Great awakenings
Commentary
Unexpected change may be good or bad. A new job, a new friend or a windfall of any kind deserves celebration. Sudden death, accidental disablement or impoverishing losses may carry tragic dimensions.
In the Scripture lessons for this Sunday, the changes came as shocking experiences which introduced strong new purpose into persons' lives. They were so overcome as to be lifted beyond immediate reflection on the implications.
We may like to think of these stories as accounts of wonderful conversion experiences. God entered boldly to arouse a person to all-encompassing faith and devoted commitment.
For those of us with faith but no memory of an experience to which we might date its beginning, no startling start, we may especially appreciate 1 Corinthians 15. The lesson begins with intimations of ongoing nurture to awaken and nourish faith.
More particularly, the accounts are very special. They relate the calling of great teachers and leaders among the people of God: Isaiah, Peter and Paul. The lessons are almost too sparse. Wouldn't you like to know how Peter broke the news to his wife? Or how Zebedee adjusted his fishing business? Surely these earthly concerns were not disdained by God.
We may be grateful, however, to know how God worked through human means to lead people to faith and community caring. There was bound to be something beyond comprehension when the mighty God worked. Isaiah could only react with wonder and emotion, which had to be directed toward purposeful mission. Peter, quite similarly, needed Jesus to calm his fears and show him the way ahead. Again 1 Corinthians 11 contributed an element of human realism. After the shocking encounter with the resurrected heavenly Christ, Paul sought the help of other believers, then went off to think through the implications of the startling turn around in his life.
Although we should not want to detract from the special significance of the beginnings of the people of God nor from the distinctive roles of prophets and apostles, not even from extraordinary experiences of conversion or calling, all of these relate to ordinary life. They should awaken our trust that God is present and helping at the times of sudden change in our lives. Reflection upon God's involvement with earthly chances and changes in Jesus Christ can give a new sense of identity with God and help set directions for the future.
OUTLINE I
From vision to mission
Isaiah 6:1-8
A. vv. 1-4. Isaiah's experience of God may have been influenced by the emphasis upon Yahweh's kingship in temple worship (Psalms 47, 93, 95-99). The throne exalted above the temple combined with God's robe that reached into the temple. Winged creatures were common in beliefs depicting the deities of other peoples. Holiness emphasized the transcendence and otherness of God as glory stressed the radiance of the holy God shining throughout the world. All of the imagery and poetry presented a God far beyond human comprehension, yet reaching into human experience. Like a crash between two realms, the frightening sensation of earthquake resembled Yahweh's presence at Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:18).
B. vv. 5-7. Caught in the middle of the crash, Isaiah was sure he was done for. From his prophecies, we know that he was not overcome with a sense of ritual uncleanness but of moral unfitness for association with God. His guilt was not only private and personal, but related to his identity with a corrupt and sinful people. Conscientious religious persons did not expect to see God and live (Exodus 33:20). For an evil mouth, one might expect a fiery punishment (Psalm 120:3-4). Instead, Isaiah experienced forgiveness and purification.
C. v. 8. The transcendent God, though present in the world, has a mission that requires a human agent. The worshiper, shaken by the nearness of the awesome God, but revived by the promise of eradicated guilt and sin, could respond with bold readiness.
OUTLINE II
Resurrection faith and work
1 Corinthians 15:1-11
A. vv. 1-4. Received by the apostle Paul, proclaimed by Paul and received by the people who formed the congregation at Corinth, there had been regular and orderly transmission of the gospel. The term "receive" had equivalents for passing on tradition in rabbinical schools. For those who "stand," that is, their lives are established in the gospel, and who "hold fast" to it consciously and purposefully, there is salvation in relation to God that culminates in resurrection. The primary points were clear and attested by Scripture: Christ died (Isaiah 53; Acts 8:32-35), was buried and raised (Psalms 16:8-11; Acts 2:24-28; 13:35-37).
