Fishers of men

When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into deep water and let down the nets for a catch.’ Simon answered, ‘Master we’ve worked hard all night. But because you say so, we will let down the nets.’ Luke 5: 4 – 5

Jesus had been teaching the crowd from Simon’s boat moored away from the edge of the water. This was a great idea as it meant that the crowd could both see and hear him as a voice carries well over water. After he had finished teaching, Jesus turned to Simon and started to meet Simon’s need. It was almost a situation of thanks for lending me your boat, now let me do you a favour. Jesus knew they had been fishing all night with no success and now he was going to meet Simon’s necessity for a successful catch of fish.

Simon had a choice – believe Jesus and act on it. In other words use his faith or let his mind tell him that Jesus knew nothing about fishing so ignore him. Simon knew though that whilst Jesus may not be a fisherman, he was a miracle worker.  Amongst many others, he had healed his mother-in-law so Jesus was trustworthy. It is interesting to note that Jesus said to put out into deep water - this was going to require faith – this was not a shoal of fish swimming conveniently along the surface but one swimming out of sight. 

Jesus proved trustworthy and they did not just catch a few fish, they caught so many that both Simon’s boat and his partner’s began to sink. I love the extravagance of Jesus who never does things by half measures. Simon was humbled.. He knew this was a MIRACLE – he was a fisherman and he knew this was a miraculous catch of fish.

When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, ‘Go away from me Lord; I am a sinful man.’ Luke 5: 8

Through the miracle Jesus provided Simon’s greater need – salvation.  Simon came face to face with his own sinful state as he realised that Jesus really was the Lord. No one else but God could have done what he had just witnessed. Like Abraham, Job and Isaiah before him he knew he was face to face with God and he was afraid. Jesus reassured him and told him not to be afraid but from now on he would be a fisher of men.

Jesus loves to break into our ordinary lives with miracles and bring us face to face not just with his miraculous provision but also with our greater need for a Saviour. He is calling us into his plans and purposes and like the fishermen, we too may need to drop everything and follow him. Jesus is calling us to trust him for everything; provision, salvation and calling. I doubt if Peter, Andrew, James and John every truly regretted their decision to drop everything and follow Jesus. How about you?

 

Do not be afraid, only believe

While Jesus was still speaking, some men came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler, ‘Your daughter is dead,’ they said. ‘Why bother the teacher anymore?’  Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, ‘Don’t be afraid, just believe.’ Mark 5: 35 – 36

Jairus, the local synagogue ruler, came to Jesus to plead earnestly with him to come and heal his daughter who was dying. A large crowd had gathered around Jesus, many of them hoping for a miracle no doubt, but Jairus was the one who got Jesus’ attention and he agreed to go and heal his daughter.

However on the way, Jesus encountered another person desperate for a miracle; the woman with the issue of blood. She had been sick for 12 years and ‘suffered much under the care of many doctors’ and ‘had spent all she had’. She had only got worse not better and with faith similar to Jairus she too stretched forth her hand to touch Jesus’ clothes believing that if she did so she would be healed – and she was healed. However Jesus knew that faith had drawn the power for a miracle from him and was not going to let the moment pass until he knew who had touched him. The disciples were amazed as there were crowds all around Jesus touching him but no one except the woman had drawn the ‘healing virtue’ from him. Once the woman was identified, Jesus confirmed the miracle and commended her faith and sent her away in peace.

We can imagine Jairus may have been fretting about this delay and imagine his disappointment and dismay when some men came and told him to stop bothering the teacher as his daughter had died.  Their lack of faith contrasted sharply with Jairus’ faith and immediately Jesus said to him, ‘Don’t be afraid. Only believe,’ or in the Amplified, ‘Do not be seized with fear and struck with alarm; only keep on believing.’ Jesus did not want him to lose faith and lose the miracle but to keep on believing which he obviously did as Jesus raised his daughter from the dead after clearing the house of the unbelieving professional mourners.

The interesting thing is that both Jairus and the woman pressed through the crowd to get their miracle. I don’t know about you but I think too often diffidence holds us back or false modesty that says I am no more worthy than anyone else so why should I have a miracle when they may not. Jesus however commends bold faith because his resources are not short and everyone with bold faith can have a miracle. There is no rationing on miracles!

Secondly I believe Jesus would encourage us not to give up when difficult circumstances that fly in the face of our miracle occur but to fear not and keep on believing.  Today if you are trusting God for healing for yourself or a friend, or for the salvation of a family member or friend or a breakthrough in a circumstance at home or work, press through the crowd with a faith-filled heart and plead with Jesus. If difficult circumstances arise, do not give in to fear but with renewed faith declare that God is my healer (Exodus 15:26), God wants all to be saved (II Peter 3:9) and God is the God of the impossible (Matthew 19:26). Our faith will be rewarded if we do not give up.

The downside of healing the leper

Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured. Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning:  “See that you don’t tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.” Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere. Mark 1: 42 – 45

This is the story of a leper who came to Jesus and asked him to heal him. He had such faith that if Jesus was willing, he would be healed and his faith was rewarded. Jesus was willing and he stretched out his hand and the leper was immediately healed.

However Jesus told him with a strong warning not to tell this to anyone. In the Amplified it says Jesus charged him sternly (sharply and threateningly, and with earnest admonition) and [acting with deep feeling thrust him forth and] sent him away at once. Jesus had good reasons for doing this. As a result of the leper’s talking freely, it caused Jesus to be seriously inconvenienced and it certainly severely hampered his ministry. Jesus ended up having to live away from society.

 We can understand why the man wanted to tell everyone and his reasons may have been good in that he wanted God to be glorified for his miracle or it may just be that he wanted to be openly welcomed back into society. Leprosy was a terrible cause of social exclusion and normally lepers would live and die away from family and friends, so to be healed was a memorable miracle.  However Jesus warned him strongly and sternly not to tell anyone and yet he ignored Jesus and went and told everyone.

 I doubt if the leper realised what a problem he was causing Jesus. He just did what he thought was best but it is obedience that God values.  God has the bigger picture and can see things from all angles for all people. When God asks us to do things his way it is because he really does know best.

Perhaps next time God asks us to do something his way, the first thing is to obey. Then we can take it up with God and ask him why it had to be this way and he may well tell us or let events unfold that show that he knew something we didn’t. That has happened to me on several occasions and I know now to go with not against the check in the Spirit because inevitably later on, all will become clear.

God wants our obedience not because he wants slavish robots who cannot think for themselves but because he wants us to walk freely in the joy of knowing that God’s ways are best for everybody and will bring the greatest blessing to both ourselves and those around us.