Summer Reading: Lessons from Luke (part 4)

by Shannon Tillman | Jun 26, 2025 | Bible Study, Theology, Thoughts

Leapin’ Levi

Did you see the musical Annie?  It is about a red-haired orphan who lived in an orphanage during the Depression.  She is a mischievous little girl with a heart of gold.  Surrounded by a dismal existence, she can still sing, The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow.  One day she is picked out of everyone in the orphanage to go to a millionaire’s home for the week.  Whenever something amazing happens, this little girl would say, “Leapin’ Lizards!”  I do not know if lizards leap.  I do not usually try to get too close to them.  I am still traumatized by the time when I was a child and I caught a lizard in my hand.  It jumped out yet I still felt something moving.  I looked down to see its tail moving, as if alive, in my palm.  I screamed.  I got sick.  I am not feeling very well at the moment.  Let’s talk about something else.  But I have to make one more point.  If there were any profession that could be considered as slimy, as low, as creepy as a lizard, then Levi’s job would be the first to qualify.

After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth.  “Follow Me,” Jesus said to him, and Levi got up, left everything and followed Him. Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them.  (Luke 5:27-29)

Leapin’ Lizards, Levi was a tax collector!  This was the most hated profession in all of Israel.  These men exhorted taxes on behalf of the oppressive Roman government and usually raised the price to line their own pockets.  Creepy.

One of the many things I love about Jesus is that the creepiness of us does not keep Him away.  He came right up to Levi.

After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth.  (Luke 5:27a)

It reads that “After this” Jesus went out.  After what?  It was after the healing of the paralytic that we studied during the last chapter.  Jesus had just done an amazing miracle.  People were filled with awe.  Everyone was giving God praise.  Men and women alike were rejoicing at the power of God.  This was a high point in the ministry of Jesus.  You would think He would want to keep the good times rolling.  You want to keep people happy so they can learn more about the Lord, right?  That makes sense.

But what does Jesus do?  He goes and does something offensive.  He calls the lowest of Jewish society to be His follower.  A person that “holy” people would never be caught associating with is commanded by the Holy One of Israel to follow Him.  A man who was mocked and despised by the religious is the one who God accepts and invites to join Him.

Does this give you hope?  It does for me.  I look at who I was when God called me and still have to laugh.  If you only knew what I was like, you would question the choice of the Lord.  I was lower than Levi.  More on a snake level than a lizard.  I still feel slimy sometimes.  But my gracious God reminds me that it was His choice to summon me, not mine.

I do not know your past.  It really doesn’t matter.  We have all fallen short of the glory of God.  You, me, and the people you think have it all together (they don’t).  We are just a bunch of sinners, tax collectors, lowly lizards who can barely crawl.  Suddenly, we see a face above us.  He is looking down on us with love.  Surely He made a mistake.  He is looking at us in the middle of our sin.  We cannot hide the tax collecting sign now.  He knows what we are.  We are so ashamed.  Look at us.  Look at where we are.  He is probably going to condemn us.  We deserve it.  We put ourselves down all the time.  We hear what others say about us.  We cannot deny their remarks; they are speaking truth, even if it is said with such hatred.  Our eyes meet His.  He is smiling.  He is getting ready to speak.  The words will change our lives.

“Follow Me,” Jesus said to him…  (Luke 5:27b)

I wonder how the crowd reacted.  Were they shocked?  Jesus just called the lowliest sinner to his service.  Jesus was unconcerned about their responses; there was only one man he was waiting on to answer His command.

…and Levi got up, left everything and followed Him.  (Luke 5:28)

Thus the title, Leapin’ Levi.  He just jumped right up and followed Jesus.  He left everything behind.  The money lying on his table no longer held any value for him.  The profession that he had risked everything to be a part of, even though it led to him being despised by society, was now worthless.  He knew he had to follow the One who had called him.

What I most like about Levi is how he did not share with Jesus that he did not deserve to follow him.  To tell him, “Look at what I am, You could never use someone like me.”  I guess I respect that so much because that is the exact opposite of what I did.  When the Lord called me to vocational ministry, I began to tell Him all the reasons why He should not use me.  I am more like Moses whining to God in the burning bush about his speech problems.  But Levi did not do this, even though he could have pointed to much sin, rejection of religion, mistreating his fellow Jews, and much more.  Instead, he just got up and believed the One who called could also equip Him to follow.

Is there something God is telling you to do but you are refusing because you feel unusable?  Will you quit pointing to yourself and your shortcomings?  God knew all about you before He commanded you to join His work.  Instead of looking at yourself, place your eyes on Jesus and

…being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.  (Philippians 1:6)

He will complete the good work in you.  Only He is able to do the supernatural in you.  There is no way you can do anything good.  You are evil.  Sorry to tell you this if you didn’t realize it.  The truth is, God is able to do something through causing you to say, “That wasn’t me.”  You are right.  It was Him all along.

And one of the first things Jesus wants us to do is to tell others about Him.  We do not need to have a seminary degree to tell others about Jesus.  Levi would not count as a spiritual leader.  He is one you may fear sharing his testimony in church because it may be too graphic.  He was so excited; he wanted to share with his friends the new decision he made.  In his background, the best way to celebrate was to throw a big party!

Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them.  (Luke 5:27-29)

The Holy God has come to your house.  You want to honor Him with a big meal and have other guests join the two of you.  Who would you invite?  Or maybe a better question would be, who would not receive an invitation?  Would you be embarrassed to have certain people around?  They dress inappropriately, or their humor is coarse, or they are caught in a terrible sin.  Would they be cut from the list?

Levi invites everyone he knows.  Who does he hang out with?  The other lowly lizards of town.  They all come to his party.  They did not “clean up their act” to be there I am sure.  They would be drinking, talking freely, acting like they always did at a banquet.  Some of them probably did not care who this Jesus guy was.  They just wanted to enjoy the free food.

Was Jesus out of place?  Not at all.  All of us are lowly lizards.  He saw the sins of the religious as well as the tax collector.  He came to redeem them all.  He sits back and enjoys a meal with the dredge of society, loving every minute of it.

Jesus does not come into our lives and say “Give up this and that and do this and that and then I will associate with you.”   He pulls us close and says, “I love you.  Not only that, I like you.  And I already see you as my perfect child.  Slowly, my image of you will become reality.  But for now, let’s just celebrate our relationship.  We are family!”

Not everyone believes this God of Grace.  The image of Christ at a party, eating with sinners is beyond them.  They believe Jesus should be sitting in a church pew, dressed in white, with a halo over His head, while He looks up to heaven.  But that is not Jesus.  And for those who have boxed God in, they continue to get offended as the “sinners” are chosen over the “church goers”.  They have the same complaint as other “religious people”.

But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?”  (Luke 5:30)

 While the Pharisees were complaining about the choice of Jesus’ company, the “sinners” were able to hang out with God Himself, reclining at the banqueting table of a tax collector.  Do not miss out on the Lord because you have your ideas of whom He should choose to call to Himself.  I believe many churches missed a great work of God during the Jesus Movement of the 1960’s.  The Lord was pulling many hippies out of drugs, open sex, and other sins and into a vibrant, growing relationship with Him.  Yet, churches would not allow these “tax collectors” of their day into their doors because the men’s hair was too long, or they only wore sandals, or their dress style was too strange.  And yet I believe Jesus was hanging out at the communes, changing lives, showing grace, while the church was questioning the work of ministers in this place.

I know a man of God who began a ministry to hippies.  Sometimes, he was called to the prison because the hippies who knew the “preacher” had been busted for drugs and wanted someone to talk to.  He watched with heartbreak as some of the kids refused Jesus and ended up dying to their addiction of drugs.  Yet, he was able to rejoice with others who chose Christ.  Many were led to the Lord.  He even began a Bible study for them at their commune.  The pastor of the church he was serving at the time began preaching against this man and his ministry to the hippies.  In the vein of Pharisees, he spoke about how it was not right for a minister to be at a commune.  I guess he did not know that Jesus was there.

I want to be where Jesus is, don’t you?  Listen to His call.  Follow Him.  He may lead you to some strange places.  Others may tell you that you should not go.  They may put you down as well as the people you are trying to reach.  Ignore them.  For God called a man rejected by the religious order, and made him one of the founders of the Church.  He asked a social reject to help change society!  The world was never the same.   And neither was Levi.  And neither am I.  And neither are you.

Healed Hand

I like object lessons.  I believe they are more on my intellectual level.  At one church I worked at, I was asked to present a children’s sermon each week.  I did my best to make them relate to the minister’s sermons.  Sometimes it was easy to do.  Other times I had difficulty understanding where he was going in his message, much less present it on a level children could understand.  One day a woman in the church came up and said, “Thank you so much for doing those object lessons.  It helps me to know what the minister is trying to tell us!”

