Footprints Of The Fisherman

"Simon Peter loved Christ with all his heart—but he loved Him imperfectly because he was human. Although Peter was wholly committed to Christ, he did many things wrong. There must have been days when he wondered if he'd ever make it. I'm a lot like that, and you probably are too. That's why we identify with Peter so well, and have so much to learn from his example."

These words, penned by Carol Ruvolo in her introduction to Footprints of the Fisherman, set the stage for looking at Peter and his relationship with Christ as our guide to relating as fallen but redeemed sinners.

When we first start looking for biblical role models, Peter might not be high on our list. Christ himself, of coarse, is our ideal example, He was a man without sin—a standard that we can strive for but never hope to fully achieve in this life. My next choice would be the Apostle Paul—again a very high standard. God's Word reveals Paul's dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus, and the details of God's plan of redemption are made clear to us through Paul's inspired epistles. We know that Paul wasn't perfect because he tells us so when he speaks of his "thorn in the flesh."

So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. -2 Corinthians 12:7-9

Paul was the converted Pharisee, born in Rome and educated to be a teacher of the law, while Peter was a lowly fisherman. The credentials would favor Paul if you were looking for a rock on which to build a church. Yet Christ said to Peter: "You are Peter and on this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." I know that there are different interpretations of this passage among Christians, but no matter how you interpret it, Christ gives Peter a major role in the foundation of the church.

So, Christ chose a common man with little education and no qualifying experience; a man who responded harshly and arrogantly to the necessity of the cross. He was a man who loved Christ, but, at first, didn't understand what that meant (John 21:15-19). And he was a man who would deny Christ three times. Today's leadership role model includes qualities like charisma, credentials, and confidence. Peter' chief qualities were humanity, helplessness, and hardship.

The point is not that God doesn't use the attributes he gives us, but that he also delight in being glorified through our weakness. I believe that is why Peter's failures are chronicled in scripture. So that we can see by his example that our failures don't disqualify us for service in Christ's Kingdom, but that they may serve to teach us and humble us, and they make God's glory shine even brighter by showing His power through our powerlessness.

We need not pray that God would make us weak, we already are, but that he will take away our false assumptions about our own abilities. Peter grew in his relationship with Christ after each failure. He was not as quick-witted as some of the other apostles. However, the lesson he learned well that made him more teachable was humility—not a highly prized trait in today's world but one we should pray for. And how can we not be humble if we dwell on the majesty, power, and grace of our triune God who lifts us from our degradation and redeems our souls?

Waiting For the Prodigal Son

This is my first blog that gets personal. It may also be the last—it's much easier to be impersonal.

This story goes back 23 years. Bam! Bam! Bam! The sound from our front door jolted me upright in bed. I tried to make out the digital clock across the room. It seemed to show something after 1 a.m. Bam! Bam! Bam! The pounding persisted.

Vicky was up now. “I don’t think Eric is home yet,” she said.

A chill passed through my body and the drowsiness was gone. As I started for the door I thought, Good news never comes at this time of day.

Eric’s friend, Chuck, was in the house as soon as I opened the door. “You have to get dressed right away,” he blurted. “Eric went down on his bike and he’s hurt.”

The accident happened a few blocks from our house, and we were there in less than ten minutes. The area was unnaturally lit by the flashing lights of two police cars, an ambulance, and a paramedic unit. About a dozen onlookers stood around the edge of the light. As we walked hesitantly toward the lights, I held on to Vicky’s arm. I wanted to comfort her, but I wasn’t sure I had the strength to sustain myself.

The firs thing I saw was Eric’s red, white, and blue motorcycle in a crumpled heap next to the curb. A pool of oil was slowly spreading from the crankcase, and the smell of gasoline was strong. The paramedics were still working on Eric. They had cut away his clothes, attached a neck brace, and were preparing to put him on a board so he could be moved to the ambulance. He was covered with oil, but there wasn’t much blood. I hoped that was a good sign. He showed no recognition when I knelt and tried to speak to him. He was moaning in a loud, low-pitched voice that I had never heard before.

In the car, on our way to the hospital, Vicky asked, “Do you suppose this is the answer to our prayers about Eric?” It was a question that had been on my mind as well. We had prayed for about six months that God would send someone or something into his life to change him. Eric was 16, and he had been in a growing state of rebellion for almost a year. He had been released from an adolescent drug treatment program just four days before the accident. By the time he got out, we knew that the program wasn’t the answer.

The ensuing hours and days and months were spent praying and spending as much time as possible with Eric as he began to recover through treatment and therapy. His only injury was a Traumatic Brain Injury that left him with limited use of his right arm and leg. We were encouraged by Eric’s desire to recover, his openness in communicating with us, and the apparent lack of cognitive damage. But the question remained—would there be the changed heart in answer to our most fervent prayers.

Eric is now 39 yeas old and I’m sure you expect me to say that he is now leading a productive Christian life. Isn’t that the way these stories are supposed to end. That’s certainly what I expected, and it’s what I still expect even though Eric is still alcohol and drug dependant.

Not that we haven’t struggled over the past 23 years with the ups and downs that come from high expectations and our own projections on how God should work this all out. But God has now brought us to a place that there is nothing left for us to do but to trust in God’s sovereign grace and to rely on His covenant promises. We still pray for Eric every day, as do many of our friends and fellow Christians. The difference is that we now know that God’s answer to those prayers will far exceed anything that we could devise or project.

The story of the prodigal son has many aspects, and it contains messages for the father and the brother, as well as the prodigal son. As a father, I’m prepared to welcome my son with open arms just as our heavenly Father welcomes all His prodigal sons when we return to Him through faith in Christ.

Freedom To Serve

We hear a lot today about personal freedom, and how valuable it is, but what does freedom really mean? To the prisoner, bondservant, or slave, freedom becomes the primary goal. As patriots, we extol the personal freedoms for which our ancestors fought and died. Freedom has great value to those who have it and especially to those who do not.

What is freedom? Are prisoners truly free when they have served their time and are released? Does a nation gain freedom by overthrowing an oppressive government? Does our quest to “do our own thing” bring freedom? Can we trade freedom for peace and security?

Newspapers often use a quote from Jesus on their masthead and the front of their buildings. It reads, “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32). This implies knowledge is the key to freedom, and the newspaper sets people free by keeping them informed. However, if we read that passage of John in context, Jesus was speaking of a particular kind of truth; the gospel of Jesus Christ, which frees us from the slavery of sin.

When the Jews asked Jesus to define freedom, He replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So, if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:34-36).

Jesus speaks of a true freedom that releases us from sin and puts us in a place of honor as adopted sons and daughters in the family of God. He makes it clear that the only way to gain this freedom is through faith in Jesus Christ.

Does this mean that, as Christians, we are now free to the same selfish interests that guided us before salvation? Peter said, “Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God”(1 Peter 2:16).

We are free indeed, but that freedom comes with an obligation. It is an obligation we would not have the capacity to fulfill without the aid of the Holy Spirit who comes to those who are free in Christ. We are obligated to obey the Word of God, subject ourselves to one another, and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. As the apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible” (1 Corinthians 9:19).