Greetings in the name of the One who invites you to “follow,” Jesus Christ – THE Crucified and Risen Saviour! What a beautiful autumn morning in the Kingdom! and this day holds !the power of God’s presence coming to us through the people who will interact with. I am praying for you today, asking Father to allow you to hear his voice speaking to you in a variety of ways and varying degrees of amplitude.
Last night, according to Jewish tradition, an event occurred in Jewish households/synagogues called – simchat Torah or ‘rejoicing with the Torah’ ( the first 5 books of the Bible). It was a time when people would hold the Torah and dance around with it, laughing and singing and rejoicing – with the understanding that in an ever-changing world, God and his words are constant. It is a beautiful ceremony as far as it goes, for the idea of Jesus as Messiah is not central to the celebration. I was part of a small Bible study group that gathered and watched a video teaching on the calling of the first disciples from Luke’s gospel ( I think the four gospels and the book of Acts constitute the “Christian Torah”) and central to the story was that before any ‘life changes’ began, Jesus taught them. I am suggesting that Jesus taught them the Torah…and for, perhaps, the first time many of the hearers understood.
Then, as the story goes, there is the miraculous catch of fish and then Peter’s acknowledgement of Jesus’ identity and an insight to his own identity as a sinner, and then the invitation of Jesus to “follow” which, as we know Peter did. Interesting – our whole Christian history rested on Peter’s “choice” to believe what he heard about God’s word and to believe in the one who taught it to him and to believe in the person that Jesus saw living inside Peter. One of the teachings of Jesus says: “Do things that prove you have turned to God and have changed the way you think and act.” Matthew 3:8 GWT. In Peter’s story this truth is illustrated so gently and powerfully.
The Torah reading for today in the Jewish synagogue is: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1 NIV. I wonder if we were to ask Peter to tell us his story…share his personal testimony, if he might begin…in the beginning God …sent Jesus…and the rest is quite an adventure.” I cannot answer for you, but isn’t that really the bottom-line in our story…before anything really began to be affected, before any healing-restoration-renewal-reconciliation, before the inner transformation…in the beginning God! and then with a new understanding, I made a choice to follow…and the rest is quite an adventure! The daily question we must answer: am I following?
Be blessed!