All of us have a hard time grasping some concepts.  I believe that is why the Dummie books have done so well.  We need for someone to present a difficult idea to us on a simple level.  Then, we can grasp thoughts and tasks beyond us.  Jesus could have written one of those books.  He may have titled it, The Purpose of Healing for Dummies.  In order to illustrate His point, He actually made a person the object lesson.         

On another Sabbath He went into the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was shriveled.  The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched Him closely to see if He would heal on the Sabbath.  But Jesus knew what they were thinking and said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Get up and stand in front of everyone.”  So he got up and stood there. Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath:  to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?” He looked around at them all, and then said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.”  He did so, and his hand was completely restored.  (Luke 6:6-10)

Picture this scene with me.  Jesus is teaching in the synagogue.  People are sitting all around listening to Him.  There is one man in the crowd whose hand was shriveled.  Apparently, he was in a position where everyone could see him.  For both the Pharisees and Jesus knew this man was there and what his need was.  And the religious men were up to their favorite pastime: watching Jesus with the hopes to trap Him.

The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched Him closely to see if He would heal on the Sabbath.  (Luke 6:7)

Whenever you are doing what is right, there are people around who are waiting to catch you in their opinion of what is wrong.  Jesus, in all His perfection, offended the religious people because He did what was right and holy not what was religious.  These men did not like that.  They wanted Jesus to uphold their religious traditions, instead of the Word of God.  This still happens today.  I recall a time at a former church a woman told a young adult, who was a recent believer, that she should not enter the sanctuary since she was wearing shorts.  That young girl has never stepped foot in the church again.  Who cares what people wear?  The Pharisees do.  I know a pastor who refused to dedicate a baby of an unwed mom who just recently turned back to God.  Who holds someone to their past?  The Pharisees do.  Unfortunately, the Pharisees are alive and kickin’ today.  They are so determined to keep God and others in a box they refuse to understand that Jesus came to set people free.  And it doesn’t matter what day of the week it happens!

But Jesus knew what they were thinking and said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Get up and stand in front of everyone.”  So he got up and stood there.  (Luke 6:8)

You cannot hide your thoughts from Jesus.  He knew they were trying to ensnare Him.  To heal or not to heal, that is the question.  Jesus decides to answer this one in front of everyone.  He figured the best way to teach dummies was to get on their level.  It was time for an object lesson.  He looked at the man and told him to stand up.  I would suppose that many people in the crowd were sitting down.  This man is obviously sticking out.  Everyone in the room would have noticed his hand.  The poor guy is just standing there.  This would be a junior high kid’s ultimate nightmare:  to be standing alone, with a roomful of eyes watching and waiting to see what would happen next.  But you have to hand it to the guy (sorry about that pun), he showed faith by standing.  He did not refuse the request of Jesus to stand.  And even though he was all alone, he got up and let what would happen to happen.

Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath:  to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?”  (Luke 6:9)

Is this a trick question?  I would think the answers would be to do good and save life.  I mean, come on now, they are in the synagogue.  I would think they would want to give the “religious” answer.  Children do this every week when they answer “Jesus” to every question in Sunday School.  They know somehow He must relate.  Why does Jesus ask such a simple question?  Because sometimes you have to put concepts on an easy level so all can grasp them.

This object lesson was for the most difficult students of all.  They were so focused on their rules about Sabbath-keeping that they were willing to allow someone to continue suffering with a handicap.  They looked so hard at keeping regulations that they missed the entire heart of God.  He is good.  He desires to save lives.  Jesus came to show us this.  He wants us to do the same.  When we are more concerned about keeping traditions than we are about reaching those in pain, we have joined the ranks of the Pharisees.  We hear sermons about them all the time but are we keeping their ways with our modern traditions?  When your opinion somehow becomes a mandate for others, you are living the life of a Pharisee.  Confess it.  Repent.  You can change.  The Father loves you and wants you to love others with His heart.  He is giving you an opportunity right now to change.  He gave the Pharisees in the synagogue the same invitation.

He looked around at them all… (Luke 6:10a)

How unnerving is that?  Imagine your teacher just staring at you, waiting for an answer.  Can you imagine the tension in the air?  Jesus asked a question with an obvious answer, but to reply would mean that He was right and they were wrong.  So they stayed silent.  All the while, the eyes of God are bearing down at them.  But they say nothing, hardening their hearts even more.  They even become angry that their evil intent had been exposed to the entire crowd.  For Jesus did not rebuke them in private, this is in front of everyone.  I wonder if the people had tennis match eyes, as they looked at Jesus and then the Pharisees, and then looked back at Jesus, and then the Pharisees, and then…

In between the match, one man stands alone.  His fate caught in the balance.  At this moment, he still has a shriveled hand.  Would Jesus ask Him to sit back down?  He did not know.  But suddenly, Jesus broke the silence.

and then said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.”  He did so, and his hand was completely restored.  (Luke 6:10b)

In an act of faith, the man stretches his hand at the command of Jesus.  He is healed.  Everyone is a witness to the restoration, even the Pharisees who wanted to prevent it.  When Jesus is ready to do something, He does not care about the religious traditions of those who are watching.  He is good.  He has come to save lives.  He will complete His mission.  No one is going to stop Him.

But they were furious and began to discuss with one another what they might do to Jesus.  (Luke 6:11)

Pharisees get mad when God does not stay in their box.  They do not like seeing Him work in unorthodox ways!  They do not care that lives are changed.  Pharisees only desire for the rules to be followed.  If you are serving Christ, realize at some time or another Pharisees will come against you.  But do not let their anger, their complaints, their traps keep you from doing good and saving lives.  Let God deal with them.  You just keep following the ways of Jesus, not of men.

Next time you are in a store, and you see one of those Dummie books, have your own object lesson.  Let it remind you to confess any Pharisee-like tendencies in your heart.  Then ask God to help you to be more like Jesus.  And He will!

Summer Reading: Lessons from Luke (part 3)

by Shannon Tillman | Jun 19, 2025 | Bible Study, Theology, Thoughts

Low-lying Leper

While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy.  When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man.  “I am willing,” He said.  “Be clean!”  And immediately the leprosy left him. Then Jesus ordered him, “Don’t tell anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.” (Luke 5:12-14)

My mind went completely blank as I began this chapter.  I believe it must be what professionals call “writer’s block”.  I am obviously not a professional for I had no idea what was going on.  I kept reading through the verses time and again, unable to write even a few words.  I was getting ready to just turn off the computer and go eat a snack when suddenly I was overwhelmed with one phrase.  “…if You are willing.”  Immediately, I was convicted.  I realized I was taking for granted I could write.  That is foolish.  Only if the Lord is willing can I put words on the page.  He alone can give me insight.  I need to be asking for His help, but I also need to be ready to receive whatever answer He may give.  In my desire to finish this book, would I be able to preface my prayer, my request for help with, “…if You are willing”?  Would I have been alright if the answered had been, “No”? Would I still call him Lord?  My petition was only about writing.  The man in these verses was facing a matter of life and death.  Yet, despite his hardship, this leper had an amazing understanding of the sovereignty of God.  He was prepared to live by whatever choice the Lord made, even if his request was denied.  He knew Jesus could heal him, but only if He was willing to answer his plea for help.

If anyone had a right to demand healing, surely this man did.  He must have been in the latter stages of his disease since the text shares that leprosy covered his entire body.  We can only assume what his physical appearance was like.  Because this skin disease kills the nerve endings in the epidermis, you have no ability to feel pain.  You could cut off your finger and not realize it.  Often many people who suffered with leprosy lost skin and body parts due to the unknown injuries they were inflicting on themselves.  This man may have had a grotesque appearance.  Not only was this man suffering, he would have known that Jesus had cured others.  That is why he knew he could ask for healing.  If Jesus had granted the requests from others, then why would He not answer his?  But this man of faith did not demand anything.  He simply put his petition before God.  He waited on the reply.  He realized that no one, no matter the difficulty of his or her situation, could demand a miracle.

Please do not think that he was saying, “Oh, well, whatever happens, happens.  Que sera sera.  Whatever will be, will be.”  (Which of, course, if he did say this means he somehow knew how to speak French.)  He was not passive in making his petition; he was passionate about his request.  He was not yawning when he made it, feeling half bored.  He was throwing Himself at the feet of Jesus in complete humiliation as he spoke his supplication.

While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy.  When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”  (Luke 5:12)

The request was to be made clean.  Does that seem strange to you?  The man has leprosy.  Why did he not ask to be healed from the disease?  Why was his focus on being clean?  Was he obsessed with being germ-free and smelling like roses?  No, his focus was the Levitical law.

