SCRIPTURE: Luke 5
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” … Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men.” So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him. [Luke 5:8,10,11] Jesus comes as something new, radically new. He has power and authority, when He speaks, things happen. He is ushering in a new age, when grace and mercy restores sinners and renews the world. Throughout this chapter we see how God’s mercy triumphs: over Peter, a sinful man; over the sins of the paralyzed man; over Matthew and his tax collector friends, and all sinners who repent. The basis of relationship with God is no longer LAW but GRACE. Law still has a place, but only after grace… amazing grace.
Jesus comes to restore God’s creation (kingdom) and He does this by grace. Grace restores me, then releases me to share it with others. Like Peter, we are forgiven, then sent to “catch men”. Like Matthew, we are welcomed despite our sin, then we gather our other ‘sinner’ friends so they can experience His grace. Like the four friends of the paralyzed man, our faith leads us to bring our needy friend, so he too can be ‘graced’. We do whatever we can to help others experience His grace, even dig through the roof of someone else’s house (WOW, that’s determination, that’s chutzpah).
I am not better than the people around me. Being a Jesus-follower does not make me closer to God. I am a sinful man, I too need to repent and be forgiven, I too need to come to the Physician for healing. The Law only points out my failure, and leaves me feeling worse. But as I fall on my knees before the Lord, He extends His hand and lifts me up. He sets me on my feet, then points me to others still far from God and His grace, and asks me to help them, to love them, to grace them, to bring them to Him.
Right now, who do you see around you that needs grace (not Law, i.e. people pointing out their failures; there’s enough of that going on already). Who needs to be loved, no strings attached? Chances are, like many christians, we have so arranged our lives that we have little contact with non-christians. Jesus loves you, has lifted you up, but now He is looking beyond you to those around you, and asking YOU to love them.
Who graced you so that you know Jesus? Who will you grace?
PRAYER:
Lord, I see the lady sitting beside me right now. Has anyone graced her?
The Carpenter is telling the fishermen how to fish and the catch is unbelieveable! And they left everything and followed Him, being made into fishers of men.
Jesus touched the man with leprosy and immediately he became clean. This was going against all traditions since this man was to be in isolation. And the Word spread of the Master’s powers.
And Jesus retreated to a lonely place to pray.
In doing the work of God, in His ministry of bringing healing to the people, Jesus always found time to spend with His Father for His own strengthening powers.
In order to do the works of our Father we must be attuned to Him and spend time with Him so that we may be His instruments of peace, restoring His Kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven. As Christ used the people of His day – His disciples – to proclaim the Good News, so I too this day need to proclaim that Good News. Lead me and guide me this day Lord in Your Way.
Make me a channel of your peace:
Where there is hatred, let me bring you love;
Where there is injury, your healing pow’r,
And where there’s doubt, true faith in you.
Make me a channel of your peace:
Where there’s despair in life let me bring hope;
Where there is darkness, – only light,
And where there’s sadness, ever joy.
O Spirit, grant that I may never seek
So much to be consolded as to console,
To be understood as to understand,
To be loved as to love with all my soul – .
Make me a channel of your peace.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
In giving to all that we receive,
And in dying that we’re born to eternal life.