Fishing For Men – Expedition Five

After this last fishing expedition, the movement is snowballing. Did you catch how the movement of multiplication is beginning to get out of control? Peter notes that during this phase of the ministry, the leper

“...went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere” (Mark 1:45).

From the eyewitnesses he interviewed, Luke adds:

“Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses” (Luke 5:15).

What will happen next?

Questions from your reading

• Where is Jesus fishing? What is happening in this passage?
• What problems are presented in the text?
• Luke 5:20 and Mark 2:5 say Jesus “saw their faith.” What does this show us about faith?
• What lessons were the disciples learning as they watched this event unfold?
• What other questions do you still have?

Reflecting on your reading

This fishing expedition is really the result of the last one. When Jesus healed the leper, he told him to tell no one but to show himself to the priest. That moment may have been Jesus’ creative invitation to the religious leaders—an invitation to today’s fishing expedition in Capernaum.

On this occasion, Jesus sets up shop for an outreach to the religious leaders. Take note of who’s in the packed house (Luke 5:17)—Pharisees and teachers of the law from every village of Galilee and Judea, and even from Jerusalem. What a gathering! The miraculous cleansing of a leper had drawn attention—something that hadn’t happened in a very long time. Only God could do that, right? Perhaps Jesus was continuing a conversation they’d started in Jerusalem a few months earlier. Do you remember the last time they’d seen him? It was during Passover, when they accused him of claiming to be the Son of God—equal with God himself (John 5:18). Maybe they came looking for a fight. Or maybe they came with honest questions.

The core of this discussion seems to be whether Jesus is truly divine. What power belongs only to God? Did you catch it? Forgiveness. Only God can forgive sins (Luke 5:21). So when Jesus declared forgiveness, the leaders may have thought—“Yeah, Jesus, you can’t forgive sins... can you?”

Some of them were dead set on proving Jesus wasn’t God. But their plans were interrupted—beautifully—by four determined friends who wouldn't be stopped. They refused to give up. Instead, they got creative in getting their paralysed friend to Jesus.

Do you have friends like that? Do you love anyone enough to do whatever it takes to bring them to Jesus? No one comes to Jesus alone. Every person who follows him has been brought by someone—invited, carried, encouraged. Who brought you to Jesus? Who are you bringing?

Notice how they leave this moment (Luke 5:26). Everyone—the crowd, the friends, the healed man, even the religious leaders—was struck with awe and glorified God. The ministry is taking a turn. What’s going to happen next?

Applying what you’ve read

Take a few moments to thank God for the person who shared the good news with you. Thank him for giving you a friend who loved you enough to take a risk and bring you to Jesus.

Now think of someone you know who needs their sins forgiven. Jot their name down. Remember, your friend is spiritually paralysed. How can you help bring them to Jesus?

Spend some time praying and finalising your fishing expedition plans. It’s time to act. Pick one of Jesus’ fishing expeditions and follow his example. Reach out with God’s love to those around you who are spiritual lepers and paralytics.