by Rachael Stelzer
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Read Luke 5:1–11
Peter and his brother and friends had been fishing all night. And they had caught nothing all night. These simple men had not even caught enough fish to feed their families, much less enough to sell to make a profit.
And now this stranger, this itinerant preacher, was telling them to try again on the other side of the boat. It beggared all common sense. What did he know about fishing?
And yet, something about the way he spoke drew Peter in. There was something about him. And Peter figured he had nothing to lose. So, he talked the others into trying again.
And suddenly, they reeled in a catch like they had never seen before. So many fish that they were nearly swamped! They called for reinforcements from the other boat, and both almost sank under the weight of the fish!
And Peter knew without a doubt that something more than an abundant catch was being provided here. Peter recognised the power at work in this man. And his own imperfection. And the fear of God moved him to speak.
‘Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!’
But the stranger did not turn away. Instead, he calmly said, with a twinkle in his eye, ‘Don’t be afraid. From now on, you will be catching people.’
And Peter was hooked from that moment.
Dear Lord, when we recognise the abundance you bring into our lives and communities, we are hooked. May our lives tell the story of your welcome, your leading and your rich love so that others will also be attracted to the abundant life you offer. Amen.
Rachael Stelzer is Primary Head of Faith and Spirituality at Coomera Anglican College near Brisbane. She is a member of Our Saviour Lutheran Church in Rochedale.
Forgive. Forget. Forever?
by Jonathan Krause
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‘Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?’ (Matthew 18:33).
Read Matthew 18:21–35
So, this forgiveness thing?
Thinking about verses like today’s reading, I straight away see how much work I need to do to forgive others. Over and over.
And, even harder, to forget and move forward.
Well-meaning friends tell us that forgiving helps free us from the burden of whatever was done against us. Indeed, John Hopkins Medicine states:
Studies have found that the act of forgiveness can reap huge rewards for your health, lowering the risk of heart attack; improving cholesterol levels and sleep; and reducing pain, blood pressure, and levels of anxiety, depression and stress.
I expect all that’s right. But you know what I find even harder than forgiving, and even forgetting? Accepting forgiveness.
Yes, I know that through the sacrifice of Jesus, my sins are forgiven and washed away (Isaiah 1:18) … but surely they can’t be forgotten?
For me, I can’t shake the fear that our Father in Heaven is keeping track of all the times I have let him down, turned away, done wrong. Yes, you and I may be forgiven, but isn’t there always the threat that our ‘forgiven’ sin is still lurking there – ready to be dragged out again and used against us the next time we fail and fall?
That’s where Hebrews 10:17 clubs me over the head and demands I re-read today’s Bible verses in this certainty: ‘I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.’
That’s forever. That’s me set free.
God is not holding the stain of my sin against me. Instead, I’m set free to give that same gift of forgiveness and grace to those who wrong me.
Whether it’s seven times, or seventy-seven times, or seventy times seven times.
What a blessing to have so many chances to model the amazing blessing of God’s love, expressed in forgiveness, to those around me.
Forgive. Forget. Forever.
Lord, thank you for forgiving me, even when I fall over and over again. Thank you for your amazing grace that ‘forgets’ my failings. Forever. Now, help me do the same for those who may fail me, so they can see the light of your love in my life. Amen.
Jonathan describes himself as a ‘happy husband, proud dad and grandad, ALWS worker and proud Magpie fan’.
A Psalm worth singing
by Emma Strelan Werner
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The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love (Psalm 103:8).
Read Psalm 103:8–13
Psalm 103 is one of the most highlighted psalms in my Bible.
I come back to it time and time again because of how beautifully it expresses God’s love and mercy. One author goes so far as to proclaim, ‘It is perhaps the most perfect song of pure praise to be found in the Bible.’ I see why. To me, these are the kind of words you could sing over and over and never get tired of because they contain such beautiful truths about God.
In wonderfully poetic imagery, we’re reminded of a God who is both great and mighty, but also personal and loving. A God whose love is bigger than anything we can imagine: ‘As high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him’ (verse 11).
In this same psalm, we are also reminded of God’s intimate, close love – it is like that of a Father who knows all of our weaknesses personally. And in return, we get to know him, too.
What better way to encapsulate both the greatness and goodness of God in just a few verses?
The key theme running through this psalm is God’s great compassion and mercy, which ties in well with the other passages this week, in which we are called to consider the ways we should respond to sin and injustice in our community. We’re now given a chance to reflect on how God acts towards us.
Where we humans struggle to let go of grudges and forgive those who wrong us, our God, who has every right to hold even the ‘small’ things against us, simply says in his endless mercy and grace: ‘It is finished. You are forgiven. Receive all that I offer you in love.’
Heavenly Father, may this psalm be the song of my heart today. May I want to sing it from the car window and whisper it in my bed. May the truths it proclaims go with me into whatever the next week holds. Amen.
Emma works part-time as a content producer at Lutheran Media, where she creates the Messages of Hope radio show and podcast. On her other days, she takes freelance video jobs, filming weddings and all manner of projects that come along. Having gotten married herself in May, she’s enjoying this new season of life with her husband, Tim.
Please give me a job description
by Emma Strelan Werner
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Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you (Ephesians 4:32).
Read Ephesians 4:25–32
Allow me to pull out my ‘I learnt a tiny bit of biblical Greek’ card for a moment to point out some cheeky wordplay from Paul in this passage. In verse 32, the Greek word for ‘be kind’ is chrestos – strikingly similar to the Greek for Christ. So, when Paul tells us to ‘be kind’ to one another, perhaps he’s hinting that we ought to also ‘be Christ’ to one another. After all, that is, in fact, what we still call ourselves as Christians – our job is to be little Christs.
But there’s nothing I fear more than being given a job title with no blueprint or direction for what doing that role actually looks like. Perhaps many Christians have found that once they put their faith in Jesus and are told they are a new creation in him, they have no idea what that even means in practice!
Well, thankfully, we get a job description for a ‘new creation’ right here in Ephesians.
A new person in Christ:
- tells the truth (verse 25)
- knows when to let go of anger so it doesn’t lead to sin (verse 26)
- works honestly and gives generously (verse 28)
- speaks for the building up, not tearing down of others (verse 29)
- lives in a way that does not grieve the Holy Spirit (verse 30)
- controls emotions that lead to hurting others (verse 31)
- seeks to show the same kindness that God has shown them (verse 32).
This can be a nice list to spend some time considering: ‘In which area can I be more Christ-like right now?’ But, in all these things, a theme becomes evident: as Christians, the needs of others are to be our first concern, and Christ is the greatest example of that.
There’s one thing even better than a job description: having the person who did that job before you demonstrate what it looks like.
When we struggle to know what ‘being Christ’ looks like in a specific situation and can’t find a Bible verse giving us the answer, we can turn to Christ as our example. I don’t have to forge my own path ahead as a Christian, even in this ever-changing world, because Christ goes before me.
Lord Jesus, thank you for demonstrating love perfectly. Give me a hunger to know you more, so that more and more of you shines out of me. Bring to my attention where I can be living better as your new creation today. Amen.
Emma works part-time as a content producer at Lutheran Media, where she creates the Messages of Hope radio show and podcast. On her other days, she takes freelance video jobs, filming weddings and all manner of projects that come along. Having gotten married herself in May, she’s enjoying this new season of life with her husband, Tim.