Jesus descends and heals the multitude – Luke 6:17-19

Every step of the way Jesus recognizes the needs God has placed before Him, stepping out with hope, healing and restoration.  He just chose the 12 who would continue after Him.  And now, upon returning to their every day, they were consumed (more like bombarded) by the crowds needs pressing in around them.

Jesus’ life modeled and taught his apostles about life as God intended it to be.  It's about relying on the Spirit for direction and empowerment versus the “wisdom of man” which at this point may have been thinking, “yes, a new chapter for us all, isn’t this exciting? Let’s all go out and celebrate this milestone together.”  If we lean on our own understanding, we may unintentionally dismiss the needs that God is placing around us because “our” agenda says, “I want to rest”, “I want to party/celebrate”, “I want to bask in this moment for a while”…. 

Jesus tells us to “keep our eyes on Him, the author and perfecter of our faith…” (Hebrews 12:12), “seeking first God’s Kingdom and His righteousness” (Mt 6:33), hearing our Shepherd’s voice and following His direction (Jn 10:3,4) versus relying on the flesh which is so fragile and weak. (Mt 26:41)  

And so, they jump right into life with Jesus, spreading God’s Kingdom through word and deed.  Jesus wants nothing more than to do the same in and with us, friends! 

And as if we need any other reason to praise God and fall at His feet in worship, in His infinite wisdom, He sets us side by side, calling us to journey together in life.  He never intended that we "go it alone."  Our King is on His throne, sitting at the right hand of our Father, interceding for us all day long (Ro. 8:34).  He has sent us the Holy Spirit who comes on us with power (Acts 1:8).  And surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses (Hebrews 12:1), we find encouragement and strength, building one another up, spurring one another along, and always loving one another deeply.

Praying for us today!

Friends, I'm about to "pry" (a little) but only because I love you, so you've been warned

I’m hoping that our journeying together thus far has allowed me this latitude for I want nothing more than for you to find true joy, hope and peace in the One who came for you!

So, please bear with me, as I ask, “which Jesus do you really want?” I believe it’s a fair question. You see as I was reading John 5:16ff I was struck by the following: “the Jews started persecuting Jesus, because he was doing such things on the Sabbath.” (Jn 5:16) Interesting, first of all, because Jesus himself later warns/prepares us for such treatment saying that we too could expect to face persecution because of His name, for a servant is not above His master, and that is how He himself had been treated.

Here’s where it really got challenging for me, you see, the religious scholars and leaders of the day were so stuck on “right and wrong” being spelled out to the letter and lived to the “t” that when God himself showed up in their midst they were unable to recognize Him. They weren’t living according to God’s voice but according to their own interpretation of His voice. Dangerous. How often do we find ourselves doing that? Caught up in what we think we understand, we close ourselves off to what God is trying to say to us. Instead of knowing Jesus, Himself, we construct our own ideas of Him and stand on that (right or wrong).

It goes on to say that “…The Jews [these religious scholars and leaders] were seeking all the more to kill Jesus because He called God his own Father, thereby making himself equal to God. (vv17-18) They had been waiting for the One God would send who would bring rescue to His people but they misinterpreted “rescue” to mean political freedom from the hands of Rome under which they found themselves captives. Instead of recognizing Jesus as the One promised in Scripture to come and bring rescue and healing and wholeness, which is what He had been doing and accomplishing right there in their midst, they cry “blasphemy.” God wanted to widen their understanding but they were certain that they had interpreted Scripture correctly so anything other than their limited understanding was met with firm rejection…rejecting God Himself, in Jesus. Again, what about us? Do we cling to our own interpretation, our own understanding and reject anything further that God may be attempting to reveal about who He really is?

Finally, it says, “…(v36) the very works that I am doing, testify on my behalf that the Father has sent me. You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me.” (5:39) The former prophets that these religious leaders read about as they studied and memorized their Scripture, proclaimed the coming One who would bind up the broken hearted, and set captives free but when Jesus came doing such things He was met with rejection. Too blinded to see that what they had been waiting for had now arrived in the person of Jesus! Instead they poured over Scriptures and sought to interpret them in their own understanding (though God tells us to “lean not on our own understanding…” which they too would have read in the very Scriptures they studied). And their own understanding led them to dismissing and missing God himself who had come to offer rescue, hope and restoration.

God, please continue to open our eyes and ears, and soften our hearts, so that we will see you, hear you and know you and never end up missing you because of our own human stubbornness and sinful error.

Whether a CEO, one who just made Partner in a law firm, a successful businessman, broker, scientist or entrepreneur, a famous artist or physician, a middle-class white collar suburban family, a farmer, lover of all that’s country, whether divorced, single, widowed, poor or hungry, the homeless, or those labeled "lawbreaker"…God’s rescue is for YOU!

So Jesus came, turning the tables on the prescribed way of living (the way we’ve always done things, the only living we’ve ever known).  He challenges our view of life and the world and says, “Not that way…that way leads only to devastation, destruction and death as you clamor for position, power or perhaps prestige.  Follow me, my yoke is easy and my burden is light.  I came to give you rest for your tired bodies and wearied selves.  I came to show you what is right, O man, that you would love justice and mercy and would walk humbly with your God.  I came to serve not to be served and to give my life as a ransom for many.  And I came to seek and save 'the lost, the sick, and the sinners.'”  

