First Loves

A couple of weeks ago, Pastor Wes preached on Luke 5:1-10, the story of the miraculous catch of fish.  It is the story of a once in a lifetime catch of fish, that happened as a miracle of Jesus.  It is even more the story of the conversion of three fishermen.  It is easy to get caught up in the miracle of verses 1-10 and miss the greater miracle in verse 11.  I have added Luke 5:11 to my list of profound verses of the Bible.  Verse 11 says, “So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.”  Imagine, hauling in a load of fish that would provide all the security these men would need for a long time and then just leaving them on the shore to follow Jesus.  It’s like they found a winning lottery jackpot ticket and threw it in the trash can as they followed Jesus.  The initial recognition of Messiah and experiencing His love and compassion led to personal contrition, worship, and abandoning love.  What a moment!

Fast forward three years and we find Peter in the courtyard of the High Priest.  He had followed Jesus for three years and had seen myriad miracles and had even performed some through the power granted to him through Jesus.  His Messiah was now being questioned by the Jewish leaders.  He is approached three times by people who inquire about his relationship to Jesus, and each time he denies their friendship.  In Luke 22:61 I find another of those profound verses – “The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter.”  As Jesus’s most difficult day was dawning, he saw the one who had loved him deny him three times.  I can’t imagine what that moment of betrayal was like, but it makes me want to weep every time I think about it.  How often have my thoughts and actions denied my love of Jesus?

Fast forward another few weeks (John 21) and we find Peter and his friends once again in a fishing boat.  It had been another bad night of fishing.  Once again Jesus is giving them a fishing lesson and the result is the same, another once-in-a lifetime catch of fish.  Again, when Peter recognizes Jesus, he leaves the fish behind and rushes to Jesus.  Jesus asks the fishermen to bring him some fish.  The master teacher knows how to use fish as an illustration.  After they had finished eating breakfast, Jesus asked Peter three times if he loved him.  I’ve often thought that Jesus asked three times because Peter had denied him three times.  That may be true, but I think there may be another teaching element at play.  I think that perhaps the first two times Peter answered without much thought.  Perhaps when Jesus asked him the third time it took his mind back to that first miraculous fishing experience and his first passionate response of leaving everything behind to follow his Savior.

Decades later, one of the others there that day, John, would hear and record the words of Jesus to the church in Ephesus (Rev 21:1-7).  Jesus’s admonishment to the church was that they had forsaken their first love.  His counsel was to remember, repent, and return to doing the things you did at first.  Perhaps that is the call to us as we process through the season of Lent.  I know that when times get difficult in my faith journey, I must go back to the precious day of my salvation.  I need to reflect on how I, without thought, gave up those parts of my life that were displeasing to my new Lord of Lords.  I pray that you can still remember that time in your life and can transport yourself back to that time of childlike faith.  Then when Jesus asks you if you still love him, you will be able to answer, like Peter, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”  During this holy season, may we remember, repent, and go back to doing the things we did at first.

Blessings,

Pastor Doug