What A Kiss!

When is a kiss more than a kiss?

I always thought that the kiss Judas gave to Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane must have been a simple peck on the cheek. Afterall, it was a sign of his betrayal . . . it marked Jesus out for arrest and execution!

What a shock for me this week when I discovered that the word used in Matthew's account of Jesus' arrest was an intensive verb form of the word "to kiss" and it implied a fervent and continuous expression of affection. Wow! Judas was a bigger creep than I thought . . . or as someone blurted out at Bible study this week after I shared this insight: "WHAT HYPOCRISY!" I couldn't agree more.

For me, however, there was also the thought that just as Judas betrayed Jesus in this most powerful way, so it is possible for me to "betray" him today. I give fervent worship and praise on Sunday mornings but do I proclaim loudly and long my devotion and love for him the rest of the week? Do I eagerly and openly tell others about Him and his sacrifice at the cross for them?

Betrayal is much more easily seen in the life of a 'Judas'. Lord, help us to see the betrayal in our own lives.

If you are NOT fishing, you are NOT following!

I've been thinking about the implications of this statement for several weeks:

"If you are NOT fishing, you are NOT following."

Jesus' call in the lives of his disciples was fairly simple . . . he called them first to FAITH . . . to believe in Him, to entrust themselves to who He was. Andrew marks this journey in John 1:29-42 as his understand grows from calling Jesus "rabbi" to recognizing him as the "Messiah".

He next called thim to FOLLOW . . . to follow Him! Mark 1:16-20 recounts the story of Jesus' summons to Peter, Andrew, James, and John. He didn't call them to follow a philosophy or to embrace a set of doctrines . . . he called them to follow HIM. And they did. They left everything to follow and learn from Him.

He also called them to FISH . . . his commitment was to enlist them and enable them to become fishers of men. They would be devoting themselves to bringing others to Jesus.

The call is the same today. FAITH . . . FOLLOW . . . FISH.

If you aren't fishing, you aren't following.

If I'm not telling others about Jesus . . . if I'm not introducing people to the savior . . . if I am not seeking to communicate the good news of salvation and forgiveness of sin that is found in Jesus, then I can not claim to be a follower of His. Because . . . if I'm not fishing, I'm not following.

I can be doing lots of good things for him . . . teaching Sunday School, leading a Bible study, ushering, singing in the choir, etc, etc . . . but if I'm not fishing, I'm not following.

Fishing is job #1.