#DailyDevotion Jesus Continues To Teach Us
Luk 5:1-3 On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, (2) and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. (3) Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat.
Throughout the Psalms, the psalmist prays that the Lord would teach us his ways and instruct us in his wisdom and knowledge. In today’s lesson we see the answer to that prayer. The Lord himself has come down from heaven to teach his people. That Lord is Jesus of Nazareth.
Now Luke does not report what Jesus taught that day. Matthew and Mark (if it is the same incident; they don’t report the catching of fish) have Jesus teaching, “Repent and believe the good news. The kingdom of God is near.” Then Jesus calls the fishermen to follow him. Now Jesus often gathers people and teaches them. He gathered them on the mountain and on the plain. His teaching no doubt included much of what is taught in the sermon on the mount and the sermon on the plain.
In these sermons, Jesus teaches us what God intends his people to be like in blessing. He expounds the true teaching of the Law he had given to Moses. He calls us to be repentant of our sins. He exhorts us to good works. He invites us to believe he is the Messiah, the Son of Man, David’s son, the prophet promised by Moses.
And so today, even as Jesus calls the fishermen to be fisher of men, Jesus still calls men into the ministry. While they may normally preach and teach from pulpits, he may use them to instruct the people anywhere. The teaching they bring to the masses is the teaching they have received from Jesus. Their word is authoritative because their word is not their own but our Lord Jesus Christ’s.
Jesus still teaches us to be repentant, to turn from our sins and our selfish, self-centered ways. He calls us to turn to him for the truth and for salvation. He calls us to trust he is the very Messiah promised from God. He calls us to live in good works which God himself provides for us. Jesus tells us the time is fulfilled, the kingdom of God is at hand. Believe the good news. And that is good news because if God’s kingdom is at hand then the devil’s kingdom and power are on its last legs.
Heavenly Father, grant us faith to repent and believe the good news and always provide us with the teaching of your Son through those he sends to instruct us. Give us ear that hear and hearts that believe the message of Christ. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.