Meditation - RENEW OUR DAYS AS OF OLD TO RESTORE OUR SPIRITUAL SELF

 

RENEW OUR DAYS AS OF OLD TO RESTORE OUR SPIRITUAL SELF

Restore us to yourself, O Lord, that we may be restored; renew our days as of old (Lamentations 5:21).

 But Peter was following him at a distance, as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and going inside he sat with the guards in order to see how this would end...

 Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A female servant came to him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.” But he denied it before all of them, saying, “I do not know what you are talking about.”  When he went out to the porch, another female servant saw him, and she said to the bystanders, “This man was with Jesus the Nazarene.” Again he denied it with an oath, “I do not know the man.”  After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Certainly you are also one of them, for your accent betrays you.”  Then he began to curse, and he swore an oath, “I do not know the man!” At that moment the cock crowed.⁵ Then Peter remembered what Jesus had said: “Before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly. (Mt 26:58, 69-75)

We all are not simply Christians. I want each one of us to tak courage to contemplate upon our spiritual condition.

To examine our spiritual conditions, I plan to meditate upon the life of Peter.

Peter, as we all know very well, is one of the apostles called by Jesus when he was casting net to catch the fish. Obeying the call of Jesus, he, along with his younger brother Andrew immediately left their fishing items and followed Jesus (Mt 4:18-20). Since then, Peter became the most prominent figure among the Disciples of Christ.

When being asked by Jesus, their master upon who he was. It was Peter who confessed the identity of Jesus by saying, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Mt 16:16). His confession was ordained by Jesus that, “For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you but my Father in heaven”.

We also see that it was Peter who took courage to walk on water when he saw Jesus walking on water even though he started to sink as soon as he looked at the swelling tide and the strong winds around him (Mt 14:28-19).

He was one of the three Disciples chosen by Jesus to witness the transfiguration and hear the voice of God (Mt 17:1-9). He seemed to enjoy the transfiguration so much that he proposed himself to set up three tents for Jesus, Moses and Elijah that they may stay longer there...

He was one of the chosen three Disciples chosen by Jesus to console him in his hardest time at the garden of Gethsemane.

He was the one who tried to prevent Jesus from speaking of his death (Mt. 16:22-23).

It was again Peter who defended Jesus during His arrest by cutting the ear of the servant of the priest. (Jn 18:10).

When I think of the feeding of the five thousand, how proud Peter would have been in distributing the fish and the loaves among the people... walking around with his head held high... being the most apparent Disciple of Jesus, who was so popular in and around the whole of Judea...

In all these instances, we see that Peter did really follow Jesus leaving behind all his livelihood and career, his house, his family, his friends, his loved and dear ones. We see that Jesus himself said, when Peter confessed the identity of Jesus that, it was not simply a blind guess by Peter that Jesus himself said, “For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you but my Father in heaven”. Peter’s conviction was genuine in all these instances that he could walk on water, he could speak with God’s revelation. He was so convicted to Jesus that he was the ring leader of the disciples and that he was always the chosen one to witness the glory and sorrow of Christ.

But when the time comes when following Christ demands to pay the price for it. When Jesus was arrested. Peter, who rebuked Jesus even not speak about his death was nowhere near Jesus when Jesus was brought in front of the trials. The Bible says, “But Peter was following him at a distance, as far as the courtyard of the high priest”. And he no longer had any courage to confess that he was one of the Disciples of Christ by saying that, I do not know the man”.

Friends, let us examine our spiritual life from the life of Peter. How far or how close do we still follow Christ? How many times have we denied Christ in front of our boyfriends/girlfriends? We are called to deny ourselves, our likes, our interest, but to follow Christ. But many a times we deny our Lord Jesus Christ instead of denying ourselves.

We see that Peter, after denying his master was broken hearted and full of tears of self-loathing with the feelings of shame, guilt and failure.

Dear friends, God never overlook a broken and contrite heart of Peter. And such a heart was restored by Jesus commissioning him to “feed the sheep of Jesus”. On the day of Pentecost, the restored Peter preached without fear or doubt. It was again Peter who has been considered the most successful preacher of all time that three thousand people got baptized by the one preaching of Peter.

Friends, let us approach our graceful God with a genuine broken and contrite heart to renew our own spiritual days as of old. Let us, kneel before the cross of Christ without bringing anything. God is always ready to restore unto us, the joy of God’s salvation. How long has it been since we prayed in spirit? How long has it been since we sing praises to God with a genuinely willing heart to praise God? Our God invites us with a wide open arm saying, 

“Come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Mt 11:28-30).

Let me tell you the story of John Leonard Dober, a potter and David Nitschmann, a carpenter. Ordinary occupations.

These men on hearing about the dire situation of the slaves of St. Thomas Island, A Caribbean islanb, from Anton, a former African slave from St. Thomas, visited Herrnhut, Germany. Anton made a call 'come and minister the gospel to us'. Dober and Nitschmann decided to go to St. Thomas to preach the gospel among the slaves. They were sent out by Count Zinzendorf.

They travelled from Herrnhut to Denmark to look for ways to go to St. Thomas Island. When asked by a court official how they would support themselves, Nitschmann replied,

“We will sell ourselves ad slaves and work as slaves among the slaves.”

“But,” said the official, “that is impossible. It will not be allowed. No white man ever works as a slave.”

“Very well,” replied Nitschmann, “I am a carpenter, and will ply my trade.”

After some difficulty, the missionaries found support from the Danish Queen (a friend of Zinzendorf) and her court. Despite the initial refusal, a solution was found, and they managed to arrange transportation. And as the boat pulled away from the shore, Johann Dober lifted his hand up to heaven and cried out, “May the Lamb that was slain receive the reward of his suffering.”

Friends, is it not the Cross enough for the Lamb of God to suffer? Are we not the ones to make the Lamb of God that was slain rewarded? Instead of rewarding him for his suffering, are still the ones who make him suffer? May we devote ourselves anew to let the Lamb of God that was slain rewarded for his suffering?

It was told of Peter, when he was very old and was very much valuable for the Church to give guidance and advises. But, the order to arrest Peter by Nero was notified. On hearing the news of this, it might have been because of the urge of other Christians that Peter fled Rome to escape the persecution of Christians by the Roman soldiers. While travelling along the Via Appia. Peter met Jesus carrying his own cross. Seeing his respected master Peter stopped and asked Jesus, “Qou vadis, Domine?” which means, “Where are you going, Lord?” Jesus replied, "I am going to Rome to be crucified again". Peter realized that he had been cowardly in leaving the city and returned to Rome to face martyrdom. When being arrested the soldiers tried to crucify hm. Peter said, “I do not deserve to die like my Saviour” and he asked them to crucify him upside down.

Friends, whatever condition we might be in, it does not matter where we’ve been, it does not matter who we are, it does matter how many times we have denied our Lord. He still calls us with a willing heart and wide open arms to come to him and to get renewed. Let us dedicate our lives anew to God so that our days will be renewed as of old. Our live is not meant to backslide. Rather we are meant to grow into the likeness of God.  Let us give our lives anew to our God who spares nothing for our life. Who is always willing to renew or lives anew.