The person with…an infectious disease must wear torn clothes, let his hair be unkempt, cover the lower part of his face and cry out, “Unclean!  Unclean!”  As long as he has the infection he remains unclean.  He must live alone; he must live outside the camp.  (Leviticus 13:45-46)

The leprous man was asking for healing, a healing that would not only restore his physical body but also restore him to the social world.  Beyond the social world, he longed to once again be a part of the religious order.  For to be outside the camp, is to be outside the Temple.  Little did he realize, the Temple was standing in front of him.

Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man.  “I am willing,” He said.  “Be clean!”  And immediately the leprosy left him.  (Luke 5:13a)

Look with me at the method of healing.  Jesus could have spoken healing over this man.  He could have just waved His hand.  But Jesus reached out and touched the leper.  Can you imagine the touch of any person when you have been isolated so long due to leprosy?  Remember from the passage we read in Leviticus, any time he came within yelling distance of people, he had to cry out “Unclean”.  People would do anything to get out of his path.  They were fearful of catching this cruel and devastating disease.  Not only did they not want to come near you, but they surely would not want to touch you.  Jesus reaches out, makes an effort, stretches forward and puts the hand of God on a man covered with leprosy.

Who today feels covered with sin, with shame that seems never to leave you?  Who feels like people do not care about your existence?  Has anyone been treated less than human?  I have felt all of the above.  Some of the pain I inflicted on myself but then others caused part.  There are those of you who can relate.  May I tell you the truth?  The nail-scarred hand of the Son of God is reaching out to you.  But you say, “He has not done anything.  My life is the same.”  Child, before He can speak healing into your life, you must allow Him to touch your heart.  We do not know how long the hand of God rested on the leper before He heard the words, “I am willing.  Be clean!”  But he waited on the words.  And while he waited, he knew he was not alone, for Someone had drawn near to him.  Instead of running away like everyone else, God came close.  The Lord wants to do the same in your life.

Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man.  “I am willing,” He said.  “Be clean!” (Luke 5:13a)

For however long this man had suffered, he was forced to tell everyone he was “unclean”.  No one approached him for that would make the person “unclean”.  But not so with Jesus.  When He touched the man, the cleanness of the Lord made the man clean.  How powerful is our Savior!  This amazing spiritual truth takes place everyday.  Whenever a person confesses Jesus as Lord and believes that God raised Him from the dead they become saved.  The leprous sinner is no longer unclean by sin.  He has been cleaned in the blood of the Lamb.  And our Redeemer is always willing for this to happen.  He longs for everyone to be clean, to be saved, to be changed for eternity.  And mysteriously it happens in an instant.

And immediately the leprosy left him.  (Luke 5:13b)

Rejoice over the word, “immediately”!  In a moment of time this man went from a diseased body to a healthy physical state.  He went from being a social outcast to being a part of the community.  He went from exclusion from the Temple to being able to walk in there at will.  Every part of this man’s life was changed.  From that moment on, he was a new man.  His old ties to disease no longer held him.  He could walk freely in his new state.

This same principle takes place in our hearts.  We are no longer bound to the old way of life.  God has given us a new way of living.  We can choose to walk in His Spirit instead of walking in the ways of ourselves.  This is freedom.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!  (2 Corinthians 5:17)

In a moment, a new creation is made.  In this instance, the new creation was a leper healed from his infirmity.  But in order for his restoration to be complete, the man had to offer a sacrifice.

Then Jesus ordered him, “Don’t tell anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”

Jesus knew that in order for a person who had been cured of a disease to be fully accepted back into social and religious class, he must go to the priest.

On the eighth day he must bring two male lambs and one ewe lamb a year old, each without defect, along with three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, and one log of oil.  The priest who pronounces him clean shall present both the one to be cleansed and his offerings before the Lord at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.  (Leviticus 14:10-11)

Did you catch the first phrase, “On the eighth day”?  What a minute, Jesus told him to go right away.  How can that be?  Not only that, when you study the fourteenth chapter of the book of Leviticus, a couple of steps in the cleansing process were missed:

These are the regulations for the diseased person at the time of his ceremonial cleansing, when he is brought to the priest:  The priest is to go outside the camp and examine him.  (Leviticus 14:2-3a)

But this step was not skipped.  The High Priest, Jesus Christ Himself, came outside the camp.  He determined the man was clean and proclaimed it.  Step one complete.  What about the next step?

If the person has been healed of his infectious skin disease, the priest shall order that two live clean birds and some cedar wood, scarlet yarn and hyssop be brought for the one to be cleansed.  Then the priest shall order that one of the birds be killed over fresh water in a clay pot.  He is then to take the live bird and dip it, together with the cedar wood, the scarlet yarn and the hyssop, into the blood of the bird that was killed over the fresh water.  Seven times he shall sprinkle the one to be cleansed of the infectious disease and pronounce him clean.  Then he is to release the live bird in the open fields.  (Leviticus 14:3b-7)

I am getting ready to be too deep for my own brain.  Try to follow.  I say to you, that this had all taken place in eternity past and would take place in time in three years.  “What?” you ask.  Two live birds, both clean.  Just as there were two men, Jesus and the now clean leper.  One bird killed, the other released.  Jesus, the Son of God, was killed on a cross (cedar wood).  His blood is the scarlet yarn that weaves together the Word of God.  And hyssop represents throughout scripture the application of the sacrificial blood for the cleansing of sin.  I am trying to express, please Lord help me, that the initial sacrifice was not bypassed by Jesus but that he was the fulfillment of this step.  Outside of time, this event had taken place.  For we know that He is

…the Lamb that was slain before the creation of the world.  (Revelation 13:8b)

Because of His sacrifice, which outside of time had already taken place, the other bird, and all of us birds, are free from the punishment of death because He Himself took it.

But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed.  (Isaiah 53:5)

You must be wondering, like I did, “Then why did Jesus order this man to go to the priest?  Could He have not completed this step as well?”  His motive is shown in one phrase.  See if you catch it.

Then Jesus ordered him, “Don’t tell anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”  (Luke 5:14)

Did you see it?  Jesus told him to go in order to give testimony to the priest of the healing power of God.  He was sending the former unclean leper to be a missionary to the “clean of the clean”.  Don’t you just love it!  The outcast was being asked to witness to the religious elite of society.

May I ask you, as a former leper speaking to another, whom are you telling about Jesus?  He has sent you out.  Can you imagine this leper acting like nothing had happened, hiding his new skin, and pretending to still be an outcast?  That would be crazy.  No one could contain this man’s joy!  The same should be for you and for me.  Don’t worry about whom God sends you to.  Do not be concerned about their “status” in this world.  The priest and other religious leaders, who thought they were clean, did not realize that they were suffering from a worldwide disease epidemic called sin.  Only One could heal them, if He was willing.  But in order to be clean, you must go to Him, humble yourself, and believe He alone is able to make you new.

Moving Mat

Have you ever done anything crazy to get someone else’s attention?  I mean the no holds barred, don’t care what anyone else thinks, will go to all extremes for the sole purpose of getting that one special person to not only notice you but remember you?  Do you recall a moment in time when you let go of reason for the sole purpose of hoping to tug at the heartstrings of another?

I had a friend who desired to impress a girl that he was dating.  He wanted to let her know how much she meant to him.  He decided to create an unforgettable Valentine’s Day.  He picked her up early in the evening, drove to the side of one of the main roads in the city, and pulled over.  She was surprised when he got out of the car and came around to open her door.  They were on the side of the road.  What was he up to?  He then proceeded to encourage her to climb the ladder on the side of a huge billboard.  I still have no idea how he convinced her to do this.  When she reached the top, she saw that he had prepared a picnic for her.  Why was the billboard so important?  It was an advertisement for a hospital promoting cardiac care.  It had a huge 3-D heart in the middle of it.  Sitting 30 feet in the air, which was amazing considering his extreme fear of heights, eating dinner in front of a big heart, he expressed his feelings for her.

Some of you are very irritated at your spouse right now, wishing he or she was that creative.  Why do stories like that make us say, “Ah, how sweet!”?  All of us deep down want to be the recipient of extravagant love.  It does not even have to only be from a husband or wife or boyfriend or girlfriend.  How wonderful it would be to have a friend who was devoted in good or bad times, dedicated even when everyone else is gone, and showed you care and concern even when you may not have the physical or emotional energy to reciprocate the affection.

We can see that kind of friendship in the Bible.  A perfect example is one of a man who was not only blessed with one friend like but four of them.

One day as He was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law, who had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem, were sitting there.  And the power of the Lord was present for Him to heal the sick.  Some men came carrying a paralytic on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus.  When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith, He said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, “Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy?  Who can forgive sins but God alone?” Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts?  Which is easier; to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’?  But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins….”  He said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you get up, take your mat and go home.”  Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God.  Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God.  They were filled with awe and said, “We have seen remarkable things today.”  (Luke 5:17-26)

This account is so cool.  I know you are impressed by my deep theological word, “cool.”  This text is so rich; it just amazes me each time I read it.   I know that you have heard many sermons on this story, but please do not skim it over.  There is too much you could miss.

