Acts 5:28-32,
40b-41; Rev. 5:11-14; Jn. 21:1-19
Great difference is seen in the lives of people
when they are with God and when they are without God. Old Testament has many examples
to put before us. One great example is that of Samson. The bible says the early years of Samson are passed over quickly
by the sacred
writer. He “grew, and Jehovah blessed him. And the Spirit of
Jehovah began to move him” (Judges 13:25). He did great
wonders. He smote the Philistines “hip and thigh”
with a “great slaughter.”
The Philistines, who “ruled”
Israel in those days (15:11), then put pressure on the Hebrews to surrender
Samson to them. The young judge yielded to a plan of sorts, allowing himself to
be bound. When confronted by the enemy, however, he broke the bands as if they
were a rope of ashes; he seized the fresh (non-brittle) jawbone of a donkey,
and therewith eliminated 1,000 of the enemy. God blessed this endeavour (Judges
15).
Samson journeyed to Gaza, one of
the Philistine stronghold cities, and consorted with a harlot. The heathen
citizens heard of his visit and surrounded the house wherein he lay,
determining to capture him at day break. Somehow, Samson slipped through their
guard, pulled up the doors of the city gate, and carried them to a place near
Hebron, some forty miles away. This was a sharp insult to Gaza (Judges 16:1-3).
But when he fell into sin
“Jehovah departed from him” and he became weak physically (16:20). The
Philistines captured him, put out his eyes, and cast him into prison (Judges
16:4-27).
Time passed. During a religious
celebration, wherein the god Dagon was exalted above Jehovah, Samson prayed to
God for the restoration of his former strength. His prayer was answered. He
pushed over two mighty pillars of the heathen temple, causing the roof to
collapse. Thousands were killed (3,000 were on the roof).
When Saul, the first King of
Israel walked in the ways of God he was blessed by God. But when he
departed from God, God abandoned him and anointed David in his place.
David too had his dark hours, and
felt abandoned and he became weak and powerless without God.
In today’s Gospel we hear the words
of Peter, “I am going fishing.” Simon Peter,
Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and
two others of his disciples were gathered on the shore. Simon Peter said to
them, 'I am going fishing.'
Though Jesus had appeared to His disciples many
times after His resurrection the Apostles failed to experience Jesus. Without
Jesus Peter probably felt that his waiting for Jesus was meaningless and he
decided to return to his old ways – fishing. But when Peter found Jesus once
again we see him as a different man. The first reading present Peter
as an extraordinarily bold man.
"In those days, the high priest questioned the
apostles, saying, 'We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name, yet
here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you are determined to
bring this man's blood on us.
But Peter and the Apostles answered, 'We must obey
God rather than any human beings. The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus,
whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand
as Leader and Saviour that he might give repentance to Israel and forgiveness
of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom
God has given to those who obey him.'
Dear brothers and sisters the same
difference we will experience in our lives too when we walk with God and when
we walk away from God. Without God life will appear difficult and meaningless.
Many observers of Siberia
have described an unsettling phenomenon. The phenomenon has come to be known as
“Siberian Hysteria.”
One of the characters in a
Japanese novel describes Siberian Hysteria as follows: "Try to imagine
this, you’re a farmer, living all alone on the Siberian tundra. Day after day
you plow your fields. As far as the eye can see, nothing. To the north, the
horizon, to the east, the horizon, to the south, to the west, more of the same.
Every morning, when the sun rises in the east, you go out to work in your
fields. When it’s directly overhead, you take a break for lunch. When it sinks
in the west, you go home to sleep. In the winter they stay home and do indoor
work. When spring comes, they head out to the fields again. Anyway, that cycle
continues, year after year, and then one day, something inside you dies. Your head becomes completely empty.”
That is our life too without
Jesus. As peter felt emptiness we also feel that emptiness. Peter’s
emptiness could be wiped out by Jesus only. The presence of Jesus has made him
a different man. Jesus knew it very well. Knowing the
transformation that took place in the heart of Peter Jesus transferred His
authority to him. When Jesus said three times, "Feed My sheep.” He was
commissioning Peter to lead the Church that He had instituted on earth.
This is also our mission. But we can achieve it
only when we are with Jesus. With the Lord Samson was undefeatable. When Saul
was with the Lord, he was the anointed king. When we are with Jesus we will be
heroes in our own ways.
Satish