Gospel – Luke 5-6
“When we say we must listen to God – What do we mean and how do we apply it in our daily lives?”
That was the question my wife asked our kids when we were reading the passage from Jeremiah yesterday. We all know the text book answers. But how much do we listen and really apply?
Today’s passage seems to reinforce the lessons I have been learning since last Friday evening from the church services and Bible reading passages from Job and Jeremiah. But let us first read…
Bible Passage: Luke 5-6
Reading the Gospels again seems … I am struggling to find the right word to say now… unnecessary. After all, we in the last few months, we have already gone through Matthew and then Mark. And now, we are reading the 3rd Gospel book and all the stories, incidents, parables and miracles are very familiar.
Take today’s passage for example.
The calling of the twelve. The healing of a leper and a paralytic. Parables of new and old wineskins. Debates over the Sabbath. Many came to hear and be healed. Jesus spoke his sermon on the mount.
What can you learn from these lessons? Especially after you have heard and read about them so many times.
These to me are also real challenges for us who teach REU to the mid to upper primary students. Many a times when I am teaching, they moment my students see the title on the whiteboard, they will tell you the whole story before I even get a single word in.
The stories and lesson points are most familiar to them. They know how to answer the questions. But belief and faith can be another matter.
What Is Our Foundation?
When we were reading Jeremiah yesterday, we came to the part where the people of Jerusalem seeking a Word of God through Prophet Jeremiah and yet after hearing it, chose to completely reject it and do whatever they wanted.
And when asked what can we learn from this, my daughter answered, “We must listen to God.”
That was when my wife asked the question.
On Monday’s reading of Job, I mentioned about the sermon by Pr Lin on Jesus fulfilling the Law and the Prophets. The biggest takeaway from that sermon was the point about the great need to pray in the Holy Spirit and read the Bible so that we can understand the teachings from God.
It is not good to just emphasise on one over the other. Both must go hand in hand.
And it reminded me of another story I heard this time when I was there.
We all know that some of our elders are extremely knowledgeable in the Word of God and many times, they are able to speak sermons without a script or any preparation at all.
That is what it seems on the surface. And one trainee preacher thought that he could follow the example of this elder and just go up the pulpit and let the Holy Spirit guide him on what he should speak. Most unfortunately, nothing much came out of that sermon. And he learned a valuable lesson.
So did I. Pr Lin had mentioned that if we just prayed in the Holy Spirit but do not put in the time and effort to read and study the Bible, it would not be possible for the Holy Spirit to bring to remembrance teachings or lessons that come from the Bible. And it is the same the other way round. If we just study and read the Bible and do not pray – the Holy Spirit will not be able to guide us into all truth.
So when we say we listen to God, we must really read His Words and pray in the Holy Spirit so that we truly understand what He is saying to us.
And this leads me to the key point I got from today’s passage in Luke 6:46-49.
“But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say? Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great.”
(emphasis all mine)
When we listen to the Word of God, we must also go and do it.
So when we read familiar passages of the Bible like what we are doing today, let us not consider it superfluous.
Because the more we read, the more we are gathering up materials to build for ourselves a strong foundation. But in order to lay this foundation deep and strong and on the rock, we have to go and do it. Else we will just collapse when the storms come.
What are some of the things that we read from today’s passage that Jesus wants us to do?
It will be much better if you draw out your own list than for me to tell you what they are. Because your action points may be different from mine.
But one thing is common – we must go and do it.
For me, here are a few that I know I must go an do it:
- Respond to the call of Jesus to be fishers of men.
- Be a true friend to someone in need (of Jesus)
- Honour the Sabbath by doing good.
- Love my enemies (Who are my enemies?)
- Do not judge
- Look first at the log in my own eyes
- Build for myself a good foundation.
May God help all of us. And let us prepare for the Spiritual Meeting this weekend.
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PS
Who was nearest to Lord Jesus when He was speaking in the boat of Simon?
Simon? When Lord Jesus was speaking, Simon must have listened attentively and the words of Lord Jesus started to take root. When Lord Jesus told him to let down the nets for a catch, Simon casted the net “at the word” of Lord Jesus.
After they caught 2 loads full of fish, Simon fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying,”Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”
(If Lord Jesus just walked away, what would happen? i guess Simon would have followed Lord Jesus.)
While others were astonished at catches of fish , Lord Jesus issued another important directive: Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.
At His word, they forsook all and followed Him.
Yes, we have to listen and heed the words of Lord Jesus ourselves: Do not be afraid.