First of all, look at the crowd.  You have a very elite group gathered in this house.  The Pharisees and the teachers of law had come to hear Jesus.  These guys were the religious examples of their time.  If you had any questions about the Scripture, you would ask them.  To learn how to practically apply the Mosaic Law to your life, you could have them explain the thousands of statutes they created on how to keep the Law.  (The Mosaic Law is the commands God gave to Moses on Mt. Sinai that is detailed out in the Old Testament books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.  It explained how the people could interact with God.)  If you desired to see examples of how to carry out the Law, they would willingly allow you to watch their lives and love all the compliments you gave them.  These guys, in their opinion, represented what the nation of Israel should be.  This is the group of men you wanted to be “in” with.  They were the cool crowd (I just wanted to use that theological word again).

As amazing as these men thought they were and as adored as they were by the people, Jesus was not impressed by them.  Their ideas of the Law did not matter to Jesus because He had come to explain a new way.  In fact, the scene is set up with Jesus teaching this group.  He knew the ones who taught were the same ones who needed to receive His teaching.  Jesus was never impressed with anyone’s perceived status nor was He ever revolted by anyone’s past.  He knew that everyone needed to hear the Truth, religious or not, leaders or not, powerful or not.  He knew that all people needed Him.

The same is true today.  God has called us to proclaim the gospel to every person.  The Hollywood star needs Jesus just as much as the crack addict downtown.  Everyone is just as lost, just as separated from God until they accept Christ.  Our job is to proclaim to them the good news.  We do not need to be intimidated by earthly powers of money, status, or political connections.  A greater Power is with us and His heart goes out to everyone.  No man intimidated Jesus.  This cost Him His life.  Surely, we can sacrifice our reputations.  When you are focused on Jesus, it does not matter what anyone else thinks about you.  Was that not evident in the life of Paul, the greatest missionary of all time?  He eventually was martyred for his faith in Christ.  Read these powerful words.

Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God?  Or am I trying to please men?  If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ. (Galatians 1:10)

Not concerned about others.  Letting go of your reputation.  Willing to risk everything to get to Jesus.  Do you have that kind of faith, that kind of life?  Not many people do.  Sad to say, we are so concerned about the opinions of others that we miss the opportunity of reaching others for Christ.  Just look at this group.  The crowd was unwilling to move in order to allow the lame man and his friends to enter in.  Surely some saw them.  It was obvious the reason why they were there.  It was not a shocker to think that they had brought their friend to be healed by Jesus.  Yet, the group was left outside for the crowd was not willing to make a way for them.  May I say that we do the same things today?  We are so used to “church” our way, as if it is Burger King, we are unwilling to move to bring others in.  When we do, we miss out on seeing the move of God.

Thankfully, these men were determined to get to Jesus despite the religious people who were unwilling to get out of the way.  The four friends were not to be detoured.  They refused to give up easily.  And they were willing to go to the extreme, to sacrifice their reputation in order to help their lame friend.  All they knew is that they needed to get to Jesus, even if it meant showing up in a dramatic way.

Some men came carrying a paralytic on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus.  When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.  (Luke 5:18-19)

Picture this.  You are sitting in church.  The preacher is in the pulpit delivering a sermon.  Everyone is very attentive, which is a kind way of saying they were staying awake.  Some are even ambitious enough to take notes.  All of a sudden, you hear a strange scratching sound coming from the ceiling.  You look up and notice the roof seems to be moving.  Weird visions of rats falling on your head come to mind.  You look around and realize everyone else is staring at the ceiling, too.  The sound continues.  Dust starts flying in the air.  Then, chunks of the roof start falling down.  The flying missiles hit you in the head.  The place is too crowded to get up and leave.  Your only hope is to cover your head with your hands and arms, hoping to not get hurt.  Suddenly, the sound stops.  You peek out, afraid that roof particles could get stuck in your eyes (better than a plank).  You are covered with dust and fragments.  You look up as you brush the mess off your arms and legs, when you see them.  There are four men looking down at you.  You feel anger, irritation, and curiosity all at the same time.  (The same feelings you have around a toddler throwing a tantrum.)  The men disappear for a moment.  Then, you see a large rectangular object coming down from the ceiling.  The four men are struggling as they lower it down.  What are they doing?  Suddenly, you realize there is a person lying on a mat.  As he comes closer, you recognize that his legs are twisted.  The man cannot walk.  The mat is lowered in front of the pastor, the teacher, the Rabbi, Jesus.  Now, all eyes are on Him.

When Jesus saw their faith, He said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”  (Luke 5:20)

That’s it?  That’s all?  I am covered with dust and roof shingles and all you do is talk to the guy?  Did you not see the effort that those four guys went through?  They even put our lives in jeopardy and all you do is speak a few words to the paralyzed man?

Ah, but Jesus knew, as we also know, that the spiritual need is more important to meet than any physical or emotional need.  All the crowd could see was the physical brokenness of the lame man’s body.  But Jesus could see deeper.  He saw a soul that was twisted, abnormal, scarred with sin.  That is what he wanted to heal.  He knew that the man’s soul was eternal, while his lame body was only temporary.  And Jesus wanted the soul with Him forever.  Not only his soul, but He also wanted everyone’s soul who would listen to His offer of mercy:  the Pharisees, the teachers of the law, and the four men on the roof.  Jesus wanted all of them to know that He would forgive their sins.

Sadly, the religious leaders quickly questioned this notion.

The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, “Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy?  Who can forgive sins but God alone?”  (Luke 5:21)

 The music minister at my former church spoke on this passage one Sunday.  He answered the Pharisees’ question with this, “You are right.”  For it is true, God alone can forgive sins.  But what these religious leaders failed to realize was that God was in their midst.  And He was forgiving sins.  And He was offering them this eternal guarantee as well.  He also knew their hearts had rejected it.

Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts?  Which is easier; to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’?  But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins….”  He said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you get up, take your mat and go home.”  Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God.”  (Luke 5:22-25)

Which one is easier to say, “your sins are forgiven” or “get up and walk”?  Their answer probably would have been to say, “your sins are forgiven”.  For us, it would be easier to say something than to make a miracle happen.  Sure, it would be easy for me to go around telling people that their sins are forgiven than to try to heal them.  However, it was a different story for Jesus.    By being on the other side of the cross, we are painfully aware to the real answer to this question is.  For Jesus, it was easier to say, “Get up and walk”.  Think of what he had to suffer in order to say “your sins are forgiven.” He knew He would have to endure scorn, beatings, nails driven into His hands and feet, separation from His Father, and then death.  It was not easy.  Yet, Jesus was willing to suffer through the torture, so He could say to us, “Friend, get up and walk away from sin.  Your soul has been healed.  There is no trace of how you have been scarred, wounded, or lamed by your past.  I am freeing you to walk in grace, in joy, in peace.  I have the authority to give you this.  Why?  Because I endured the cross of death for you so that I may give you life.”

Jesus has the authority to do that.  He alone has the power to change your life.  That is what He was showing the crowd that day.  Look again at what He was doing.

“But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins….”  He said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you get up, take your mat and go home.  (Luke 5:24)

He wanted them to know He had the authority to forgive sins. The physical healing was only a testimony to what God had already done in the man’s heart.  Two miracles had taken place.  The man was healed spiritually as well as physically.  The latter would only last until the day he died.  The former will last throughout eternity.

Can I share something with those of you who were saved at a young age, obeyed God faithfully, and have served Him in quiet ways in the church?  Please do not ever feel like your testimony is not shocking enough to share.  I had a friend who never wanted to share her salvation story because it was not the “God saved me from crime, drugs, and tearing pages out of hymnals.”  What God did in her life as well as yours is extraordinary.  It may not have seemed as dramatic as the healing of a lame man.  In the pages of eternity, however, it was an indescribable display of the mighty power of God.  Speak your testimony, for you are a witness to the glory of God!

In Him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might BE FOR THE PRAISE OF HIS GLORY.  (Ephesians 1:11-12, emphasis mine.)

To be the chosen for the praise of His glory is an awesome thought.  Jesus that day chose a man that society looked over.  He could not work, take care of himself, provide for others, or benefit the community. In the world’s eyes, he would be summed up as a failure.  But that was before He met Jesus.

He said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you get up, take your mat and go home.”  Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God.  (Luke 5:24b-25)

We, like that paralyzed man, can take up our mats, which represent our pains, our disappointments, our broken dream, and even our failures-and see God use them for His glory.  What a mighty testimony of the power of Jesus Christ.  It makes me wonder if he kept the mat until the day he died.  Did he show people when they came to visit him the place where he used to have to lay all the time?  Did he share his struggles of life from the mat?   Did he detail out what kept him from living life?  But then did a huge smile cross his face as he shared about the day Jesus released him from the mat?

