LUKE CHAPTER 5

LUKE CHAPTER 5

SCRIPTURE

Today I will summarize Luke chapter 5 where Luke wrote about Jesus calling his first disciples.  Where he performed healings and forgave a man of his sin.  Jesus was teaching on the shore of lake Gennesaret and the crowd grew large to hear the word of God.  There was not enough space for Jesus to stand.  Then he saw a boat coming in from fishing all night.  He asked the man named Simon if he could get into his boat and go out a little way so that the crowd could see and hear him.  Simon agreed and brought Jesus out from the shore and Jesus continued teaching the people. 

After he was done, he told Simon, “Why don’t you go fishing? Put the boat in deep water and let your nets down.  Simon replied,” We were fishing all night and could not catch anything but because you asked I will.  Simon did what Jesus asked him to do.  When he followed Jesus’s instructions, he caught so many fish in the net that the net began to weigh and break.  Simon signaled for the other fisherman there to help.  They helped and brought their boat to assist.  Both the boats were so filled with fish their boats began to sink.  When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’s feet in the boat and said,” Go away from me, Lord! I am a sinful man.  He and the other partners James and John were all seized with amazement at a large number of fish they had caught.  Jesus told Simon not to be afraid. He said,” from now on you will be fishing for men.  They left everything when they brought their boats back to the land and followed Jesus.  While Jesus walked along, he noticed a tax collector named Levis sometimes called Matthew sitting at his tax booth collecting taxes. 

Jesus said to him,” Follow me” and Levi left everything and followed Jesus.  Then Levi gave a big feast for Jesus in his house.  Levi invited all his friends who were tax collectors too.  The Pharisees and the Scribes were watching this and they complained to Jesus’s disciples.  They said,” Why do you and your teacher eat and drink with sinners and outcasts? Jesus heard this and replied to them and said,” people who are well don’t need a doctor but those who are sick do.  I have not come to call the righteous but I have come to call sinners to repentance.  They said to him, “John the Baptist’s disciples fast and pray and our disciples do the same thing.  But your disciples and you eat and drink anytime you like.  Jesus answered them and said, “The bridegroom is here.

You can’t make the guests at the wedding party fast while they are celebrating there?  There will come a time soon enough though when the bridegroom will be taken from them and then they will indeed fast and pray.  When Jesus was in one town there was a man who was suffering from a dreaded skin disease called leprosy.  When he saw Jesus, he fell at him and begged him.  He said,” Sir If you want to, you can make me clean!” Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him and said, “I do want to”. “Be clean!”  At once the disease left him and he was completely healed.  Jesus told him not to tell anyone what had happened but to go and show himself to the priests and make an offering for his cleansing just like Moses commanded.  The man obeyed him and left.  But the news about Jesus spread widely and people from all over and widely came to hear him and be healed from their sickness.  But Jesus would always move away from the crowd and go to an isolated place and pray quietly.  On another day when Jesus was teaching, a large crowd gathered around.  Many Pharisees and teachers of the law were there too from every village of Galilee and Judea. 

Some other men wanted to see Jesus too.  Not for themselves but for their friend who was paralyzed.  They knew only Jesus could heal him but they couldn’t get through the crowd.  They came up with a plan.  They climbed the roof of the home Jesus was teaching in and they ripped a hole in the roof.  They let the paralyzed man down and laid him right in front of Jesus.  Jesus saw the man’s friend’s faith and said to the paralyzed man.  “Your sins are forgiven”.  This caused an uproar among the Pharisees and the teachers of the law. They said no one can forgive sin against God except for God himself.  This man is speaking blasphemies.  Jesus knew what they were thinking and saying.  He said what’s easier to say your sins are forgiven or you are healed.  Get up and walk.  Yes, the first one is easier but I want you to see that I have the authority to forgive sins on this earth.  Jesus looked at the paralyzed man and said get up and pick up your bed and go home. Immediately the paralyzed man got up picked up his bed and walked home.  All the people were struck with astonishment and began glorifying God because of what they just saw and the religious were left speechless.

OBSERVATION

The thing I think the Lord wants us to understand after reading this chapter is that Jesus did many miracles from healing the disabled and disease. Causing some fishermen to catch so many fish that their boats began to sink but more importantly Jesus forgave a man for sin against God.  The Pharisees rightly said that only God can do this and God wants us to see that Simon also known as Peter, James, John, and Levi also called Matthew left everything and followed Jesus.  Even after leaving everything and following Jesus, they were never short of anything or had to worry about anything because our Father takes care of all our needs and knows what is required even before we ask him.  We must do the same thing too.  “Seek the first kingdom of God, and everything shall be added unto you “. If you are still holding on to something just let it go and follow Jesus with all of your beings.  Are you ready to leave everything and follow after Jesus?  If not.  Why not?  What could be more important and beautiful than him?  Remember when our soul leaves our body, we go empty-handed.  Not with wealth, possessions, or fame.  All these things perish. Come let us turn away from our sins right now and repent.  Let us place our faith in Jesus Christ for Salvation.  Our father gave his only beloved son Jesus Christ to be crucified on the cross for our sins as a substitute for you and me.  Is the thing we are holding on to more valuable than Jesus and the love of our father? What if the father did not have sent his only beloved son to suffer on the cross for our sins? Where would we have been now?  We must not only remember his sorrowful passion on Good Friday.  But every single day.  Every moment of our life, every step we take.  If you have to make decisions in your life or you are confused about something.  Ask yourself if Jesus was in my place how will he deal with the circumstances?  You will surely get your answer.  If you know the scriptures. 

PRAYERS

Heavenly Father, please order my steps by your Holy Spirit, let your word guide my choices, and let me not go ahead of you.  I humbly ask for your guidance and direction today as I go through life.  Please guide me in your love and lead me in your light so that I may not succumb to temptation and that darkness may not overtake me.  Teach me to do your will, for you are my God.  Let your good spirit lead me on a level path. I ask this in the name of your beloved son Jesus Christ.  Amen.    Psalms 23,25,31,51,91 and 121 daily.  Repeat the sentence in bold in the situation you are in repeatedly.  The Holy Spirit will surely guide you.