B. vv. 5-7. Although Paul omitted some resurrection appearances that were reported in the gospels and added others, he wanted to emphasize there were living witnesses still available. Also, he stressed appearances to the apostles and the leaders among them. Meeting the resurrected Christ provided qualification for the earliest leadership in the church.
C. vv. 8-11. Paul related his own apostleship to meeting the resurrected Christ (9:1; Galatians 1:15-16; Acts 9:3-6). When he spoke of it as birth, he used a word that meant premature and carried a derogatory connotation, probably referring to his involvement in the persecution of Christians at the time. The drastic change that Paul experienced could only be explained as the undeserved grace of God. This grace also explained his unmatched labors in proclaiming the gospel and the faith of the Corinthians.
OUTLINE III
Out of the ordinary
Luke 5:1-11
A. vv. 1-3. Toward the end of work one quite ordinary morning, Simon was kept from going home for his usual rest. He had met Jesus at least once before (4:38-39) and probably considered him a friend. Doing a favor came rather naturally. (Compare Mark 4:1; Matthew 13:2, for teaching from a boat, where Simon is not mentioned.)
B. vv. 4-10a. The unusual turn which the day had taken became intense when Simon received a command that he considered preposterous. Yet, he used the respectful title, "Master," as he complied. The professional fisherman had met his match. Never had there been a catch like this --breaking nets, sinking boats. The only parallel in the gospels appears in John 21:1-8 as a postresurrection event.
Cut to the very core of his sensitive consciousness, in a way he had not experienced until now, Simon Peter acknowledged the uniqueness of Jesus. Calling him "Lord," Peter blurted out a feeling of danger for an ordinary imperfect person like himself. The impulsive Peter was honest, his confession of sin, genuine.
C. vv. 10b-11. The change would last a lifetime. With the change in Peter and the change in relationship with Jesus as Lord, there came a change in vocation. In terminology like Mark 1:17 and Matthew 4:19, Jesus commissioned Peter to catch people, not for profit or exploitation as with fish, but for their salvation. James and John joined Peter in sacrificial departure from their former lives to form the inner circle of Jesus' disciples.
In the Scripture lessons for this Sunday, the changes came as shocking experiences which introduced strong new purpose into persons' lives. They were so overcome as to be lifted beyond immediate reflection on the implications.
We may like to think of these stories as accounts of wonderful conversion experiences. God entered boldly to arouse a person to all-encompassing faith and devoted commitment.
For those of us with faith but no memory of an experience to which we might date its beginning, no startling start, we may especially appreciate 1 Corinthians 15. The lesson begins with intimations of ongoing nurture to awaken and nourish faith.
More particularly, the accounts are very special. They relate the calling of great teachers and leaders among the people of God: Isaiah, Peter and Paul. The lessons are almost too sparse. Wouldn't you like to know how Peter broke the news to his wife? Or how Zebedee adjusted his fishing business? Surely these earthly concerns were not disdained by God.
We may be grateful, however, to know how God worked through human means to lead people to faith and community caring. There was bound to be something beyond comprehension when the mighty God worked. Isaiah could only react with wonder and emotion, which had to be directed toward purposeful mission. Peter, quite similarly, needed Jesus to calm his fears and show him the way ahead. Again 1 Corinthians 11 contributed an element of human realism. After the shocking encounter with the resurrected heavenly Christ, Paul sought the help of other believers, then went off to think through the implications of the startling turn around in his life.
Although we should not want to detract from the special significance of the beginnings of the people of God nor from the distinctive roles of prophets and apostles, not even from extraordinary experiences of conversion or calling, all of these relate to ordinary life. They should awaken our trust that God is present and helping at the times of sudden change in our lives. Reflection upon God's involvement with earthly chances and changes in Jesus Christ can give a new sense of identity with God and help set directions for the future.
