Sin-Struck

I know what sin feels like, but how do you reconcile the nasty, guilty feeling when you are in the presence of Jesus of Nazareth?

The characters in this text are real and the events accurately recorded. The fish reek and if you breathe in deeply you can smell the sweaty odor of humanity. There are no church goers here, not exactly a place for scribes, pharisees, and priestly robes. Could a row boat be a pulpit?

Down at the docks, fish are gutted and rocks tear the nets. It is a hard place to make a living. There is chatter here, complete with the rough talk of workers cursing.

Fishing is a tough occupation in first century Palestine. The men can't pay the bills if there is no catch. Deep, bitter frustration erupts after being out all night long. Tired and wanting to just go to bed, the boss listens to the teacher and yells out to everyone to go out again.

Life jumps from these pages, Pete is a real guy. He has nothing but boats and nets, hardly an accomplished small business owner. Maybe he goes a little mad at times and pouts when things don't go his way. I can relate.

I don't know what the message was that morning. The sun beat down on the people, but the words spoken from the row boat pierced their hearts. A skilled evangelist catching the hearts of sin-struck men.

Created 7 months ago