Hello,
Read Luke 5,
This chapter of Luke opens up Jesus’ ministry to miracles and calling disciples. We have a catch of miraculous fish, which brings Simon, James and John on board with Jesus. Then we have Jesus healing a man with leprosy and a paralyzed man who had been lowered through a roof. And finally, we get Jesus calling Levi, the tax collector, who immediately gets up, follows Jesus, and hosts a large feast for Jesus. Perhaps another miracle in itself that a tax collector would leave everything so quickly and so generously host Jesus.
Which of these stories caught your eye today? What remarkable thing that you read are you still pondering and treasuring in your heart like Mary in Luke 2?
Here are the phrases that cause me to pause in each of these stories:
When Simon sees what Jesus has done and all the fish that he’s catching he falls at Jesus’ knees and says, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” (Lk 5.8). Jesus’ holiness scares Peter, but yet Jesus calls him to a holier life of following him.
“’Lord, if you’re willing, you can make me clean’…‘I am willing, be clean!’” (Lk 5.13). I love this interchange, another person has fallen to the ground before Jesus, and instead of asking Jesus to leave, this man asks Jesus about his willingness to help, and Jesus is willing.
When the friends lower the paralyzed man through the roof, Jesus sees their faith and heals the man. (Lk. 5.20). Think about how your faith might have a role in healing someone else as you pray for the needs of others.
And finally, as we look at the theme of repentance this Sunday, Jesus names that he isn’t here for the healthy, but for the sick, not the righteous, but the sinners in need of repentance. (Lk 5.31-32). In what ways do you need to be repentant this Advent season?
Where did you land in these 4 stories at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry?
Grace my friends,
Matt