Luke 5:27…

We have an expression which deals with our existence. We refer to the ‘fabric of our lives.’ While I’m not exactly sure where that expression comes from I do think I understand what it means…

I also understand when fabric gets old and inflexible it tears.

You might think Jesus, as THE gentle Master, would be very sensitive and tender with a ‘fabric’ He is aware is old and thin and thread-bare.

But when that old thread-bare inflexible fabric represents what relationship with God is meant to be, Jesus tears that fabric apart.

Would the people of faith allow a tax-collector to fellowship with them? Certainly not the tax-collectors who took advantage of the people, the tax-collectors who profiteered from the people’s misery, and the tax-collectors who preyed on the people’s property.

Certainly not.

Jesus saw a tax-collector named Levi at the tax office and invited him to be His follower. (To date, this may be the most radical thing Jesus has done. It is certainly the most plainly offensive.) The Pharisees and the scribes ARE offended. I can feel their offense all the way across the span of time. (After all, I’m not a big fan of tax-collectors either…)

Even worse, Jesus goes TO Levi’s house for a feast provided by (presumably) tax-payer funds, and He enjoys a time of fellowship with all of Levi’s tax-collector friends and associates.

Who would do such a thing, knowing these men are evil?

This is the question the Pharisees understandably ask. What kind of Holy Man would associate Himself with those He knows are sinful? There is no excuse for this kind of behavior. Sinners must be rejected and abhorred and denied ANY opportunity for fellowship until and unless they have completely reformed.

Hasn’t that always been the brittle, thread-bare position of religion?

-Pastor Bill

Luke 5:17…

If you were to define the word ‘friendship,’ what would you say?

A dictionary definition would probably fall far short of what we know ‘friendship’ to be. More than merely a word, acquaintance, or association, true friendship implies a concern equal to the concern you have for yourself.

The Bible has much to teach us concerning friendship and brotherhood and what it means to us to be a friend or a brother or sister to someone.

Here in Luke 5, we see what friendship does.

We are told of a man who has probably recently been paralyzed, perhaps in some sort of accident, or as the result of disease. This man, unnamed, has some really great friends. They have supported him and helped him through the tragedy of his present condition. There is no hope, save for Jesus.

If only we could all see our friends in this way. There is no hope for them save for Jesus. Paralysis is the true condition of all who are separated from Christ. They can do nothing to affect their salvation. They are immobilized and desperate, and there is nothing they can do for themselves.

Fortunately for this paralyzed brother, he has a group of friends who will not be dissuaded by anything or anyone from bringing him to Jesus. Perhaps if he had not been paralyzed he would not have been brought. Sometimes the very thing which brings desperation into our lives is the only thing that brings us to Jesus.

Stopped at the door by the size of the crowd, the friends transport the man to the roof and dig through the tiles to lower their friend into Jesus’ presence. Jesus saw their faith.

Truly, whose faith did Jesus see? Was it the faith of the paralyzed man – or the faith of his friends?

It is this unstoppable, immovable expression of faithful friends which leads to salvation and healing for this paralyzed man. (And I suppose his friends as well.)

Friends bring their friends to Jesus. It is worth it all, no matter the difficulty faced.

-Pastor Bill

Luke 5:12…

It begins with a whitish spot on the skin. Eventually a scab forms.

It progresses slowly, almost imperceptibly, first affecting the extremities, and then moving to the body proper, along the way attacking the nerve endings.

You may think a disease that impeded the sense of pain would be a good thing. But when the sense of pain is muted, great damage is done the body, as it no longer has the alarm system properly employed to protect itself.

The skin begins to rot away, and the victim reeks of the smell of death and decay. The features become gross distortions of their former selves, as if melted. The nose and ears may no longer be present. Fingers and toes are lost to decay or damage caused by lack of the sense of pain referenced previously. Oozing, open, running sores eventually cover the entire body. Victims of the disease must be isolated because it is as contagious as it is detestable.

This is leprosy. There is no cure.

It is easy to see why the Bible employs leprosy as a type of sin. (In Bible ‘typology,’ something literal is used to represent something spiritual.)

This is the importance of what next takes place in Luke 5. Jesus encounters a man in an advanced state of leprosy. We are informed he is “full of leprosy.” This would mean he is in an extremely advanced stage of the disease when the body is fully engaged and he is experiencing damage to his internal organs as well as the grotesque appearance and stench of the body and skin.

From this condition, the unknown man cries out, imploring Jesus, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”

Jesus responds by doing something astoundingly remarkable. He touches the man. This is something NO ONE would ever think of doing. No one would ever go anywhere near leprosy. Jesus did. He came into personal contact with it.

He cleansed the man, by His own will. What then, will He do with our sin?

-Pastor Bill

Luke 4:40…

Jesus now begins His ministry to and for the masses.

We are reminded what Peter writes in 2 Peter 3:9, The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

God’s desire is to heal all from their sin. The question is: Who will come to Him for healing?

As soon as the sun has set on this particular Sabbath day, after Jesus has taught in the synagogue, and cleansed the demon-possessed man, He and others had retired to Simon’s home, where Jesus had performed His first healing recorded in Luke’s gospel.

We doubt anyone knew of this first healing outside those who were in the house who had requested Jesus minister to Simon’s mother-in-law out of their concern for her. (Love always plays a great part in the requests we make of Jesus, doesn’t it? Could this be why He tells us to love one another?)

It was an expression of faith in what they had heard of Jesus and seen in Jesus that caused them to bring ALL those who were afflicted in that area with all kinds of diseases.

From this we learn Jesus is both a specialist and a general practitioner. He CAN heal anything and everything. This is yet another demonstration nothing is too hard for God. There is no demon, even Satan himself, who can oppose Him, and there is no disease He cannot heal.

The question is, (knowing what He knows,) will He? Here He is in the very first days of His public ministry, and the instant, immediate healing door is open to all who have faith in Him. (In this case it is an example of how little faith it takes. Do you have faith to bring your friend to Jesus?)

Jesus heals everyone. He drives the demons out of everyone who is possessed. This is a powerful demonstration of what we daily pray for: “Your kingdom come, Your will be done.” Satan’s kingdom must come down.

-Pastor Bill