Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. Acts 3:6-8.

This was beautiful today from You Are The Beloved by Henri Nouwen: “Witnesses to the Light…Solitude molds self-righteous people into gentle, caring, forgiving persons who are so deeply convinced of their own great sinfulness and so fully aware of God’s even greater mercy, that their life itself becomes ministry. In such a ministry there is hardly any difference left between doing and being. When we are filled with God’s merciful presence, we can do nothing other than minister because our whole being witnesses to the light that has come into the darkness.”

This morning in our Friday Zoom Retreat, after sharing prayers and blessings, that was itself a blessing, we were helped to consider Creation and our own part in creating as an act of closeness with Creator God – Father, Son, Spirit. Spiritual practices help us realize not just that God is real, but that He is here with us and active in our lives. We saw photos of a workshop of a man, Adam Savage, who delights in making from what wasn’t – things that become so real in movies they are part of our lives. God does that! He made from the void of not there before, all of Creation and called it good! Children understand that joy of discovery with joy and whimsy! God delights in us and is patient as we grow from the void of not there to everything we are and will be.

And in our chapter, Luke 5, remember Jesus the Son is Creator and Sustainer. Note the difference in His way and the way of those stuck in what has never grown in truth. Now it happened that while the crowd was pressing around Him and listening to the word of God, He was standing by the lake of Gennesaret; and He saw two boats lying at the edge of the lake; but the fishermen had gotten out of them and were washing their nets. And He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little way from the land. And He sat down and began teaching the people from the boat. When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” Simon answered and said, “Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but I will do as You say and let down the nets.” When they had done this, they enclosed a great quantity of fish, and their nets began to break; so they signaled to their partners in the other boat for them to come and help them. And they came and filled both of the boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw that, he fell down at Jesus’ feet, saying, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!”, v. 1-8. Can you imagine seeing and experiencing that and knowing this man before you accomplished all that happened? And so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. “Do not fear, from now on you will be catching men.” When they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Him. v. 10-11. Their lives were never the same. Neither were the lives of those Jesus healed. Neither are our lives as we grow in closeness and trust in Him. While He was in one of the cities, behold, there was a man covered with leprosy; and when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” And He stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” And immediately the leprosy left him. v. 12-13. As you can imagine crowds are now following Jesus so they can listen and many so they can be healed. It was so crowded that the only way some men could help their friend who was paralyzed was to bypass the crowd, and climb to the roof and lower him through a hole they made in the roof. Among the crowd listening are Pharisees and teachers of the law from every village of Galilee and Judea. Everyone is watching what is happening, especially Jesus! Seeing their faith, He said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven you.” The scribes and Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this man who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?” But Jesus, aware of their reasonings, answered and said to them, “Why are you reasoning in your hearts? Which is easier to say, ‘Your sins have been forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,” He said to the paralytic, “I say to you, get up, and pick up your stretcher and go home.” v. 20-24. This is so new! And some accept and rejoice while others close off their whole being because they cannot accept anything they can’t explain or that is different from what they have believed. And then Jesus calls Matthew, the tax collector to follow Him and he, too, leaves everything to follow Jesus. Not only that but Matthew gives a big reception in his home for Jesus and invited are other tax collectors and other people. And Jesus is eating and drinking and enjoying spending time with them…something new for a teacher then to do. The Pharisees and their scribes began grumbling at His disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with the tax collectors and sinners?” And Jesus answered and said to them, “It is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.” And they said to Him, “The disciples of John often fast and offer prayers, the disciples of the Pharisees also do the same, but Yours eat and drink.” And Jesus said to them, “You cannot make the attendants of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them, can you? But the days will come; and when the bridegroom is taken away from them, then they will fast in those days.” v. 27-35. And they, who were so bound in their traditions and ways of reasoning, couldn’t understand. And He was also telling them a parable: “No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and puts it on an old garment; otherwise he will both tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled out, and the skins will be ruined. But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. And no one, after drinking old wine wishes for new; for he says, “The old is good enough.” v. 36-39. The old is not good enough once you have been drawn close to God and are learning from Him as He brings new understanding. New understanding doesn’t fit when we are holding fast to what was. But Creator God is still teaching! Are we willing to learn from Him? The Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins…do you believe that? He is Creator and Sustainer! Be in tune with the Spirit! The Holy Spirit will guide us just as surely as Jesus the Son guided His disciples and those receptive to new understanding at that time. Do we glorify God? They were all struck with astonishment and began glorifying God; and they were filled with fear, saying, “We have seen remarkable things today.” v. 26. And what does Creator God tell us over and over and over again and again? Do not fear! As you draw near to God and the bond with Him grows deeper and more tender, rejoice with joy and expectation because He is Creator and His Creation is Good! And because of that goodness, we can trust Him for absolutely everything, especially the things we don’t yet understand. In this life we go through hard things. Bonded with Him, He goes with us. Thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and confidence shall be your strength.” Isaiah 30:15 NKJV. Return to Him. Remember joy. Choose life with Him! It is so good!