Part 5 (1/2)
The last scene of this group is at dawn the next morning. Jesus had withdrawn to ”a desert place,” but the eager mult.i.tudes had found him and were beseeching him not to go from them. He reminded them, however, of the other cities which needed to hear ”the good tidings of the kingdom of G.o.d.” Have all of us who have felt the healing touch of Christ something of his sympathy for those who have not yet heard the good news of his grace?
B. The Second Period. Chs. 5:1 to 6:11
1. The Call of the First Disciples. Ch. 5:1-11
1 Now it came to pa.s.s, while the mult.i.tude pressed upon him and heard the word of G.o.d, that he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret; 2 and he saw two boats standing by the lake: but the fishermen had gone out of them, and were was.h.i.+ng their nets. 3 And he entered into one of the boats, which was Simon's, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the mult.i.tudes out of the boat. 4 And when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Put out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. 5 And Simon answered and said, Master, we toiled all night, and took nothing: but at thy word I will let down the nets.
6 And when they had done this, they inclosed a great mult.i.tude of fishes; and their nets were breaking; 7 and they beckoned unto their partners in the other boat, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. 8 But Simon Peter, when he saw it, fell down at Jesus'
knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. 9 For he was amazed, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken; 10 and so were also James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.
11 And when they had brought their boats to land, they left all, and followed him.
The call of his first disciples is regarded by many as opening a new period in the public ministry of Jesus. His work was now to a.s.sume a more permanent form. The growing popularity of his preaching indicated that the gospel was designed for the whole world. For such a proclamation a definite group of workers must be prepared. The growth of Christianity ever depends upon securing men who will publicly confess and follow Christ.
The scene of this call is described as being ”by the lake of Gennesaret.”
This charming sheet of water brings to mind so many scenes in the life of our Lord that it has been termed a ”Fifth Gospel.” On its western and northern side were the cities in which most of his work was done; the eastern sh.o.r.es were not inhabited and thither Jesus would resort for rest.
Those whom Jesus called were fishermen, st.u.r.dy, independent, fearless.
They were not strangers to Jesus nor had they been indifferent to spiritual truths. They had attended the preaching of the Baptist and had come to regard Jesus as the Messiah, but they were now called to leave their homes and their tasks and to become his constant companions and disciples.
On this occasion Jesus had borrowed the boat belonging to one of his friends to use as a pulpit and from this he had addressed the crowds. When he had finished his discourse, he gave to the four men he was about to call an impressive object lesson of the character of the work and of the great success which would attend their ministry if they would forsake all and follow him. He wrought a miracle especially impressive because it was in the sphere of their daily calling at a time and place where they were sure it was useless to fish. They were enabled by the guidance of Jesus to take such a draft of fishes that their nets were strained and their boats so loaded as nearly to sink. It was so plainly a manifestation of supernatural power that Peter felt himself to be in the presence of a divine Being and expressed the fear which all have felt when face to face with G.o.d. Jesus spoke the word which not only removed the terror of Peter but gave to him and his companions courage for all the coming years, ”Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.”
So to-day Jesus is calling men to become his disciples. Obedience may involve sacrifice, but it is certain to result in the saving of human souls.
2. Jesus Cleansing a Leper. Ch. 5:12-16
12 And it came to pa.s.s, while he was in one of the cities, behold, a man full of leprosy: and when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. 13 And he stretched forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou made clean. And straightway the leprosy departed from him. 14 And he charged him to tell no man: but go thy way, and show thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing, according as Moses commanded, for testimony unto them.
15 But so much the more went abroad the report concerning him: and great mult.i.tudes came together to hear, and to be healed of their infirmities. 16 But he withdrew himself in the deserts, and prayed.
Leprosy was regarded as the most loathsome and terrible of diseases. It existed in various forms but its invariable feature was its foul uncleanness. The leper was an outcast; he was compelled to live apart from the dwellings of men. He was required to wear a covering over his mouth and to give warning of his approach by crying, ”Unclean! Unclean!” His case was regarded as hopeless; he was reckoned as dead. Loathsome, insidious, corrupting, pervasive, isolating, ceremonially and physically defiling, surely leprosy is a fitting emblem of sin; and this graphic narrative presents a parable of the power of Christ to cleanse and to heal and to restore. It is a vivid picture which Luke draws; the humble trust of the poor sufferer, his pitiful cry, the sympathetic touch of Jesus, the word of command and the instant cure. While Jesus forbade the man to arouse excitement by telling of his healing, he commanded him to report his case to the priest, that the highest religious authorities might have unanswerable testimony to the divine power of Christ, and also that the man might bring the offerings required by the Law and thus express his grat.i.tude to G.o.d. Our Master does expect all who have felt his healing touch to testify of his grace and to show their grat.i.tude by offering to him the service of their lives.
Such miracles could not be hid. The crowds so pressed upon Jesus that he was forced to withdraw to the desert for rest; and as the scene closed he who had startled the mult.i.tude by the manifestation of his divine power was left alone seeking help from G.o.d in prayer.
3. Jesus Forgiving Sins. Ch. 5:17-26
17 And it came to pa.s.s on one of those days, that he was teaching; and there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, who were come out of every village of Galilee and Judaea and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was with him to heal. 18 And behold, men bring on a bed a man that was palsied: and they sought to bring him in, and to lay him before him. 19 And not finding by what _way_ they might bring him in because of the mult.i.tude, they went up to the housetop, and let him down through the tiles with his couch into the midst before Jesus. 20 And seeing their faith, he said, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee. 21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this that speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but G.o.d alone? 22 But Jesus perceiving their reasonings, answered and said unto them, Why reason ye in your hearts? 23 Which is easier, to say, Thy sins are forgiven thee; or to say, Arise and walk? 24 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath authority on earth to forgive sins (he said unto him that was palsied), I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go unto thy house. 25 And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his house, glorifying G.o.d. 26 And amazement took hold on all, and they glorified G.o.d; and they were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things to-day.
Leprosy was the symbol of the uncleanness of sin; paralysis of its impotence and pain. On the occasion of healing a paralytic, Jesus, however, did something more startling: he forgave sin. The poor sufferer had been borne by his four friends who were discouraged by no obstacles.