Holy Tuesday Devotional

For Holy Week, Immanuel has created a series of online devotionals. Each devotional is adapted from a
monologue written by Rev. Aaron Fulp-Eickstaedt. Immanuel will perform these monologues and others at this year’s Maundy Thursday service (April 13, 7:30 pm). 

Once, early in his ministry, not too long after he had called my son in law Simon—Jesus called him Peter—to follow him, Jesus came to dinner at my house in the fishing village of Capernaum.  I say it is my house, but actually, the house belongs to Simon and his brother Andrew.  After he married my daughter, Simon took me in.

Back in the days before Jesus called him, Simon and Andrew and their buddies James and John were always out on the Sea of Galilee fishing, trying to make a living.  It’s not easy work, you know.  Then, as you know, Jesus came along and made Simon and the others into what he called “fishers of men.”

I’ll never forget the day they stopped by the house after they’d been to the synagogue in our village.  I was as sick as a dog, wracked with a high fever.  I couldn’t even lift my head off the bed.  Well, they told Jesus about me, and he came right in, took my hand, and lifted me to my feet.  I can’t exactly explain what happened in that moment, but right then I felt better than ever before.  So well, in fact, that all I wanted to do was to do something nice for him, something to show my gratitude.  So I did what I could.  I made him a meal.

A prayer for the day:

We have so little control, God. And yet, we can choose to show gratitude for all that You have given us. Help us to give thanks to You by serving our neighbors, enemies, and friends. Amen. 

 

 

 

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Photo by Ernesto Andrade. License available here.