Read Chapter 5
The fifth chapter of Luke’s Gospel gives us two incredible accounts from Jesus’ life.
First, He has an encounter with Peter, James, and John. These boys, fishermen by trade, had spent the entire night fishing without catching anything. Then, as they washed their nets, Jesus commandeered one of their boats and used it as a platform for teaching. When He finished, He told Peter to go farther out on the water to put out their nets. The guys knew the best fishing was at night, and even then, it was not always successful. They had spent a long night with nothing to show for it, and then Jesus told them to try again. Peter gently pushed back against Jesus’ instructions, but ultimately, he said, “… because you say so, I will let down the nets” (Luke 5:5b NIV84). He followed Jesus’ instructions, and soon they had so many fish that the boats almost sank.
Every time I read of Simon Peter’s obedience, despite the incredibility of Jesus’ instructions, I can’t help but wonder, “What has Jesus called me to do that I have resisted?” Jesus often calls us out of our comfort zone to do things that may seem impossible and even nonsensical to our human minds. We are then left with the same decision that Peter had to make. Will we obey even if the challenge seems impossible, or will we walk away? Unfortunately, I’ve done both, but I have found that Peter’s answer is far better in every circumstance: “Because You said so, I will do it!”
In another encounter, Jesus was again teaching, and many came to be healed by Him. Several men who had a paralyzed friend tried to take him to Jesus for healing, but there was such a large crowd in and around the house where Jesus was that they could not get through. Then, they came up with an ingenious idea. They carried him to the roof of the house, removed some of the roof tiles, and lowered their friend through the roof right in front of Jesus. I’m not sure what the homeowner thought, but Jesus saw the friends’ faith, and it was that faith that caused Jesus to say, “… ‘Friend, your sins are forgiven’” (Luke 5:20b, NIV84).
From this encounter, we should never assume that our faith can literally save someone else, but our faith may have such an impact on others that they will be moved to make Jesus Lord of their lives. These friends believed that Jesus could heal their friend, and they did everything possible to get him to Jesus. That leaves us with the question: what are we doing to bring our friends to Jesus? As Christians, what we say, how we act, and the love we show impact the people around us—especially family and friends. Is there a roof you need to remove so that your loved one can draw closer to Christ? What are you willing to risk to save someone else for all eternity?
Musings from My Sun Porch 
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