Jesus meets us at our level. Amazing isn't it? He comes to teach us His way of living but He does not require us to be sinless nor spiritually knowledgeable. In fact, it will be easier if we have no preconceived notions of religion in our minds. We will not always understand His ways, for His ways, are not mans'. We only need to open our hearts to His love and our minds to His healing touch. Faith alone pleases God.
So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, 2 and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets. 3 Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon's, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat.
4 When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, "Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch."
5 But Simon answered and said to Him, "Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net." 6 And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. 7 So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. 8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!"
9 For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; 10 and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men." 11 So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.
12 And it happened when He was in a certain city, that behold, a man who was full of leprosy saw Jesus;
and he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean."
13 Then He put out His hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing; be cleansed." Immediately the leprosy left him. 14 And He charged him to tell no one, "But go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as a testimony to them, just as Moses commanded."
15 However, the report went around concerning Him all the more; and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities.
16 So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.
17 Now it happened on a certain day, as He was teaching, that there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present to heal them. 18 Then behold, men brought on a bed a man who was paralyzed, whom they sought to bring in and lay before Him. 19 And when they could not find how they might bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the housetop and let him down with his bed through the tiling into the midst before Jesus.
20 When He saw their faith, He said to him, "Man, your sins are forgiven you."
21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, "Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?"
22 But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, He answered and said to them, "Why are you reasoning in your hearts? 23 Which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Rise up and walk'? 24 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins"—He said to the man who was paralyzed, "I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house."
25 Immediately he rose up before them, took up what he had been lying on, and departed to his own house, glorifying God. 26 And they were all amazed, and they glorified God and were filled with fear, saying, "We have seen strange things today!"
27 After these things He went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, "Follow Me." 28 So he left all, rose up, and followed Him.
29 Then Levi gave Him a great feast in his own house. And there were a great number of tax collectors and others who sat down with them. 30 And their scribes and the Pharisees complained against His disciples, saying, "Why do You eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?"
31 Jesus answered and said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."
The NKJV Study Bible says this: Jesus commanded Simon to place his nets in the water in order to depict a spiritual reality. Jesus explained the spiritual truth: Simon's new occupation would be fishing for people who would do the will of Jesus. The fisherman noted that he and his companions had just failed to make a catch at the best time for fishing, the evening. The circumstances were not good for a catch at the time of Jesus' command, but Peter chose to obey His word and let down his nets anyway. Peter's confession indicates that he recognized God's work through Jesus. Peter, as a sinful man, was not worthy to be in Jesus' presence, because Jesus was holy. Jesus does not drive away the sinner who recognizes his or her wretched condition. He accepts the confessing sinner and offers that person the opportunity of reconciliation with God. Then He sends the forgiven sinner out to do the work of God. Peter's commission was to rescue men from the danger of sin. Jesus honored the leper's humble request for health because he recognized Jesus' power and authority. Jesus sought to avoid drawing excessive attention to His healing ministry. He wanted people to seek Him for spiritual healing, not merely physical healing. The leper's testimony was to God's faithfulness and His exercise of power through Jesus. The Pharisees were a group of about six thousand pious, influential teachers in the synagogues. They were a group who meticulously followed the Law, adhering to the traditional rules that kept a person from inadvertently breaking it. The teachers of the law were officials trained in the Law of Moses. Also known as scribes, these men were in effect the religious lawyers of the Pharisees. In Judaism in the first century there was a wide range of factions, including the Sadducees and the Essenes. The Pharisees, despite their relatively low numbers, were very influential. Luke directly links faith and forgiveness here. According to the OT, only God was able to forgive sin. Rather than announcing that God would forgive the man's sin, Jesus proclaimed that the man's sins were forgiven. This act was blasphemous to the ears of Jesus' theologically sensitive audience. This was a serious charge; the conviction of blasphemy would eventually lead to Jesus' death. From an external point of view, it would seem easier to declare sins forgiven than to actually heal a person. In reality, however, one has to possess more authority to forgive sin. Jesus linked the healing to what it represented, the forgiveness of sin. Jesus forgave the man's sins and healed him at the same time. Jesus claimed the authority to forgive sin, an authority that was limited to God. Levi is also called Matthew. In ancient Israel the table was a place where spiritual points were taught and where fellowship occurred. The issue of eating with sinners was sensitive in Judaism since some believed that eating with such company conveyed an acceptance of that person's sin. Jesus preferred pursuing relationships that might lead sinners to God rather than "quarantining" Himself from such people. Jesus was not saying that the Pharisees and scribes had no need of spiritual healing. Instead He was saying that only those who know their spiritual need can be treated. As self-righteous people, the Pharisees would not come for aid, and in their own eyes, did not need a doctor. Jesus' mission was to call sinners to repentance. A humble approach to God for spiritual healing is the essence of repentance.
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