READY TO OBEY THE LORD

JOHN 21:11–14

Simon Peter went up and dragged the net to land, full of large fish, one hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not broken

(John 21:11).

Simon Peter, who was the first to deny his Lord, is now the first to obey. This action on Peter’s part brings to mind the teaching of Christ that he who is forgiven much, loves much and, in consequence, obeys much. Peter had sinned grievously against his Master, and yet, he was the first to hurry to the shore. Earlier he was the first to see for himself the empty tomb, and here, he was the first to obey Christ’s command to bring the catch to Him.

Let this be an example for you to follow. Think of how grievously you have sinned against your Lord and King. Think of the infinite debt you owe Him, yet are unable to pay. Think of how great is His mercy in forgiving so great a sinner as yourself. If we only reflected more on what sinners we are before our holy God, we would be more like Peter, ready to come to Him and ready to obey His commands.

The humbled person is the faithful person. We are so indebted to those who have shown us mercy and love, that we are willing to do almost anything for them. This was the response of Peter to the simple command of his Lord to bring in the fish. He would do anything for his Lord, no matter the cost to himself, no matter how inconvenient or difficult it might be.

The task was no light matter. There were 153 large fish in that net. It is probable that Peter had help in dragging this heavy load from the seashore, but he was the one who led the way. No doubt he was tired and hungry, but he put aside his momentary weaknesses to obey his Master, to whom he was so indebted. How unlike Peter we can often be. We see the difficulty of the task, and we shy away from it. No, we can’t go tell the Gospel to our neighbor, that would be too awkward. No, we can’t be kind to our enemies, that would be too humbling. No, we can’t change and be more like God wants us to be, that would be too hard and cost too much. This is the kind of response we often have to Christ’s commands. But if we remember what sinners we are, we will keep a humble frame and maintain a readiness to do whatever God asks. We will be like Peter, humbled by our sin, grateful for God’s mercy, and quick to obey.

CORAM DEO

Daniel 11–12

3 John

Are you slow to repent? Do you find Christ’s commands unimportant? Maybe part of the problem is that you are not aware of the gravity of your sins. Maybe you are not grateful for the mercy of Christ. Spend some time considering the depths of your sin. Meditate on the passages below.

For further study: Ps. 32 • Luke 7:36–50 • 1 Tim. 1:12–17

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