Thursday, April 08, 2010

In the Name of Jesus Christ

April 9, 2010


Friday in the Octave of Easter


By Melanie Rigney


(When the leaders questioned Peter and John about their healing of a crippled man, Peter said,) “If we are being examined today about a good deed done to a cripple, namely, by what means he was saved, then all of you and all the people of Israel should know that it was in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead; in his name this man stands before you healed.” (Acts 4:9-10)


Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. (Psalms 118:26)


Together were Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, Zebedee’s sons, and two others of his disciples. Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We also will come with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. When it was already dawn, Jesus was standing on the shore; but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, “Children, have you caught anything to eat?” They answered him, “No.” So he said to them, “Cast the net over the right side of the boat and you will find something.” So they cast it, and were not able to pull it in because of the number of fish. (John 21:2-6)

Piety

Lord, help me to push my pride and arrogance and fear and timidity and doubts aside. May I always remember in whose name I serve.

Study

The transformation is stunning, downright miraculous.


In the days after the Resurrection, Peter is still trying to do it himself. He goes fishing, like in the old days, and six of the other apostles come along. They get nothing for their trouble. It takes Jesus’s presence to fill the net with fish.


But not long thereafter, in the Church’s early days, Peter isn’t shy about giving credit where it’s due, to Christ. “In his name this man stands before you healed,” he tells the elders and other leaders.


Amazing what the Holy Spirit can do if we let it, isn’t it?


It’s the same with us today. Sometimes, our well-intentioned (or not) desire to lead can get in the way. We tell our kids, our friends, or our co-workers we know what’s supposed to happen next, set ourselves up as the subject matter expert, and then wonder why things don’t turn out as they should have. And they never do, not in the long term, when we judge or condemn or preach or presume that we know everything there is to know about a situation or another person.


Because when we make it all about us, we forget that it’s all about serving Him and reflecting His love.


And when we do that, the transformation can be stunning, downright miraculous.

Action

Challenge yourself. Whatever you’ve got going on today, pledge to do it all in the name of the Lord.