Rev. Jim Jackson

Richmond Hill Presbyterian Church

During my pre-teens, my father often spent part of his day off working on one of our 1940s Chevrolets. Sometimes he would lift the valve cover off the top of the six-cylinder motor and ask me to hand him that 9/16th, opened end wrench. His purpose was to adjust the rocker arms, using that wrench and a feeler gauge. He would even do that with the engine running, oil splashing on his hands.

I was proud of my father, tuning valves as easily as my mom baked delicious, one-layer chocolate cakes; though I can’t recall ever helping her in the kitchen.

There’s something beyond words that happens when we are invited to help a more equipped person with a task.

Remember how Jesus invited Peter, Andrew, James and John to join him in fishing for men?

Andrew surely knew the joy of that kind of partnership, for you will remember how he rushed to invite his brother Peter to become a disciple of our Lord. These disciples might be described as fishermen under the “Captain of Fishermen.”

When invited by my father to assist in fine tuning old Chevys, I felt an inner connection with him that couldn’t be acquired by only standing at a finder watching.

Joined hands just have a way of joining hearts in in a manner we don’t quite understand. Doing so, leaves one feeling valued, trusted, maybe even loved.

Suppose that was what the Apostle Paul felt when he launched into the deep as one called by Jesus to become a fisher of men? If so, he must have valued that feeling all of his life, for numerous times he spoke of accompanying and being accompanied by the Lord’s presence. In I Corinthians 3:9, he spoke of ourselves being able to experience the joy he new. He told the Corinthians: “We are laborers with God.”

Now think about that. The Creator of the universe has invited his lowly, sometimes even sinful, humans to join him. It’s in the intimacy of shared labor that we most feel sustained by our God.

Jesus invites us to take up our cross and learn of HIM. Sure, we learn some by watching, but so much more by joining. Want to know the Lord intimately, feeling your life has counted for something?

Then you might say yes to Jesus when he says: “Come unto me.”