God is still releasing people from their mats today.  Yesterday, on the radio, I heard about an ex-convict who became a Christian.  He has now opened a halfway house for released prisoners, to help them readjust to society.  While they live in this home, he has the opportunity to share the gospel, to explain what Jesus did in his life.  Now they, too, can experience the eternal healing power of forgiven sins.  He is pointing others to his empty mat.  I knew a former drug addict and dealer, who later worked at a Christian drug rehab to help others to release their addictions and turn their lives to Christ.  He, too, is pointing others to his empty mat.  We all have our empty mats, the dramatic story of how God came and radically changed our lives.  We can choose to hide them.  But how would God’s glory be displayed?  We need to tell others how God showed His strength in our weakness.

Imagine the opportunities that this former lame man had to glorify God that day.  Here he was walking down the street with a mat under his arm.  No doubt he and his four friends were jumping, running, praising God as he headed home.  People wondered what was causing all the excitement.  Neighbors came out of their homes to find out what was going on.  They look at this foolish crowd, laughing and dancing.  Then, they recognize him.  “Could it be?  Surely it’s not.  How could a lame man walk?  It must be the sunlight playing on my ways.  No, it is him.”  The former lame, now the dancing fool, practically sings as he tells the people what had happened, what Jesus had done.  Brothers and sisters, as we travel homeward toward heaven, take every opportunity to praise God and to tell others what Jesus has done in your life.  People will know there is something different about you.  They will recognize your joy!  Then, others can share in the blessing of salvation.

Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God.  They were filled with awe and said, “We have seen remarkable things today.”  (Luke 5:26)

Glory to God!  When Jesus does a work in our lives He alone deserves to receive the praise.  The man did nothing, all he could offer was his faith.  But that was enough.  His friends, also, had faith and they had the ability to bring their friend to Jesus.  That was enough.  All five of them had done their part for they had placed their faith and their abilities not in themselves, but in the One greater than the problem.  It was Jesus alone who could do the miracle!  Are you weak from your circumstances?  Do you feel as if you cannot walk through any more trials?  Have sins crippled your ability to move forward in your life?  Maybe all you have is your faith?  Guess what:  A miracle can happen.  Do you know someone who needs Jesus?  Do you have faith plus the ability to bring your friend to meet Him?  Then, keep watching.  I guarantee those four friends never stopped looking through that hole in the roof as they all waited to see what God would do.  A miracle can happen.  Not only could your life be affected, but also countless others who witness the change that only God can bring.  Glory to God!

Summer Reading: Lessons from Luke (part 2)

by Shannon Tillman | Jun 12, 2025 | Bible Study, Theology, Thoughts

Simon’s Supermom-in-law

Jesus left the synagogue and went to the home of Simon. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Jesus to help her. So he bent over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up at once and began to wait on them. (Luke 4:38-39)

It was hard to be sick in my family growing up.  My mom was an Intensive Care Nurse for thirty years so she saw diseases at their worst.  Sometimes, at dinner, she would begin sharing in gruesome detail about her patients.  The rest of my family listened with keen interest and compassion.  I, on the other hand, would often begin to pass out.  I cannot handle blood and gore.  When my mom would see me swaying in my seat, about to topple onto the floor, she would abruptly stop the conversation and profusely apologize while helping me to the couch to lie down.  Intensive Care Unit nurses are not fazed by illness, for they are surrounded by the horrors of it.  In order for me to be able to stay home from school, I had to be on the brink of death.  My friends could have a broken nail and they would get to stay home.  But not me.  I had to be too weak to walk, running a temperature, unable to speak, and look as if I had been run over by a car!  Basically, I was never one of those kids who faked being sick to stay home.  I was just thankful when I was sick and I was not sent to school.

Besides being a nurse, I believe another reason my mom never allowed us to stay home with just any sniffle was because of what a hard worker she was.  Mother would not let any illness hold her down.  She knew she had so much to do in the home; she would force herself to stay on the move for the sake of us kids.  When mom was in bed, I would be scared for that meant she was truly ill.

I believe that is how many moms are.  They hold the home together.  These women know that a few days out can mess up the schedule for the entire household.  Despite how they feel, they must keep going.

A remember a time when a gentleman in my church dropped off his child in Sunday School.  He looked frazzled.  When questioned, he told us that his wife had been out of town for a few days.  He said, “She left me her list of the things she does each day.  There is no way possible that she is able to do all that each day.  I can’t complete the list!”  So speaks a man.  He had no idea what all she did at the house, taking care of their children, plus working part time.  He was ready for her to come home!  The schedule was too much for him.

I wonder if another man, years ago, was making the same plea.  Instead of wishing her trip was over, he desired for her fever to be gone.

Jesus left the synagogue and went to the home of Simon.  Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Jesus to help her.  So He bent over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her.  She got up at once and began to wait on them.  (Luke 4:38-39)

 Jesus had just left the synagogue.  After healing the demon-possessed man, the Lord went to Simon’s house.  Now I have to wonder if looking at the violent demon-filled man did not remind Simon that his mother-in-law was sick.  Sorry, cruel mother-in-law joke, but some of you reading this can relate.

Whatever the case, they did go to his house that day.  The mother-in-law was extremely ill.  We do not know from what she was suffering.  However, by the writer’s detail describing her fever as high, we can assume that her condition was serious.

A few years ago I caught a horrible case of the flu.  I was sick enough to break down and go to the doctor.  I hate going to the doctor. Since my mom was a nurse, we rarely had to go to the medical center.  She could diagnose us and knew how to treat our various ailments.  I still call my mom and try to get her to tell me what is wrong with me, anything to avoid the dreaded clinical office.  What does she say?  “Go to the doctor!”  On this occasion, I readily agreed.  I went to a local doc-in-the-box.  I waited over an hour before they brought me in.  I was so frustrated because there was only one other guy in the waiting room.  What were they doing back there?  Anyway, I was finally called back.  After examining me and taking some tests, I was told that I had the flu, strep throat, and mono.  The doctor basically told me not to leave my house for a while.  He also prescribed medications that were so strong their side effects made me feel even worse, if that were possible.  I have never been more miserable in my life.  I lay on my couch not knowing what time of day it was as I drifted in and out of consciousness.  Coworkers would call to check up on me, since I lived alone.  They were afraid that I would faint and hurt myself and no one would know.  They also called because they thought it was funny to listen to my voice.  I sounded like an old man who decided to gargle with tacks.  I was scared to hear myself!)  It took me months to fully recover.

I do not know how ill this woman was, but I have a feeling she may have been suffering as I did.  I know that, for one thing, she was unable to ask for help.  Others had to do that for her.

Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Jesus to help her.  (Luke 4:38b)

I can only guess who the “they” was.  Could it have been Simon and his wife?  Maybe it was some of her friends who were staying with her to help her.  Possibly it was some of the other followers of Jesus.  We do not know who the “they” was.  But they were obviously people who looked at her condition and realized the only Person who could help was Jesus.

Do you know someone who is suffering?  It does not have to only be physical suffering.  There are people around us who are broken emotionally and feel as if they cannot get out of bed.  Some are hurting in relationships and do not know how to reach out for help.  Many are spiritually afflicted yet do not know Who can change their state of life.  Will you bring Jesus to that person?  Be willing to go spend time with him or her.  Be willing to meet the need.  Be willing to boldly ask Christ to intervene.  Be willing to watch for His answer.

Reaching out to others is always a risk.  Look at the danger these people put themselves in.  Here is a woman with a high fever; it is possible their immunity could not fight off her illness, and they also could become sick.  Yet, they still went to be with her.

For a short time in college, two friends and I led a Bible study for the homeless around the campus.  I befriended men and women who faced the daily hardships of trying to survive on the streets.  One time the three of us went to our usual meeting place.  A man from the Bible study was bleeding from a head wound.  He had been in a fight with another man who was trying to steal his stuff.  The potential thief had taken a metal chain and lock and had struck the first man in the head.  It was bleeding profusely and we knew we had to get him to the hospital.  I sent one friend to the nearest phone to call the police.  The other friend tried to talk to the homeless man about the need to stop the bleeding.  The homeless man would not allow him to come near.  He only wanted me to come and help.  I have already shared how easily blood and gore make me ill, so I did not want to help.  I was also scared of diseases that could be transferred by blood.  But I was more frightened to watch someone die.  I went over and was able to gather some old cloths he had and stopped the bleeding.  I also worked to keep him conscious until the ambulance could arrive.  After he left, the three of us rushed to the hospital.  In the waiting room, I looked down at my hands.  His blood was on my hands.  I ran to the bathroom and scrubbed them for fifteen minutes.

