Luke 5
COMMENTARY:
: 1 And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed on HIM to hear the Word of God, HE stood by the lake of Gennesaret. (1945 “pressed” [epikeimai] means be laid upon, be imposed on, to be advancing toward a boundary or limit so as to be pushing or pressing against it, crowd, insist, or have power over, continue with persistence.)
DEVOTION: When a man of God comes to town who wants to teach others about Jesus does he get a great crowd today? In our day we had Billy Graham come to town to preach messages concerning Jesus Christ. He would organize the great event with great helpers. He would preach the Word of God. There would be many people coming forward when the invitation song was sung.
Jesus had come to town and the people were pressing hard on him to hear HIM preach great sermons of instruction. They got so close to HIM that HE had to enter a boat that was on the shore to make sure they didn’t push HIM into the water.
They wanted to hear what HE had to say about God and their relationship to HIM. HE preached the Word of God. HE never changed HIS message to please the people or the religious leaders. HE spoke with authority regarding what they needed to do to have a right relationship with God.
They wanted to listen. They wanted to hear more. They wanted to watch HIM work in their world. Do we have the same desires today? Do we want to know what HE wants us to know? Do we want to see what HE is going to do in our world?
CHALLENGE: We should. That should be a top desire. If it is not a top desire today, pray and fast to ask the LORD for that proper desire.
: 5 And Simon answering said to HIM, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at your word I will let down the net. (2872 “toiled” [kopiao] means labor, be wearied, to grow weary, exhausted, of bodily labor, lose heart, to work hard, strive, labor unto extreme fatigue, or be emotionally fatigued and discouraged.)
DEVOTION: Do we question God’s instructions to us? Does the LORD ever communicate with us regarding what HE wants us to do on a certain day or in a certain place? Does the LORD still give us commands to follow through the ministry of the Holy Spirit in our life regarding where we should be on a certain day or a certain place?
Here we find Simon Peter questioning God the Son’s ability to find fish. Remember that Jesus was a carpenter all of HIS young life. Now HE was with fisherman telling them how to fish.
Peter gives a reason for not wanting to go out fishing again. They had gone out at the proper time to fish to catch them but they had caught none. They were fixing their nets that had holes in them from dragging them in the water all night.
Now HE instructed them to go out at the wrong time to fish with their broken nets. What happened? They got so many fish that they had to call for help. Lesson learned?
God through the ministry of the Holy Spirit instructs us to do things that we think seem funny at the time but we know that the LORD is telling us to go to some certain place and wait for further instruction or to witness to someone that we don’t even know. HE props us to do things that we think would challenge us and yet we sometimes don’t do them because we are not sure or doubt.
We need to follow the leading of the LORD many times without full knowledge of the outcome. If it is truly HIS leading HE will bless our actions with the salvation of a soul or an encouragement to a brother or sister in the faith. When Jesus says to do something – do it.
CHALLENGE: Obedience no matter what is what is expected of us when we serve the LORD.
: 16 And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed. (5298 “withdrew” [hupochoreo] means go aside, to go off, retreat, to go back, retire, slip away, or seek privacy.)
DEVOTION: One of the things we like to do if we have had a long day helping people is to get alone to collect our thoughts. We need a time to organize for the next day. We need time to pray for guidance from the LORD for our next mission.
Jesus had had a long day of ministry. HE had taught the people from inside a boat. HE had showed fishermen that a carpenter knew how to fish. Really it was the LORD knowing where the fish were to show them a lesson regarding their future activity. They were to be fishers of men.
HE had faced false teacher who wanted to catch HIM in action doing good works to find fault with HIM. They usually did. HE confronted them regarding their wrong beliefs. HE showed them that HE knew who HE was in relationship to God the Father.
HE healed the sick. HE called a publican or a tax collector named Matthew or Levi to follow HIM. HE ate with publicans and sinners. HE had to instruct the Pharisees again of HIS mission to earth.
HE had to help the people understand that HE was the bridegroom who was training HIS disciples, so that, when HE was gone they would learn the importance of prayer and fasting in their ministry.
It was a full day of instructing and confronting. HE needed an energy boost that only came from being in the presence of the Father. HE needed to speak with HIS Father regarding plans for the future.
We need alone time with the Father through the ministry of the Holy Spirit by the blood of Jesus Christ. We can only go into the presence of the Father because of what Jesus did on the cross. Once we are in HIS presence we need to ask for direction and strength for our ministry for the next day. We need time alone with the LORD.
CHALLENGE: Are we taking the time to get alone with the LORD before we start a new day of ministry? Without HIS power we will fail. With HIS power we can do all things that we do according to HIS will.
: 26 And they were all amazed, and they glorified God, and were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things today. (3861 “strange” [paradoxos] means unexpected, uncommon, incredible, unusual, difficult to believe or wonderful.)
DEVOTION: The people in Jesus day were ones who thought that God wasn’t working. The Romans had taken over. The Pharisees and Sadducees made up their own traditions for the people to follow. They were waiting for the Messiah to come and deliver them from Rome. They wanted the LORD to establish HIS theocracy again. They thought these thoughts at least.
Here was a man who came and started healing people who were never being healed before in such great number. They brought their sick to HIM. Now HE makes a statement that upsets the religious leaders. HE tells the man with a palsy that “his sins are forgiven.” That was something only God could do. They knew that HE had power from God but they didn’t think the thought that HE was God.
Jesus tells them that HE has the power to heal from God and that HE has the power to forgive sins. If God is the only one with the power to forgive sins, then what is HE saying to the people? HE is saying that HE is God.
Jesus was God in the flesh. Jesus Christ was God and man. HE could forgive sins. HE could heal. HE can still do it today. The people in Jesus’ day saw something they didn’t expect to see. They saw and heard something that was difficult to believe. It was something that was unusual. It was something wonderful.
Remember that sometimes people get a mindset that is contrary to the teaching of the Word of God. God can do the impossible. Here is Jesus teaching them the fact that HE is God and that HE can forgive sins. Amazing!!!
Can we see some things that we don’t expect even today? Should we expect God to heal? Should we expect God to forgive sin? Should we expect miracles today? Or are we going to just comment, “We have seen things today that are HARD TO BELIEVE?” Are we ready for the unexpected? IF we don’t expect God to be powerful, how can HE work in our life?
CHALLENGE: Don’t underestimate God!!!
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