook gedoen.
Gebed: Here Jesus, open my oë vir die wonderwerke in my lewe. Gee dat hulle impak op my sal help dat ek altyd nederig en toegewyd aan U sal bly. Amen
Louise Gevers
He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. Colossians 1:17, NIV
Yesterday we reflected on the union between Jesus and His disciples, and how God’s active role of tending the vine produces fruit through knowing Jesus, and remaining in Him.
When I was a little girl growing up, I was fascinated with the idea of God – who He was, where He was, how I could learn more about Him. From things I’d been told I knew He was important because He was in charge of the entire world, He lived in the sky – breathtaking – and He even had hosts of angels to help Him with all the important things He did.
God was definitely interested in us and listened as I prayed my child prayers to Him each night, addressing Him as, “Gentle Jesus.” He knew when we were being good, or naughty, and I knew that I wanted to be good and please Him; but I didn’t know then what an exciting journey it would be discovering who He was, and how He would teach me through the Bible and through many different experiences in my life. With each new turn He would become more real to me.
Looking back on those days before school, followed later by Sunday School, and my first Bible from my godmother with illustrations in it, I realise that many early impressions of God were coloured by Jesus, who pointed to God. Christmastime and His birth, a heavenly choir of angels, stars, and animals in a stable, were all things possible for even a young child to grasp and wonder at.
In one incredible action God connected with His creation by coming to earth as a man.
Jesus, who “is the image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15) and in whom the fullness of God was pleased to dwell (Colossians 1:19) made it possible to know God. As we open ourselves to Him, we learn through Him speaking to the Jews that “[He] and the Father are one” (John 10:30) and to Philip, that “Anyone who has seen [Him] has seen the Father”. (John 14:9b)
Sometimes the descriptions of God in the Old Testament can make Him sound remote; too holy, too powerful to approach, like: “For who in the skies above can compare with the Lord? Who is like the Lord among the heavenly beings?” (Psalm 89:6) and we don’t always find the verses that assure of His love and grace, like: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.” (Jeremiah 31:3b)
Seeing Jesus dispelled this. Jesus more than bridged the gap. He, who was with God from the beginning, came to lay down His life for the fallen sons and daughters of Adam – in every way making it possible for us to be redeemed.
Why Jesus?
He, alone, was worthy.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for the magnificence of Your love, humility, and sacrifice for us, “taking the very nature of a servant” (Philippians 2:7) to show us the face of God. Amen
Louise Gevers
Voor alles was Hy al daar, en deur Hom bly alles in stand. Kolossense 1:17, 1983-vertaling
Gister het ons nagedink oor die eenheid tussen Jesus en sy dissipels, en hoe God se aktiewe versorging en deur Jesus te ken en in Hom te bly, die wingerdstok baie vrugte dra.
Toe ek 'n klein dogtertjie was, was ek gefassineer deur die idee van God – wie Hy was, waar Hy was en hoe ek meer oor Hom kon leer. Van dit wat aan my vertel is, het ek geweet dat Hy belangrik was want Hy was in beheer van die hele wêreld. Hy het in die lug gewoon – ongelooflik – en Hy het selfs 'n leerskare engele gehad om Hom te help met alles wat Hy moes doen.
God het definitief in ons belanggestel en Hy het geluister wanneer ek elke aand my kinderlike gebedjie tot Hom bid en Hom as liewe Jesus aanspreek. Hy het geweet wanneer ons soet of stout was, en ek het geweet dat ek soet wou wees om Hom gelukkig te maak. Ek het egter nie die opwindende reis om Hom te ontdek voorsien nie, en hoe Hy my deur die Bybel en baie verskillende ervarings in my lewe, sou leer nie. Met elke lewensdraai het Hy al hoe meer werklik vir my geword.
Wanneer ek nou terugdink aan daardie voorskoolse tyd, die Sondagskool en my eerste Bybel met illustrasies wat ek van my peetma ontvang het, besef ek baie van my vroeë indrukke van God is deur Jesus wat na God gewys het, gevorm. Kerstyd en Jesus se geboorte, 'n hemelse engelekoor, sterre en diere in 'n stal, was alles vir 'n klein dogtertjie moontlik om te begryp en haar oor te verwonder.
In een wonderlike aksie het God Hom aan sy skepping verbind deur as 'n mense na die aarde te kom.
Jesus, "die beeld van God, van God wat self nie gesien kan word nie" (Kolossense 1:15) en in wie "God besluit [het] om met sy volle wese in Hom te woon" (Kolossense 1:19), maak dit moontlik om God te ken. Wanneer ons onsself vir Jesus oopstel, leer ons deur sy gesprek met die Jode dat "[Hy] en die Vader is een" [Johannes 10:30) en aan Filippus sê Hy: "Wie My sien, sien die Vader." (Johannes 14:9b)
Soms kan sommige beskrywing van God in die Ou Testament Hom ver laat voorkom, te heilig, te magtig om Hom te nader, byvoorbeeld: "Wie in die hemel kan met die Here vergelyk word? Wie onder die hemelwesens is soos die Here?" (Psalm 89:7) Ons vind ook nie altyd maklik die teksverse wat ons van sy liefde en genade verseker nie, byvoorbeeld "Ek het jou nog altyd liefgehad, daarom het Ek jou met geduld verdra." (Jeremia 31:3b)
Jesus verdryf dit en Hy oorbrug hierdie gaping. Hy, wat van die begin by God was, het gekom om sy lewe vir die sondige seuns en dogters van Adam neer te lê en dit vir ons moontlik te maak om volkome verlos te word.
Hoekom Jesus?
Hy, alleen, was waardig.
Gebed: Here, dankie vir die wonder van u liefde, vir u nederigheid en vir die offer wat U namens ons gebring het, deur "die gestalte van 'n slaaf aan te neem" (Filippense 2:7) sodat ons God kan sien. Amen