It is a risk to help others.  Sometimes it is frightening.  Other times it is just emotionally draining.  It is always easier to not help, to not get involved, to just ignore the problem.  But we hear the Spirit calling to our hearts, “Will you take Jesus to that person?”  When we hear Him ask, and we do obey, then we see something amazing.  For Jesus will get involved.

 So He bent over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her.  (Luke 4:39a)

 I love how Jesus does not stand on the other side of the room to rebuke the fever; He gets up close.  It reminds me of a parent to a child.  When I was sick as a child (and my mom actually allowed me to stay home), my mom would bend over me and place her hand on my head to check my fever.  She would ask me how I was feeling and show her concern for me.  Jesus, the Heavenly Father, is leaning over His child, letting her know that He cares.  I wonder when was the last time that this mother got to feel like a child.  I bet, for a moment, she felt the love of a Father.

Before she had a chance to speak or maybe even to think, she hears Jesus rebuke her fever.  Suddenly, she feels better.  The fever is gone.  The color returns to her face.  The fog in her head clears.  The eyes become clear.  The energy returns.

 She got up at once and began to wait on them. (Luke 4:39b)

After Jesus heals her, all she wanted to do was wait on Him, and not only the Lord but also anyone else in the home.  She was so excited she wanted to help everyone.  She began telling everyone, “Sit down.  I’ll take care of that!  Don’t you worry about me.  I am doing great.  I feel wonderful.  I have been healed!”

What a beautiful picture of a life transformed by Jesus.  A person who has felt His touch just wants to serve Him and others.  It is a way of showing our gratitude.  We know we cannot repay Him for what He has done.  We understand that we did not even deserve His help.  But we are so appreciative of what He did in our lives that we just want to be at His beck and call.  Anything He asks for, we want to do.  We are willing to perform any task to help others just to please Jesus.

In a spiritual sense, each of our lives was ill with sin.  But Jesus rebuked the evil at work in our lives.  We are free from the fever.  And with that freedom, we will serve our Lord.

Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.  (Galatians 6:10)

Sinful Simon

We have all heard, “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.”  We quote it to our children.  We wish we abided by it all the time.  You must be wondering, “Then why is the chapter titled Sinful Simon?  I mean, that is not saying anything nice about this poor disciple who is continually picked on.  It is bad enough that in every movie portraying Peter, he is always the one with the blond curly hair that sticks up a foot above his head.”  But it was easier to title this Sinful Simon, than Sinful You, or Sinful Me (and it sounded better, too).  For this is a story of salvation.  If you look closely, you can see your story in it.  In order for us to experience salvation, there must be something from which we are rescued.  What were we?  Sinners, caught in the snare of evil, needing to be set free.  We were entangled and could not escape.  But then Someone came along who not only saves us from what we are, but chooses to see us as we can be in Him.  If I could break out in song right at this moment, I would sing to you “Amazing Grace.”  This story shows the beginning of the journey of transformation from Sinful Simon to Saint Simon.  Same with you.  Same with me.

One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the people crowding around him and listening to the word of God, He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets.  He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked Him to put out a little from shore.  Then He sat down and taught the people from the boat. When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything.  But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break.  So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me Lord; I am a sinful man!”  For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men.”  So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed Him.  (Luke 5:1-11)

A group of children from the third grade Sunday School class put an invitation in my mailbox for a party in honor of everyone working on the church staff.  When the children saw me, they wittingly said, “We invaded your personal space.”  Of course, they thought their joke was hilarious and repeated it to me half a dozen times because that is what kids do.  A joke about personal space invasion is fine, but in reality, it is far from all right.  I avoid speaking to one gentleman I know because he has a need to stand five inches away from the person to whom he is speaking.  My personal space is a lot larger than that!  I will step back to give room, but he moves on forward.  I wonder if that is how Jesus felt as the crowd pressed against Him.  But He just stepped back into a boat!

One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the people crowding around him and listening to the word of God, He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets.  He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked Him to put out a little from shore.  Then He sat down and taught the people from the boat.  (Luke 5:1-3)

 Unlike me, Jesus did not stop speaking because He was being crowded.  Instead, He came up with a solution that could help everyone.  He looked around, saw some fishermen cleaning nets, and requested help.  Simon readily agreed.  I love this about Simon.  From the beginning, he was willing to give whatever he had to Jesus.  I want to be more like that.  So often I have a vice grip on things that when God asks me to let Him use them, I just squeeze tighter.  He kindly pries my fingers off.  Then, I go around bragging about how I gave all I had to Jesus.  Not true.  He had to keep after me to get anything.

My mom learned the difficult lesson of giving all things to God in a most unusual way.  About twenty years ago, she was sitting in a church service listening to a minister speak on how everything we own is a gift from God for He owns everything we have.  When we give to Him, we are only returning what He has given us.  My mom wrote down in the middle of her sermon notes, “Not my music box.”  My mother owned an antique music box that played a variety of songs through the use of levers and bells.  It is a beautiful, hand made work of art.  A few days later, she opened up her one-hundred-year-old box in order to listen to the music.  After only playing a few notes, it began making a weird sound and then ground to a halt.  It was broken.  The box had never messed up in a century and now it was rendered useless.  My mom began laughing.  She said, “Lord, it always was Yours.  Please forgive me.”  She did not get the box fixed for years, using it as a testimony to tell others how God owns everything.

I am always amazed at how the owner of the cattle on a thousand hills can still be such a Gentleman and ask.  Jesus did not use a Jedi mind trick (anyone a Star Wars fan?) on Simon and command him to let him use the boat.  He just asked.  And Simon was eager to please the Lord and said, “As you wish” (Did you see the movie Princess Bride?)

I have to laugh at this a little.  Having worked with children, I have learned that sometimes you take the most unruly child and make them your “special helper” for the day.  Sometimes, I stress sometimes, this helps calm him down enough to pay attention because he feels important and wants to act “grown up.”  I wonder if Simon was not paying enough attention while cleaning his nets that Jesus decided to make him the “special helper”.  All I know is now Simon was on the boat.  Jesus was only a few feet from him.  He had to listen to what the Teacher was saying!  And this lesson went from being delivered to the crowd to being extended to one man.

 When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”  (Luke 5:4)

 And so begins the part of the church service called “The Invitation”.  This is at the end of the message when people respond to what God laid on their hearts.  Often people go forward to kneel down at the altar.  Jesus was asking Peter to move the boat forward to let down some nets.  Here the Lord is inviting Peter, to go deeper, to find out what He can do, to trust Him, to see a miracle.

Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything.  (Luke 5:5a)

Think about this:  a carpenter is giving fishing advice to a professional fisherman.  Simon, one to always share his opinion, is letting Him know that they had worked very hard all night long and caught nada, nothing.  Fish count for today:  zero.  By the way, this is not a prime time to fish.  You go fishing at night or in the early morning hours before sunrise.  Hence, the reason I do not fish.  The only thing I want to see before sunrise is the back of my eyelids.  But the professional fisherman prefaced his sentence with one word that made all the difference, “Master.”  If Someone is your Master, you obey.  Remember, Jesus did not ask Peter, “Would you mind going fishing?  I mean, it could be fun.  Maybe something miraculous could happen.”  He commanded for him to go to deep water.  And Simon knew a servant heeds the command of the One in charge.

But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”  (Luke 5:5b)

 I wonder what Simon was thinking.  “Because you say so, I will go.  I will look foolish.  Here I am a professional fisherman going fishing when no one is out on the water.  I may get laughed at.  If nothing happens, this will reflect on both of us.  But I am willing to listen and go.”

Has Jesus ever asked you to do anything radical?  It looked so foolish from a human perspective, yet you knew God was calling you to obey.  Will you call Him, “Master” and follow?  Is the Lord asking you to do something hard, even impossible?  Peter had a long row ahead of him, after a whole night of not sleeping.  There was no guarantee that this fishing trip would be successful.  We know the end of the story; we know the miracle took place.  But during his journey into the deep, Peter did not have a guarantee.  Instead of fish, he may have to eat chicken tonight (or should I say rooster.  Remember his famous denials.  Sorry.  I had to pick on Simon Peter again.)  But without any guarantees, he kept rowing.  I am sure he was ready to give up and go home, but he kept heading to the deep.  Wherever you are, press farther, the miracle will come.

When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. (Luke 5:6)

Don’t you love the fact that God does things in abundance?  He blesses us beyond reason.  He gives us more than we can ask or imagine.  He lavishly gives grace and mercy.  He is not stingy.  He loves to love.  We do not deserve it.  We cannot earn it.  He just gives because He is good.  Praise His Name!

And often when God blesses us, others are bound to notice.  Not only will they see the glory of God in your life, but will reap the benefits of His amazing power as well.

