Thankful. (THE WORD OF THE DAY!!)
This might become a little hobby of mine to give a little commentary before the reading. Anyway, thank God I can edit these entries because quite honestly I had forgotten to post Luke 5. Thankfully, Andy Newberry enacted the back-up plan and took up the duty of posting it for us. Thank you Andy. I really feel like this project is going great. I am starting to really think this is something I was called to start because it really seems like a good number of people in our community are getting something out of it. To everyone who has been supportive of this and telling me how much enjoyment they are getting out of this, thank you. I really feel like this is going to turn into a place where people can post their thoughts and their questions.
The last thing I want to say is, everyday before I read I have been going back and checking the comments from the day before to see if any were added after I had posted. This is something I hope a number of you are doing, because I don't want anyone missing someone else's thoughts. Now enough of my blabbering!
Happy Reading,
--Steven Mammolito
1 Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, 2 he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat.
4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch."
5 Simon answered, "Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets." 6 When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. 7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink.
8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!" 9 For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; 10 and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon.
Then Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people." 11 When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.
12 Once, when he was in one of the cities, there was a man covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he bowed with his face to the ground and begged him, "Lord, if you choose, you can make me clean."
13 Then Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, "I do choose. Be made clean." Immediately the leprosy left him. 14 And he ordered him to tell no one. "Go," he said, "and show yourself to the priest, and, as Moses commanded, make an offering for your cleansing, for a testimony to them."
15 But now more than ever the word about Jesus spread abroad; many crowds would gather to hear him and to be cured of their diseases. 16 But he would withdraw to deserted places and pray.
17 One day, while he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting nearby (they had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem); and the power of the Lord was with him to heal.
18 Just then some men came, carrying a paralyzed man on a bed. They were trying to bring him in and lay him before Jesus; 19 but finding no way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the middle of the crowd in front of Jesus. 20 When he saw their faith, he said, "Friend, your sins are forgiven you."
21 Then the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, "Who is this who is speaking blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?"
22 When Jesus perceived their questionings, he answered them, "Why do you raise such questions in your hearts? 23 Which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Stand up and walk'? 24 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"--he said to the one who was paralyzed--" I say to you, stand up and take your bed and go to your home."
25 Immediately he stood up before them, took what he had been lying on, and went to his home, glorifying God. 26 Amazement seized all of them, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, "We have seen strange things today."
27 After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, "Follow me." 28 And he got up, left everything, and followed him.
29 Then Levi gave a great banquet for him in his house; and there was a large crowd of tax collectors and others sitting at the table with them. 30 The Pharisees and their scribes were complaining to his disciples, saying, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?"
31 Jesus answered, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; 32 I have come to call not the righteous but sinners to repentance."
33 Then they said to him, "John's disciples, like the disciples of the Pharisees, frequently fast and pray, but your disciples eat and drink.
34 Jesus said to them, "You cannot make wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them, can you? 35 The days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days."
36 He also told them a parable: "No one tears a piece from a new garment and sews it on an old garment; otherwise the new will be torn, and the piece from the new will not match the old.
37 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the new wine will burst the skins and will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. 38 But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. 39 And no one after drinking old wine desires new wine, but says, 'The old is good.'"
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Kimberly thoughts:
ReplyDelete-Go away for I am a sinful man. It is interesting to see how people respond when they meet Jesus. Peter is struck by his sinfulness in light of Jesus. Perhaps encountering Jesus lays us naked before him in all our sin and brokenness.
-Jesus uses what the people he encounters already know and makes it completely new. When he comes in contact with fisherman he helps them find a pile of fish, which is what they are always after. Then, he tells them to leave that behind and come fish for men. This guy is good.
Jared thoughts: "We have seen strange things today." - I remember the story of bringing the paralyzed man through the roof from Sunday school. For some reason this story really grabbed me when I was 8 (great job Sunday school teacher Ida Gibson!). I remember that the lesson was that we should do what it takes to bring people to Jesus. I think that message is as true in our day as it was in Ida's (late 1980's). This group had a friend who was broken. They heard that there was a guy who could heal and they said alright we are getting to him this guy Jesus because we love our friend and want to see him get well. "Oh the house if full? So what, we will bust a whole in this guys roof, and drop our friend right in the middle of everything." This whole chapter serves as a reminder to use our creativity and ingenuity to share God with others who desperately need His healing.
kim stole my comment about the all-too-familiar reaction to meeting Jesus, and jared seems to have gotten the jump on my thoughts on doing whatever it takes to get your friends to confront God.... thanks you two....
ReplyDeletethe faith of the friends of the paralytic always strikes me.
ReplyDeleteyou don't learn too much about the man himself, but imagine
being paralyzed (especially in that day) not being able to work
and Jesus turning your whole life around in an instant by saying
a few words!
there are a couple of things i take away from this... Jesus' power
can do ANYTHING. and the dedication and faith of the man's friends.
nothing else ever worked for this man but the friends heard of Jesus
and believed, despite all the years their friend had been paralyzed.
it challenges me to have hope no matter what and to trust Jesus, he can heal anything and he provides people to help you out :)
thank you jesus!
-kgilly
10Then Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people." 11 When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.
ReplyDeleteQuite a powerful statement made about a man's future. I just find it interesting that he references the man being a fisher in the whole catching part, but still reiterates that his catch is much bigger.
16 But he would withdraw to deserted places and pray.
Two chapters in a row a similar line comes up, I'm really seeing some importance towards self-prayer.
34 Jesus said to them, "You cannot make wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them, can you? 35 The days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days."
Does this basically mean that as long as Jesus was on Earth, they might as well celebrate, but when he is gone they should fast while waiting for his Second Coming? Still a very profound verse, probably a lot more meaning than I am coming across as well.
--Steven Mammolito
16 But he would withdraw to deserted places and pray.
ReplyDeleteI am thankful for what I have right now. I am single, I have no children and I have no family that lives locally.
I often find myself withdrawing to pray.. and I'm thankful that I have the space and the freedom to do so. During the week I sit in my car during my lunch break at work and often talk to Jesus about everything.. or sometimes I just sit with him and do nothing.
I occasionally drive to the beach on weekends and I contemplate life, pain, art, beauty.. everything..
I believe God calls us to this kind of rest.
I am grateful that God has created this space in my life just for He and I. It's lovely.