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It's Never Too Late
Jon Burgess“When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesusʼ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!”...Then Jesus said to Simon, “Donʼt be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.”
Luke 5:8, 10-11
In the days Jesus walked the earth a Jewish family had two option for vocation for their sons. One was to be a Rabbi and the other was to join the family business. By age 10 or 11 a Jewish boy would have memorized the first five books of the Old Testament. At age twelve after his Bar Mitzvah he would sit down with the rabbi and be grilled with rapid fire questions about God and scripture to determine if he was worthy to become a rabbi. If the boy was worthy he would leave his family behind and follow the Rabbi. If the boy was not worthy he would be sent back to the family to tend the business. For Peter, James, John, Andrew and others the family business was fishing. The day Jesus walks up to them and asks them to follow Him would have been at least a few decades since their Bar Mitzvah. It's no wonder Peter responds the way he days in asking Jesus to leave him. It wasn't just the miracle catch of fish. It was also the fact that he'd lived his entire life convinced that he was not worthy to be a Rabbi. So, when Jesus asks Peter and the rest to follow Him, to be fishers of men, he erased years of shame, regret and loss. Most Rabbi's train young men. Rabbi Jesus was taking these grizzled, hardened, older men and calling them to be young again in the faith. When it comes to the call of Jesus age is not the issue, it's a willingness to follow that makes the difference.
I wonder how many around me feel that it's too late? Somehow they missed the boat when it came to serving God? Maybe it was bad choices as a young man or woman that led them astray? Maybe they had gone to church as a child but it just never clicked? Maybe they never had a good example of a Jesus follower in their life? As they wake up every morning they have an ache in their soul that tells them there's something more then this but there's no means to discovering what that might be. They are older now so what's the point of dreaming anyway, right? Then Jesus walks onto the shore of their life and gets their attention. He asks them to do something absurd and illogical like lifting their hands in worship, falling to their knees in prayer or trusting Him for a bill they cannot pay. Against all inward doubts they obey and, in that moment of willingness to follow seemingly foolish instructions, their eyes are opened. The boat they thought they missed has pulled up to the shore of their soul and is inviting them in to the adventure of faith. Jesus, in moment, erases years of shame, regret and guilt and resurrects the dream of making a difference in the world. Where everyone else has told them they cannot, should not, could not, or will not, Jesus tells them "follow me". "Follow me where you wake, work, and worship and you will see how change the very atmosphere around you. It's not too late. You haven't missed your chance. In fact, when You follow Me, you're just getting started. I will take all those years of running, waiting and being overlooked and turn them into a story that will change the stories of those around you. Where others feel that it's too late for them you will show them otherwise. I don't need you to be perfect I just need you to be willing. Let's go, there's work to be done."
Jesus, I love the redemptive call of your heart to those who feel stuck, lost, lonely and useless. These are the ones You are changing the world with. Thank You for seeing and calling me. Help me to do the same!