So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.  (Luke 5:7)

Look at that picture of grace:  all Simon said was he would go to the deep, only after giving Jesus a mini-lecture of why they would not catch any fish.  But Jesus decided to not only give a good catch, but a catch of a lifetime.  This gave Simon fishing bragging rights for the rest of his life.  Next time Bubba gloated over the two foot bass he caught, Peter could outdo his story with the time he caught so many fish two boats almost sank.  So be quiet, Bubba!

Let us brag on Grace.  We deserve nothing, yet God gives us everything through Christ.  I deserve eternal punishment.  Yet Jesus was willing to save me from my sins.  That would have given me eternal reasons to praise Him, yet He chooses to continue to love me, to lavish me with mercy, to be good to me.  He wants to be in a relationship with me.  Grace is giving me what I do not deserve.  What better way of showing a fisherman grace, than to drown his boat with fish.

It is in the presence of Grace that we realize how much we need it.

When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me Lord; I am a sinful man!”  For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.  (Luke 5:8)

 One of the movies about Jesus portrayed this scene in an amazing way.  Peter is sitting on the boat laughing, amazed at the catch.  His laughter abruptly changes when he looks at Jesus.  Suddenly, he is crying.  He begs Jesus to leave him, for he realizes he is a sinner.  I was so moved by this scene.  I realized that it was not judgment that convicted Simon but grace.  He looked at what Jesus had given him and knew he did not deserve it.  He recognized Jesus as good, as kind, as generous, as Lord and knew it was in stark contrast of what he saw in himself. Peter knew he had no right to be around Jesus.  He commands Jesus to leave for he knew holiness could not be around sinfulness.  At that point, Peter was right.  But what he could not realize was that in a few years, grace would be poured out on sinners in new way.  Those who confess their sins and proclaim Jesus as Lord would receive immediate forgiveness, justification, and redemption. Their sins would be paid for on the cross that Jesus would bear.  But for now, the Lord looks into the eyes of the man kneeling in fear at His feet and speaks grace.  

Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men.”  (Luke 5:10b) 

Another command from the Master.  This one held a promise to Peter of what will happen if he would obey.  This decree was far more intensive than taking an afternoon boat ride.  This was another invitation to go deeper.  It was not about one day, but for the rest of his life. Jesus was asking for a new focus, a new purpose, a new reason for living.  Jesus would be all of these and more.  For the Lord was looking into Peter, who for now could only see himself as the sinner he was, and saw a leader of a new order, called the church.  Jesus was seeing all the men and women who would be “caught” for the kingdom.  And Jesus was ready for this man to join His work.

So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed Him.  (Luke 5:11)

He left it all behind:  the boat, the nets, the huge catch of fish.  None of them mattered now.  Others could have everything.  All he cared about what following the Master of Grace.  Jesus had invaded Simon’s life that day by meeting him where he was.  The Lord stepped on his boat in order to call him off it.  God gave him a miraculous catch of fish, so he would realize that the fisherman’s idea of a dream come true was not the answer to the need in his heart.  God graced him so he could see himself for what he was:  a sinner.  With that confession, Jesus would call Peter to Himself in order to train him on how to catch more sinners out of death’s waters so they might have eternal life in the Lord.  But it came down to the decision.  Peter made it immediately.  Without a glance backward, the fisherman left the fish.  The sinner followed the Savior.  The Lord began training a preacher who would one day extend an invitation that would be answered by thousands of people.  That is a bigger catch than one that sank two boats!

Are you ready to answer the call?  It is time to drop the nets of this world.  Jesus has called you to something more than what you had dreamed for yourself.  However, a choice must be made.  Will you let go of everything:  security, relationships, plans?  Will you follow Jesus?  In three short years, Peter went from fisherman to an apostle.  God alone knows where He is leading you.  Follow Him today.  Like Peter, you will not regret it.  The adventures in grace will be more exciting than anything else you could have dreamed.  Drop the nets.  It is time to obey the Master’s call.

Summer Reading: Lessons from Luke (part 1)

by Shannon Tillman | Jun 5, 2025 | Bible Study, Theology, Thoughts

Introducing Interruptions

I needed to work.   I was far behind on a project.  A friend of a friend called to ask if I could baby sit for a little while.  It ended up being for eight hours!  The child used the time to tell me over and over again about the same movie.  He drew pictures of the movie.  He would reenact key scenes.  He would use elaborate gestures.  He was sure to use direct quotes from the movie in as many conversations as possible.  But after four hours, I must admit, I was sick of hearing about the movie.

I finally decided to escape by going to the kitchen to make dinner, but the boy followed me with another drawing he had made about the movie.  Everything within me wanted to say “I hate that movie!  No more drawings, no more stories, no more acting it out!  Four hours is my limit!”

Before I regressed to sitting in a corner and sucking my thumb, God intervened.  “I am patient with you, child, when you pray about the same things over and over.  Will you be patient with him as well?”

Instantly, I was convicted.  I was seeing only the way my day was being inconvenienced instead of capturing the opportunity to minister to someone else.  I was looking only at myself and my needs, not what that little boy needed from me.  I confessed my selfishness and asked the Lord for help.  His answer was immediate and not lacking with humor!  As I pulled off the packaging for the frozen pizza, an advertisement for the movie came out it!  With a smile, and a “thank you God”, I gave it to the little boy.  You would have thought I had handed over my life savings.  “For me?  I will hang it up in my room.”  His eyes glowed as he looked as his treasure.  A small thing from me meant the world to him.  An inconvenience became a divine interruption where two lives were changed!

While I may only deal with pizza and movies, Jesus dealt with far more serious interruptions.  He was interrupted all the time.  People were always coming to Him to get their needs met one way or another.  Yet, He never yelled at them, rolled His eyes at them, sighed heavily, or regressed to sitting in the corner.  He was never inconvenienced.  Instead, He accepted each interruption as a divine appointment from God Himself.

We will look at a few of these “divine interruptions” as we study the book of Luke.  I picked the one-on-one encounters that Jesus had with various people.  Sometimes no one was around; other times a crowd surrounded the two.  But in each event, Jesus affected one life in a dramatic way.  The person was never the same.

Through my study, I have changed as well.  I know that is hard to believe after I just recounted the “continuous movie incident”!  However, the words of Scripture have both convicted and inspired me.  My hope is that the same will happen to you.  Hey, I figure if I had to be convicted, others should be, too.

As I share these lessons with you, I hope more than anything that your love for studying the Bible will begin or be renewed or will be pursued with even more diligence. It would be wonderful that a time in Bible study would no longer be considered an “inconvenience” but instead be viewed as a wonderful interruption in our day, a divine encounter with the One who is never inconvenienced by you.

Let us begin this journey with Luke.  He did all the research for us.  I’m glad for that, since research was never my strong suit.  I prefer to have someone else do all the work, and I get all the credit.  Just joking.

Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you…so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.  (Luke 1:3,4)

Let’s begin with the first interruption.  I am warning you, it is not very pretty.

Dropping Demon

Then he went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath began to teach the people. They were amazed at his teaching, because his message had authority. In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an evil spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice, “Ha! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” “Be quiet!” Jesus said sternly. “Come out of him!” Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him. All the people were amazed and said to each other, “What is this teaching? With authority and power he gives orders to evil spirits and they come out!” And the news about him spread throughout the surrounding area. (Luke 4:31-36)

I was asked to tutor a high school student in algebra.  It was a beautiful day outside so we went to a local park to study.  She and I were sitting at a picnic table, amongst beautiful trees.  We noticed two young men in suits setting up a sound system on the pavilion.  I wondered if a music concert was scheduled.  There were only four other people in the park, so I concluded the show must not be until later.  Suddenly, I heard a man screaming into the microphone.  He began shouting about the judgment of God and people going to hell.  The young girl and I looked at each other, startled.  We listened as these young men went back and forth yelling about Satan and the end of the world.  I assumed this tirade would not last long since there were only a handful of people who could hear their verbal abuse, but after ten minutes, I had decided that enough was enough.  I walked over to the stage and explained to the two men that if they wanted people to respond to the loving and graceful God, that the medium of screaming was probably not the route to go.  Yes, the Lord is the Judge on the throne, but the amazing truth is the One Who will judge is the One Who sent Jesus to earth to die a cruel death on the cross to atone for our sins.  Mercy is available to those who will receive.  We need to extend grace to others in proclaiming the gospel and leave our personal judgment out of the picture.  The guys just looked at me and then said, “Thank you.”  As soon as I walked back to the table, my hopes of having stifled their twisted gospel were quickly dispelled.  They began to yell things like, “Sometimes Satan comes against you in other people.  He wants to stop the message of the truth by using people to try to make us stop speaking.  We rebuke you, Satan, and the person you use to try to get us to be quiet.  We will continue speaking the truth.  We will not be silenced.  For the one who tries to stop us is being used by hell.”  I began laughing and realized that I had just been accused of being the agent of evil.  They were so mixed up; they did not realize what was right or wrong.  Needless to say, we did not accomplish much algebra that day.

