Day 8 Thursday Feb 25 2010

Day 8 Thursday February 25, 2010

TODAY’S INTRO
More healings in today’s text. More to come. I will be talking a bit about Jesus’ ministry of healing and wholeness when we get to Luke 7. Authorities starting to watch Jesus. Lowly fisherman called to serve. Despised tax collectors join the fellowship including one brought into the inner core. Lots of people leaving their comfort zones!

TODAY’S TEXT- Luke 5:1-39
Jesus Calls the First Disciples
5 Once while Jesusa was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, 2he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. 3He 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. 4When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch." 5Simon answered, "Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets." 6When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. 7So 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. 8But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!" 9For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; 10and 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." 11When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.
Jesus Cleanses a Leper
12 Once, when he was in one of the cities, there was a man covered with leprosy.b When he saw Jesus, he bowed with his face to the ground and begged him, "Lord, if you choose, you can make me clean." 13Then Jesusc stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, "I do choose. Be made clean." Immediately the leprosyd left him. 14And 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." 15But now more than ever the word about Jesuse spread abroad; many crowds would gather to hear him and to be cured of their diseases. 16But he would withdraw to deserted places and pray.
Jesus Heals a Paralytic
17 One day, while he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting near by (they had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem); and the power of the Lord was with him to heal.f 18Just then some men came, carrying a paralyzed man on a bed. They were trying to bring him in and lay him before Jesus;g 19but 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 crowdh in front of Jesus. 20When he saw their faith, he said, "Friend,i your sins are forgiven you." 21Then the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, "Who is this who is speaking blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?" 22When Jesus perceived their questionings, he answered them, "Why do you raise such questions in your hearts? 23Which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Stand up and walk'? 24But 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." 25Immediately he stood up before them, took what he had been lying on, and went to his home, glorifying God. 26Amazement seized all of them, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, "We have seen strange things today."
Jesus Calls Levi
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." 28And 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 tablej with them. 30The Pharisees and their scribes were complaining to his disciples, saying, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?" 31Jesus answered, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; 32I have come to call not the righteous but sinners to repentance."
The Question about Fasting
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." 34Jesus said to them, "You cannot make wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them, can you? 35The days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days." 36He 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. 37And 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. 38But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. 39And no one after drinking old wine desires new wine, but says, 'The old is good.' "k


TODAY’S STATUS UPDATES
Yesterday, Jesus left the comfort zone of his hometown. (Not exactly “comfort” if you consider that some tried to throw him off a cliff but he left “the familiar” to go to Capernaum)

Today, one of the things we start to see is how Jesus’ presence and his calling invites others to leave their comfort zones. To four lowly fisherman, he says “follow me” and they do. To a despised character, Levi the tax collector, Jesus issues that same call. He also follows.

To leave a comfort zone on your own accord, there needs to be a compelling vision or strong belief that “hope is greater on the other side of the fence”. Those who believed Jesus, who had the courage to step outside their normal boundaries were not going to be abandoned by Jesus. As they stepped into new territory, Jesus not only had roles for them to play but his presence to show the way.

Where in our lives are we stuck in a comfort zone and afraid to simonmake a change? Where do we need to ask God to take us out of the comfort zone and show us a vision of new possibility? Can we trust that he calls you and I to “follow him” today into a “brand new day?”

Thanks be to god for those in the lesson today who had the courage to leave their comfort zones to follow Jesus!

Jesus, you bid us to follow and leave any comfort zone that keeps us from fully following you or keeps us from fully reaching out to our family, friends, or neighbors. Hold on to us as we head into joyous adventures with you. Open new doors for us to bring your healing presence to others. Amen

FRIENDS ADDED
More crowds- assume some were old and some were new friends
Simon
James
John
Man with leprosy
Paralytic and his friends
Levi
Unnamed tax collectors and friends

SKEPTICS ADDED
Pharisees and teachers of the law (some of them)- just not happy with what they see Jesus doing

CAUSES
Reaching out to sinners
Reaching out to those that others deem “unworthy”
Having fun along the way---**what I love to see is how others accused Jesus of being a glutton and a drunkard. Another way of looking at it is that he had “too much fun”. I love that image of the laughing Jesus photo. Just google-“laughing Jesus” for a sample. Following Jesus should involve fun as it brings us into healthier connection in daily relationships.




OTHER NOTES
Chip and Dan Heath, authors of the new book, Switch* (and also the book Made to Stick), speak about how in order to make change we must compel both the Rider and the elephant “in us”, in order to help people or groups make change. In some sense, using the Heath’s language, Jesus helped move the inner rider and elephant in those who followed.

I offer that as it is a very relevant and current business book dealing with how people change. Good read. But. . . if you do read it, think of Jesus’ call to follow! See http://heathbrothers.com/switch/

ACTS DAILY DEVOTIONS starts April 5th-- see "The Ripple Effect" at www.ripplingout.blogspot.com by Pastor Dave