Do you truly understand those categories though?  If anything other than God takes first place, first priority, is the first thing you think about when you awake and the last thing you’re pondering when you lay down to sleep, then you too find yourself in the “lost, sick, and sinner” category.  Hard to swallow?  That’s pride, also in that category. ;)   I don’t mean to sound harsh, I’m just trying to get you to pause long enough before simply dismissing a category that may need further exploring.

Jesus came and offered Himself FOR you and offers Himself TO you. 

FOR you, because in our attempts to do life our own way we’ve wandered far, and along the way, have lost our way.   Look around you, with all the violence, hate, anger, struggling…something’s gone terribly wrong.  Our failed attempts to “fix” the problem surface from our desire to some how make sure our own needs are getting met.  We’ve created a tit-for-tat, what’s in it for me, kind of world where everyone scrambles to get to the top, climbing over anyone who may be in their way, along the way.  The rich get richer while the poor get poorer.

Jesus says, “Not that way, friends…I’ve come to show you the way, the real way to live where peace, joy, mercy and grace are offered in abundance to all who are willing to accept my gift.  No stipulations.  For I’ve loved you with an everlasting love and desire that you come to know me too.”

“I lived before you life as it was intended to be.  I did this by challenging life as it has come to be defined.  Instead, real life is defined by a steadfast love that brings freedom in place of rule-keeping.  Friends, out of my immense love for you, while you were yet sinners, I came, took on the sins of the world and brought you life!”

“I came to set things right (justice) and to make all things new.  You not only have value but you are precious in my sight.  You are my treasured possession that I’ve come to seek and to save.  In Me you’ll find real life.  A life that gives instead of takes, that looks out for the interests of others, considering others better than yourself.  A life that binds up the brokenhearted and sets captives free.  Where mercy and grace reign and all things are just.  I’ve come to bring complete healing and wholeness to you, precious child, and to this world.”

And TO you, because He longs to make Himself known to you.  To live with you so that you truly find everything you need in Him.  He’s your refuge and your strength, an ever-present help in time of trouble.  He’s your hope and your true joy.  He sent the Holy Spirit to lead and guide you, to empower you to live boldly yet gently and respectfully for Him, to offer this same living hope to others.  He’s blessed you, with Himself, to be a blessing to the world, by spreading God’s kingdom under King Jesus’ good and perfect reign.  Though now we know in part, one day we will know in full!  For now, knowing that He is for you, friends, and that nothing is too hard for Him, let’s continue to live out this “already and not yet” reality, trusting steadily in God, with an unswerving hope and an extravagant love for all.   

Praying your voice will be found among the many who exclaim, “Come, Lord Jesus” (Rev. 22:20) for, in You, we have found life!

Matthew (a despised, tax-collecting, marginalized “sinner” & known “traitor”) called to be a disciple – Mt. 9:9; Mk 2:13-14; Lk 5:27-28

Jesus called and Matthew (aka Levi), a known and despised tax-collecting, marginalized “sinner” & “traitor” to the Jewish people, who had been living and working in the area, having opportunity to hear the spreading news of Jesus, responded, IMMEDIATELY, leaving all and following Jesus.

Jesus came to seek & save the lost (the hurting & broken marginalized, the rejected & the despised...), to set them (us) on a firm footing, to give us a new name and a new song in our hearts and, in the power of the Holy Spirit, from this new (reborn) life to spread the Good News of His Kingdom and His reign into a lost, hurting, dying world that’s in desperate need of a Savior!

Sinners aren’t excluded, they’re invited, welcomed and given a place in Jesus…that’s the very reason He came! If Jesus saw hope, rescue & redemption in Matthew why would some even entertain the lie that they are outside of Jesus’ ability or circle of rescue and freedom (aka saving)…I say, leave it all behind, and follow Jesus, friends

Simon has been observing Jesus for a while. News has been circulating regarding the many miraculous signs & wonders, some Simon observed firsthand.

So, though fishing was the one thing Simon knew well, He was willing to respond to Jesus’ "nonsensical" request "to put out into the deep water" with…“But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” (Lk 5:5)

When it resulted in a miraculous catch of fish, nearly sinking both boats, Simon suddenly had an "ah-ha" moment, recognizing who's presence he was actually in. Being face-to-face with the holiness of Jesus only illuminated Simon’s own unbearable state of sinfulness.

Yet, Jesus didn’t honor Simon’s initial request to leave and let him be. He saw beyond the Simon standing before him that day. He knew Simon’s character, who Simon, in God’s strength, would become. So instead, He assures Simon that not only was everything going to be okay but that Jesus came specifically for him, and was calling him to follow Him. Jesus was asking him to abandon life as he knew it and to learn from Jesus who would teach him about a life that "catches mankind."

Simon’s response? He left behind his boat and everything else and followed Jesus.

What an awesome proposition. And yet it’s the same proposition Jesus gives to us today. Do we want to continue on, doing life the way we’ve always done it? Or are we ready to hand it all over to Jesus and follow Him, learning from him about a life lived to “catch mankind” bringing hope, healing, rescue and restoration to a broken and hurting world.

Here’s what intrigues me: Like Simon, we think we see the whole picture and that we understand what we ought to expect out of any given situation, but the reality is that our view of things is so very limited. When we seek to live and make decisions from our "undersized" perspective, we can end up missing what God is not only capable of but wants to do in, around and through our lives.

love ya!