Being screamed at in a park is not what you expect on a beautiful Saturday afternoon.  But imagine if this incident had taken place in the middle of a church service.  The preacher is in the middle of an incredible sermon when suddenly you hear someone yelling.  As you visualize this, you are set up for the scenario that took place in the religious building in Jesus’ day, the synagogue.

In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an evil spirit.  He cried out at the top of His voice, “Ha!  What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth?  Have you come to destroy us?  I know who you are–the Holy One of God!” “Be quiet!”  Jesus said sternly.  “Come out of him!”  Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out with out injuring him.  (Luke 4:33-35)

 A demon-possessed man is in the synagogue.  Does that not make you sad?  A person obviously tortured spiritually and emotionally was in the religious center of that day.  He walked by countless devout Jews, many religious leaders, yet he was not changed.  He was still plagued by the warfare within him.  No one helped him.  Maybe they felt powerless.  What could they do?  Who were they to interfere?  Maybe they were frightened, fearful of getting hurt if they got involved.  Possibly they were hoping someone else would help.  They may have justified themselves with saying, “We will pray for him.”  Or could it be the lay people blamed the priests for not changing him, for that is “their” job?  Of course, everyone might have been just too busy to notice, to take the time to help, to risk being rejected.  The person, possessed by evil, was not even challenged by the people supposedly possessed by good.

This demon-filled man comes across a crowd listening to Jesus.  It was the Sabbath, so a good number of people would have been gathered in the synagogue.  The people were listening intently, in awe of His teaching style.

Then He went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath began to teach the people.  They were amazed at His teaching, because His message had authority.  (Luke 4:31-32)

 Authority:  people are drawn to it.  He was not speaking his opinion or hearsay.  He was telling people what the Word of God means for He knows; He wrote it.  They were eating it up.  They were drawn into His visual images.  Suddenly, a scream pierces the air.

In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an evil spirit.  He cried out at the top of His voice, “Ha!  What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth?  Have you come to destroy us?  I know who you are–the Holy One of God!”  (Luke 4:33-34)

Have you ever heard anyone yell at the top of his voice?  Children do this often.  I love it when a child realizes a room is too quiet for his liking so he decides to shout.  Then, I enjoy watching the parent’s face as the horror is mixed with a look that lets the child know they will be in trouble later.  But the child can rest in the fact that with all these other people around, he is safe for now.  If you have never experienced this, it means that you are not volunteering in the nursery department in your church.  And why not?

But there was nothing cute or amusing about this man’s scream.  His yell was accusatory, belittling, and sarcastic.  It was like a cruel joke meant to destroy the reputation of the innocent.  But he picked the wrong target for his game.

Middle school students are masters at sarcasm.  I believe it is a class taught in their curriculum.  I watch sweet elementary school children turn into sarcastic monsters.  Parents of middle school youth can attest to the torture of sarcasm.

Let us name the demon “Middle School Kid.”  So, imagine the tone of a thirteen-year-old child as he says, “Ha!  What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth?”

The demon was stabbing where it hurts.  For we discover in the verses before that Jesus had just left Nazareth, His hometown.  You can read the full account in Luke 4:14-30 but let me summarize it here.

Jesus was teaching in the synagogue in Nazareth, the place where He grew up.  He stood up and read a portion from the book of Isaiah that prophesied about the coming Messiah.  After He read it, he told the people “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”  (Luke 4:21b) Well, the people began to question that.  They reminded each other that he was just the son of Joseph; and they felt He was being arrogant.  Jesus rebuked them and said that a prophet is not accepted in his hometown.  He used examples from the Old Testament of how the prophets Elijah and Elisha helped outsiders, the Gentiles, over the chosen people, the Jews.  Whoa!  That started the uproar.  The people were furious.  A riot developed.  They drove Jesus out of town and tried to throw Him over a cliff.  “But He walked right through the crowd and went on His way.” (Luke 4:30).  And what was His way?  He went to Capernaum, the town He was preaching in when the demon-filled man made his sarcastic comment.

The demon-possessed guy was trying to accuse “Jesus of Nazareth” of being a failure in his hometown.  But Christ knew He did what was right and not what was easy.  Yes, His friends and family had rejected Him and even tried to kill Him, but He had only spoken truth to them.  He had no regrets.

Does the enemy ever like to come back and remind you of your past?  You may have had to make a tough choice; it cost you a lot, but it was the right thing to do.  But does the enemy like to remind you of all you lost?  Or maybe make you think what might have been.  Or maybe you just miss life how it was.  There is also the other side.  Maybe unlike Jesus, you may have reasons to regret.  You did not do the right thing.  Now the enemy plagues you with the names of your past:  Adulterer, Backstabber, Criminal, Gossip, Liar.  The enemy may want to keep your past before you, but God never does.  Listen to a quote from a murderer:

Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.  (Philippians 2:13b-14)

The apostle Paul wrote those words.  Before he became the greatest missionary for Christ, he worked hard to kill Christians.  Yet, by God’s grace, he changed.  Your past cannot haunt you unless you permit it to stay.  You can choose in the name of Jesus to speak two heavenly words.

“Be quiet!”  Jesus said sternly.

The enemy has no right to speak over your life.  Christ alone can tell you what you are in Him.  When He looks at you, He has pronounced you clean.  And when He is around you, He is not thinking about your past, but looking forward to your future with Him in the heavenly realms.  So, when the enemy comes against you reminding you of your past, in the Name of Jesus tell the devil to “Shut up!”  And then praise Jesus for the new name He will give you.

I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it.  (Revelation 2:17b)

Praise Jesus!  He is so good to us.  A new name never used in sarcasm, anger, or gossip.  I cannot wait to find out what my new name is.  But until then, let’s not allow the enemy the ability to give us his name for us.  Our past is in the past.  Leave it there.

After rebuking the enemy, don’t try to argue with him.  He will try to lead you into a trap.  Don’t fall for it!

“Ha!  What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth?  Have you come to destroy us?  I know who you are-the Holy One of God!”  (Luke 4:34)

A theological debate with a demon, does this seem a little odd to you?  Look at the viewpoint.  It is so twisted.  “What do you want with us…?  Have you come to destroy us?”  The demon was twisting Christ’s objective in coming to earth.  Was it to destroy Satan and his evil crew?

For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.  (John 3:17)

Mission of Christ:  to save the world.  That is why God sent Him.  Is the focus of His mission the demons or the people?  People.  This egocentric demon thought he was the focus of the work of Christ.  Dumb demon.  Now, will evil be destroyed because of the work of God?  Of course, that is not the question.  The issue is the motive.

Imagine going to an action film.  The enemy has captured hostages.  There is only one man who is able to secure their release.  Would you love this hero if his only objective was to kill the bad guy and yet could care less about the hostages?  No.  You want the guy to love the hostages so much that he willingly risks his life for them to be free.  In the process, bad guys die in weird and cruel ways that only Hollywood could create, but the final scene is not a picture of death.  The movie ends with life, with freedom, with hostages hugging the necks of their families because they are home.

The Son came to save the world.  He knew His mission.  He knew the cost.  He knew the Hero would die in order to liberate the hostages bound by the evil one.  But they would be free.  He was not going to bypass the torture of Himself for then the hostages would never be released.  He loved us too much to allow that to happen.

Love was what this demon was trying to undermine.  He was trying to convince the crowd, “This is the Holy One of God.  He could stop our evil work.  But He is not willing.  He does not really care.”

“Be quiet!”  Jesus said sternly.  “Come out of him!”  Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out with out injuring him.  (Luke 4:33-35)

But once again, love prevailed.  While others saw a disturbance, Jesus saw a man trapped by evil.  While others were powerless to help, Jesus released the man with two sentences.  When no one else interfered, Jesus dramatically intervened.  When others were afraid, Jesus had no fear.

That day a man was saved.  He was no longer gripped by evil, an evil that even tried to hurt him on the way out by throwing him to the ground.  But Jesus did not allow him to be injured. No more harm would be done to this man who had been tortured by the demons for so long.

And the crowd?  Well, they were in awe earlier by the authority of His words.  Now they were confronted with Someone who was beyond just a good teacher.

All the people were amazed and said to each other, “What is this teaching?  With authority and power He gives orders to evil spirits and they come out!”  And the news about Him spread throughout the surrounding area.  (Luke 4:36-37)

Authority.  Power.  That is the God we serve.  He is not weak.  He is not unable to save.  He is not unwilling to intervene in your life right now.  Tell him what plagues you.  Are you regretting your past?  Are you filled with doubts?  Do you question His love for you?  Are you afraid to help others?  Whatever it is, tell Him.  He knows.  He is ready to speak Truth over your life.  He is willing to silence the enemy.  He wants you to be free.