Mark 14:60-65, “And the high priest stood up in the midst, and asked Jesus, saying, Answerest thou nothing [Do you not respond]? what is it which these witness against thee? But he held his peace [remained silent], and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Then the high priest rent [tore] his clothes, and saith, What need we any further witnesses? Ye have heard the blasphemy: what think ye? And they all condemned him to be guilty of death. And some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to buffet him, and to say unto him, Prophesy: and the servants did strike him with the palms of their hands.”
Category: The Gospels
Peter, put your sword away!
“When Jesus had spoken these words, he went forth with his disciples over the brook Cedron, where was a garden, into the which he entered, and his disciples. And Judas also, which betrayed him, knew the place: for Jesus ofttimes resorted thither with his disciples. Judas then, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons.
“Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye? They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them. As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground. Then asked he them again, Whom seek ye? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus answered, I have told you that I am he: if therefore ye seek me, let these go their way: That the saying might be fulfilled, which he spake, Of them which thou gavest me have I lost none.
“Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus. Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?”
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Why didn’t Jesus defend himself? The next step was the horrific and shameful death on the cross. Didn’t he see it? Of course he did. Was he in the right? O yes! If ever there was an innocent man, Jesus was that man!
Continue reading “Peter, put your sword away!”Desde ahora serás pescador de hombres
Y aconteció que, estando él junto al lago de Genesaret, la multitud se agolpaba sobre él para oír la palabra de Dios. Y vio dos barcas que estaban cerca de la orilla del lago; y los pescadores, habiendo descendido de ellas, lavaban sus redes. Y entrando en una de estas barcas, la cual era de Simón, le rogó que la apartara de tierra un poco; y sentándose, enseñaba desde la barca a las multitudes.
Y cuando cesó de hablar, dijo a Simón: Vuelve mar adentro, y echad vuestras redes para pescar. Y respondiendo Simón, le dijo: Maestro, hemos trabajado toda la noche y nada hemos pescado; mas en tu palabra echaré la red. Y habiéndolo hecho, encerraron gran cantidad de peces, y su red se rompía. E hicieron señas a los compañeros que estaban en la otra barca para que vinieran a ayudarlos; y vinieron, y llenaron ambas barcas, de tal manera que se hundían.
Viendo esto, Simón Pedro se postró de rodillas ante Jesús, diciendo: Apártate de mí, Señor, porque soy hombre pecador. Porque el temor se había apoderado de él y de todos los que estaban con él, por la pesca de los peces que habían hecho; y asimismo de Jacobo y de Juan, hijos de Zebedeo, que eran compañeros de Simón. Y Jesús dijo a Simón: No temas; desde ahora serás pescador de hombres.
Lucas 5:1-10
Now you will catch men
And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, [Jesus] stood by the lake of Gennesaret, and saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets. And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon’s, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship.
Now when he had left [finished] speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught [catch]. And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.
When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken: and so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.
Luke 5:1-10 (AV)
La Captura de Cristo / The Catch of Christ
I lay down my life of myself
“Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father” (Jn. 10:17-18).
“As they had often plotted to kill Him, He tells them their efforts will be useless, unless He is willing. I have such power over My own life, that no one can take it from Me, against My will. This is not true of men. We have not the power of laying down our own lives, except we put ourselves to death. Our Lord alone has this power. And this being true, it is true also that He can take it again when He pleases: And I have power to take it again: which words declare beyond a doubt a resurrection. That they might not think His death a sign that God had forsaken Him, He adds, This commandment have I received from My Father; i. e. to lay down My life, and take it again. By which we must not understand that He first waited to hear this commandment, and had to learn His work; He only shows that that work which He voluntarily undertook, was not against the Father’s will.”
-Chrysostom (c. 347-407)
La Queja de Jesús / Jesus’ Complaint
Glorious anticlimax
“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger” (Luke 2:8-10).
We’ve all felt the letdown. There is expectation, there is buildup, there is excitement, and then … it all falls flat. The climax we expected disappoints; or really, a quite unexpected anticlimax comes in its place, leaving us deflated and depressed.
Continue reading “Glorious anticlimax”Is there a Doctor in the house?
Sickness and death are on all minds. COVID-19 now ravages the U.S., straining if not mocking our knowledge, skill, and preparedness. And on top of the threat to life is tremendous toll this could take on our economy. Lives and livelihoods falter.
But there is a far more fearsome disease. The human heart has been infected by sin, the God-challenging, self-destructive virus we all inherited from our first parents. “And as by one man sin entered the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” This virus is infinitely more lethal than the Coronavirus. And no hospital, no doctor can treat it.
But God, looking down with pity on our sin-sick race, sent His Son. Jesus came as the Doctor, the Master Physician. And He has come to heal you, friend.
Tomorrow morning we will be considering the following passage at our 10:30 livestreamed service. Join us then on our Facebook page. We also have a service in the evening at 7:00.
“And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him. And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners? Mat But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Matt. 9:9-13).
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The Reformed Parish 
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