Jesus Calls
His First Disciples
[Luke chapter
5, verses 1-16]
For this
week's study, we'll be moving on to Luke chapter five. Here we
chronicle the ministry of Jesus during a time when he was just
beginning to call his first disciples. We also will find as we go
along that Jesus not only continued his healing ministry that he
began in the previous chapter, he took it up a notch as well. By this
time he had developed quite a following, some praising him while
others, the religious establishment of that time, began actively
looking for ways to discredit Jesus out of jealousy. With this as our
backdrop, then, let's get right into Luke's gospel chapter five.
“One
day as Jesus was standing beside the Lake of Gennesaret, with the
people crowding around him and listening to the Word of God, he saw
at the water's edge two boats, left there by the fisherman, as they
were washing their nets. He got onto one of the boats, the one
belonging to Simon, and asked him to pull out a little bit from
shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. When he
had finished speaking, he said to Simon, 'Pull out into deep water
and let down your nets for a catch'. Simon answered, 'Master, we have
worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you
say so, I will let down the nets.' When they had done so, they caught
such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they
signaled their partners to come and help them, and they came and
filled both boats so full that they began to sink. When Simon Peter
saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees and said, 'Go away from me, Lord; I
am a sinful man!' For he and his companions were astonished at the
catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of
Zebedee, Simon's partners. 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, verses
1-11)
There
were a few times in the Gospels when Jesus could be a bit of a
pragmatist, and this was one of those times. Jesus apparently had
quite a large crowd. In fact, even at this early point in his
ministry, there were so many people following Him around to hear a
Word or to obtain healing that those furthest away from him had
trouble hearing him. So Jesus simply borrows Simon's boat, goes out
about 25 feet away from the shore and teaches from there. No podium,
no microphone, no problem! Then our Savior turns right around and
solves another problem – Simon and his partners had worked all
night and had caught nothing. Their little fishing enterprise wasn't
doing very well. Jesus knew that if he asked those first apostles to
follow him while they were still empty-handed, they may have turned
him down. And Jesus, being a man who was always thinking one step
ahead, decided that this would be a good time to show a little
something to these men. Remember that prior to this, Jesus and his
future disciples didn't know each other.
The
next thing that happens is that Simon Peter, with Jesus still on
board, catches so many fish that it takes two boats to haul them in,
and even then the large payload nearly sinks both boats. After they
finally get them brought to shore, Simon Peter falls to his knees
before the Lord and begs him to leave. “Don't be afraid of me”,
Jesus told him. “From now on you'll catch men instead of fish”.
Jesus made sure that they had a large enough catch to the point that
none of them would need to catch another fish for a very long time.
And so now that the finances of Jesus' first apostle were straight,
they eagerly agreed to follow Jesus. Jesus never demands that people
follow him without giving something in return. He always prefers
motivation to obligation. So, in order that Simon, James and John
could follow Jesus, he made it easy for them by seeing to it that
they had enough spending money to last them for a long while. Let's
hold that thought as we take up where we left off at verse 12.
“While
Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with
leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and
begged him, 'Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.' Jesus
reached out his hand and touched the man. 'I am willing,' he said.
'Be clean'. And immediately the leprosy left him. The Jesus ordered
him, 'Don't tell anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and
offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a
testimony to them.' Yet the news about him spread all the more, so
that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their
sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”
(Luke 5, verses 12-16)
As
you can see, the circumstances here are rather exceptional. Those
with leprosy, a common disease back then which disfigures the human
body and which was highly contagious, lived in leper colonies. They
were kept separated from society due to the virulent nature of
leprosy, and this was required by law as well. When they did have to
go out in public – to buy food, for example – they were required
by law to warn people in an audible voice by saying, “Unclean!
Unclean!” as they made their way to and from. So now you know why
the man asked Jesus, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me
clean.” “I am willing”, Jesus told the man. “Be clean”.
People with leprosy were reviled as outcasts in those days, similar
to people today who are HIV positive, or who suffer from mental
illness. Yet this sickly man was so motivated and so determined to
seek Christ and his healing that he risked arrest, being assaulted or
even killed just so he could hear the words, “I am willing, be made
clean”.
Another
thing that stands out here is that Jesus' healing of this gentleman
was complete and instantaneous. The healing alone was unheard of
during Jesus' lifetime, but immediate healing was and still is
miraculous! Next, Jesus tells the man, “Don't tell anyone, but
go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses
commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.” What did
Jesus mean here? He was referring to the Law of Moses, otherwise
known in modern times as the first five books of the Old Testament.
Specifically, he was referring to the Levitical law and what was
known as a “fellowship offering” (see Leviticus chapter 7, verses
11-15). A “fellowship offering” is one that is made as a token of
public gratitude and thankfulness for being restored to the synagogue
so that one could come and worship there and offer sacrifices for
their sins. People with leprosy were forbidden from attending Sabbath
services at the Temple or synagogue. The Bible doesn't tell us how
long this gentleman had been afflicted, but it had been for a long
time, that much is certain.
“Yet
the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came
to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often
withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” Evidently the man kept
the true nature of his healing to himself unless he was asked. But in
spite of doing everything Jesus told him, news of Jesus' healing
abilities continued to spread like wildfire. The only way this could
have happened is by word of mouth for obvious reasons. People are
sometimes smarter than they're given credit for. One thing humans are
usually pretty good at is spotting liars, cheats, phonies and crooks.
They knew authenticity when they saw it, and Jesus was and always
will be the real deal!
Yet
by the same token, even Jesus needed to be replenished by his Father
in heaven from time to time, so he would go to pray where he would
not be interrupted. One thing I know about Jesus, he prayed a lot.
His healing ministry was like an engine – from time to time our
Savior had to stop and refuel in order to keep going. Even the Son of
God knew when he needed to take a break. And, his breaks were always
prayerful ones, of that we can all be sure! “Apart from me you
can do nothing”, Jesus told his apostles (John 15: 5). As it
was with the apostles and Jesus, so it was with Christ and the
Father. By extension, then, so it is with ourselves and Jesus Christ.
Apart from Him, we can't do anything that amounts to anything, but
“all things are possible with God”. Let's spend this week
continually maintaining that attitude as we all continue to draw
ourselves closer and closer to our Lord and Savior, so that he in
turn can draw closer to us. And, next week we'll be completing Luke
chapter 5, God willing.
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