Jesus; Healing, Preaching, Calling

Jesus; Healing, Preaching, Calling

Series: “The Gospel Truth”

Text: Lk 4:38-44; Lk 5:1-11

Introduction: (What?)

On the Sabbath Day Jesus and his friends were at synagogue when He was confronted by a demon possessed man. He cast out the demon and faced the ire of the religious leaders because He had “worked” on the Sabbath. Leaving the synagogue, Jesus and his friends walked the 87 steps to Peter’s house where they were staying. But once again, need found Jesus. Jesus never went looking for need. Need always went looking for Jesus.

Examination: (Why?)

1. Healing at Home;

Lk 4:38-41 “After he left the synagogue, he entered Simon’s house. Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked him about her. So he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up immediately and began to serve them. When the sun was setting, all those who had anyone sick with various diseases brought them to him. As he laid his hands on each one of them, he healed them. Also, demons were coming out of many, shouting and saying, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Messiah.”

You may have noticed that Jesus didn’t heal everyone the same way. Some he touched, some he spoke to, some he slathered with mud made from his spit. In the case of Peter’s mother-in-law, according to Luke the Physician, he “rebuked the fever”. The Greek word used here is the same as is used in Lk 4:35 “But Jesus rebuked him (the demon) and said, “Be silent and come out of him!” And throwing him down before them, the demon came out of him without hurting him at all.” and the same word used in Mk 4:39 “He got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Silence! Be still!” The wind ceased, and there was a great calm.”

The word “rebuke” means to “reprimand, strongly warn, restrain”. What this demonstrated was Jesus’s authority over, not only the elements (wind and waves); not only demons (v 35), but also over fever (Illness). It added to the sense the people in the synagogue felt when they said in Lk 4:36 “What is this message? For he commands the unclean spirits with authority and power, and they come out!””

The resume of Jesus was being built with every healing, deliverance and teaching. Notice also that Peter’s mother-in-law didn’t need a time to recover from her fever. Instead she “got up immediately” and started serving them.

Phrase “when the sun was setting” lets us know that the Sabbath had ended. This was at 6 p.m. on Saturday. So after the Sabbath had ended, those who had heard about Jesus being in town and what had happened in the synagogue, rushed to Peter’s house bringing their family, friends and neighbors who were sick or demonized. The population of Capernaum at this time was about 1500. We don’t know exactly how many there were. Mark said that the “whole town gathered at the door to watch”. Luke noted that “As he laid his hands on each one of them, he healed them.” We don’t know how long this took, but remember, it all started after 6 p.m.

Let me pose a “what if” at this point. What if all of you who have friends, family or neighbors who are sick, depressed or lame were to bring them to church with the belief that God would not only heal them and restore them, but also save them. OK, let’s leave out the sick and depressed and the lame. What if we narrowed it down to those in your circle who are unsaved…do you care enough to get them to church?

2. Getting Marching Orders

Remember that all this activity at Peter’s house started after 6 p.m. Although we don’t know how late the meeting went, it is easy to suppose that it was late into the night. With that being said, let’s read on...

Lk 4:42-44 “When it was day, he went out and made his way to a deserted place. But the crowds were searching for him. They came to him and tried to keep him from leaving them. But he said to them, “It is necessary for me to proclaim the good news about the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because I was sent for this purpose.” And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.”

Again, Mark noted in Mk 1:35 “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he got up, went out, and made his way to a deserted place; and there he was praying.”

Most of us, if we had a day like Jesus had just experienced, would sleep in. Now before you say, “But He was the Son of God”…let me remind you that He was fully human. He had a physical body that required food, water and sleep in order to thrive. However we find Jesus, after minimal rest if any at all, slipping away for some personal time with His Heavenly Father. For Jesus prayer was more than just something to open and close a meeting or to utter over a meal or at bed-time. Prayer was his life-line. Prayer is where he saw what his Father was doing and heard what his Father was saying. (Jhn 5:19 “Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, the Son is not able to do anything on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, the Son likewise does these things.” Prayer is where Jesus got his daily “marching orders”. Look what he said when the people found him. “It is necessary for me to proclaim the good news about the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because I was sent for this purpose.”

I am one who always has a “to-do” list to guide me through the day. It is a prioritized list that helps me get things done. However, I don’t always begin my to-do list with a time of prayer to get my marching orders from my Heavenly Father, before I write down my list. I’m ashamed to say that, and God willing, I will do that from now on. If Jesus felt that getting marching orders from his Father was important, so should I, and so should you. Kingdom of God issues should trump our to-do list every time.

3. The Calling of Disciples

Lk 5:1-11 “As the crowd was pressing in on Jesus to hear God’s word, he was standing by Lake Gennesaret. He saw two boats at the edge of the lake; the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, which belonged to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from the land. Then he sat down and was teaching the crowds from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” “Master,” Simon replied, “we’ve worked hard all night long and caught nothing. But if you say so, I’ll let down the nets.” When they did this, they caught a great number of fish, and their nets began to tear. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them; they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’s knees and said, “Go away from me, because I’m a sinful man, Lord!” For he and all those with him were amazed at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, Zebedee’s sons, who were Simon’s partners. ‘Don’t be afraid,’ Jesus told Simon. ‘From now on you will be catching people.’ Then they brought the boats to land, left everything, and followed Him.”

Luke mentioned in the first verse of his epistle that he was presenting “an accurate account” of all the events that happened during Jesus’ earthly ministry. The fact that Matthew and Mark both present a different scenario of the call of the first disciples might seem that Luke is the one out of sync. Actually, what Luke recorded is the second response of Peter to the first call to follow Jesus. Often when Jesus calls us, we respond incrementally. And, like Peter, the more we are exposed to the “Godness” of Jesus, the more unworthy we feel to even be in his presence.

Up to this point, even though Jesus had invited Peter, Andrew, James and John to follow him earlier, they still kept their “day job”. Or in this case their “night-job”. They fished at night because the fish could be netted in shallow water, and their drag-nets were not equipped for deep water fishing. When day came and the waters began to warm up, the fish retreated to deeper water. To Peter’s credit, even though he disagreed with Jesus’ command, he obeyed it…and his obedience was rewarded. From that moment on Peter was “all in”. He had witnessed a miracle. He saw himself as unworthy of even being in the presence of Jesus, but when Jesus said, “From now on you will catch people”, he was ready to beach the boat and leave it there.

Peter had seen people healed, set free of demonic possession and sight restored, yet it took this miracle to bring him to the tipping point of following Jesus exclusively. What will it take for you to be “all in” with Jesus?

Application: (How I will apply this message to my life.)

Every believer is called to ministry. If you are a believer, you have been called. Have you responded in faith to that call?

Peter was just a fisherman until Jesus gave him a new assignment and he surrendered all. After that he became what and who he was created to be.

Have you surrendered all? Is there anything you are withholding? Today Jesus wants to make you a fisher of people.

Illustration: The head-hunter’s story.