OUTLINE I
From vision to mission
Isaiah 6:1-8
A. vv. 1-4. Isaiah's experience of God may have been influenced by the emphasis upon Yahweh's kingship in temple worship (Psalms 47, 93, 95-99). The throne exalted above the temple combined with God's robe that reached into the temple. Winged creatures were common in beliefs depicting the deities of other peoples. Holiness emphasized the transcendence and otherness of God as glory stressed the radiance of the holy God shining throughout the world. All of the imagery and poetry presented a God far beyond human comprehension, yet reaching into human experience. Like a crash between two realms, the frightening sensation of earthquake resembled Yahweh's presence at Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:18).
B. vv. 5-7. Caught in the middle of the crash, Isaiah was sure he was done for. From his prophecies, we know that he was not overcome with a sense of ritual uncleanness but of moral unfitness for association with God. His guilt was not only private and personal, but related to his identity with a corrupt and sinful people. Conscientious religious persons did not expect to see God and live (Exodus 33:20). For an evil mouth, one might expect a fiery punishment (Psalm 120:3-4). Instead, Isaiah experienced forgiveness and purification.
C. v. 8. The transcendent God, though present in the world, has a mission that requires a human agent. The worshiper, shaken by the nearness of the awesome God, but revived by the promise of eradicated guilt and sin, could respond with bold readiness.
OUTLINE II
Resurrection faith and work
1 Corinthians 15:1-11
A. vv. 1-4. Received by the apostle Paul, proclaimed by Paul and received by the people who formed the congregation at Corinth, there had been regular and orderly transmission of the gospel. The term "receive" had equivalents for passing on tradition in rabbinical schools. For those who "stand," that is, their lives are established in the gospel, and who "hold fast" to it consciously and purposefully, there is salvation in relation to God that culminates in resurrection. The primary points were clear and attested by Scripture: Christ died (Isaiah 53; Acts 8:32-35), was buried and raised (Psalms 16:8-11; Acts 2:24-28; 13:35-37).
B. vv. 5-7. Although Paul omitted some resurrection appearances that were reported in the gospels and added others, he wanted to emphasize there were living witnesses still available. Also, he stressed appearances to the apostles and the leaders among them. Meeting the resurrected Christ provided qualification for the earliest leadership in the church.
C. vv. 8-11. Paul related his own apostleship to meeting the resurrected Christ (9:1; Galatians 1:15-16; Acts 9:3-6). When he spoke of it as birth, he used a word that meant premature and carried a derogatory connotation, probably referring to his involvement in the persecution of Christians at the time. The drastic change that Paul experienced could only be explained as the undeserved grace of God. This grace also explained his unmatched labors in proclaiming the gospel and the faith of the Corinthians.
OUTLINE III
Out of the ordinary
Luke 5:1-11
A. vv. 1-3. Toward the end of work one quite ordinary morning, Simon was kept from going home for his usual rest. He had met Jesus at least once before (4:38-39) and probably considered him a friend. Doing a favor came rather naturally. (Compare Mark 4:1; Matthew 13:2, for teaching from a boat, where Simon is not mentioned.)
B. vv. 4-10a. The unusual turn which the day had taken became intense when Simon received a command that he considered preposterous. Yet, he used the respectful title, "Master," as he complied. The professional fisherman had met his match. Never had there been a catch like this --breaking nets, sinking boats. The only parallel in the gospels appears in John 21:1-8 as a postresurrection event.
Cut to the very core of his sensitive consciousness, in a way he had not experienced until now, Simon Peter acknowledged the uniqueness of Jesus. Calling him "Lord," Peter blurted out a feeling of danger for an ordinary imperfect person like himself. The impulsive Peter was honest, his confession of sin, genuine.
C. vv. 10b-11. The change would last a lifetime. With the change in Peter and the change in relationship with Jesus as Lord, there came a change in vocation. In terminology like Mark 1:17 and Matthew 4:19, Jesus commissioned Peter to catch people, not for profit or exploitation as with fish, but for their salvation. James and John joined Peter in sacrificial departure from their former lives to form the inner circle of Jesus' disciples.
