Faith and Duty: Sermons on Free Texts, with Reference to the Church-YearBuchheimer, L. B. (Louis Balthaser)
Religion
Faith and Duty: Sermons on Free Texts, with Reference to the Church-Year
Buchheimer, L. B. (Louis Balthaser)
Church year sermons; Lutheran Church -- Sermons; Sermons, American
In the first place, let us note that the resurrected Lord revealed
Himself, and still reveals Himself to us in the midst of our daily
work. The Lord came to these men while occupied with the toils
and duties of their trade. Many are the instances in which it has
pleased God to show His special favor to persons while earnestly
occupied with their ordinary callings. David was summoned from the
care of his father's flock to be Israel's king. Elisha was following
the plow when called to be Elijah's successor. It was to faithful
shepherds keeping watch over their flocks by night that the angel
choirs were sent to announce the birth of the Prince of Peace, and
here, while the disciples were busily engaged in their familiar
toils, it was that Jesus came and manifested Himself to them. Was
there not something very instructive in this appearance at such a
time? It showed that Jesus ratified their decision to be up and
doing. It showed that He was present with them in the midst of all
their work. It showed, too, that upon His presence depended entirely
the success of their labors, for before His arrival they had caught
nothing; their nets were only filled with seaweeds. It was through
His direction and through His direction alone, that their nets at
last were filled with fish. What a lesson this for all faithful
toilers, whether on sea or on shore, the lesson that Jesus is with
us in our daily tasks, whatever these tasks may be.
We know that Jesus Himself once stood in the ranks of the world's
toil. Many a day, for many a year, He wrought in the sweat of His
brow in the carpenter shop at Nazareth. He thus stamped with the
approval of His own example the work of every toiler, and showed the
high dignity that belongs to all honest labor. By this manifestation
of the risen Jesus to those fishermen of Galilee He sanctified and
glorified the work of His children. Like that dim figure on the
shore of the Sea of Tiberias, Jesus stands over against us, watching
us with eyes of sympathy, and waiting to bless us with His counsel
and help. He has not changed. He is the same yesterday, to-day, and
forever. Let us not forget this glorious truth as we bend over our
desks, or machines, stand behind sale counters, or move in household
duties; the thought: Jesus is looking on, will shed its hallowed
light upon the "common task," as it is styled, fill us with courage
and cheerfulness, though our own work be irksome and hard, and
enable us to do it faithfully, to quote the words of the apostle,
"not with eye-service as men-pleasers, but in singleness of heart,
as unto the Lord," who looketh on.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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