Thurs.’s Devo - The Question of Fasting

Read Luke 5:33-39 The Pharasees are watching every move that Jesus makes and they notice that he doesn’t require his disciples to fast like John’s do and like the law teaches so they ask him why. Jesus’ answer was that his disciples had the bridegroom with them and it was not the right time. When the bridegroom is taken, then they will fast. He was the bridegroom and in the bridal traditions everyone feasted as long as the bridegroom was in the room. Jesus had entered the room and it was time to feast on every word that came from his mouth. Isaiah 58 says that God’s fast is to loose the bands of wickedness, undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke. Was that not a perfect description of what Jesus was doing and training his disciples to do? So, they were fasting. Then he gave them a parable to explain it. It was about patching an old shirt with new material. Once that new material got wet it would shrink and the patch would not fit. Jesus did not come to just be another patch to the old covenant, he came to be a whole new covenant. He was the fulfillment of the old. They had to have a new way of thinking to be able to receive what God was doing now because he was about to cancel how they sacrificed and went about worship. He was the new wine of the second parable that had to be put in new hearts. The teachers of the law were described in verse 39 as being the ones who had drank the old wine and had no desire to even taste the new because they think the old is better. “Tradition!” Can’t you just hear the fiddler on the roof? First they had to rightly recognize the bridegroom, then they would understand the answer to their question and the meanings of the parables. Lord, help us to trade in our traditions for the new wine. Show us what we are holding on to that is like an old patch.

Wed.’s Devo - Levi Chosen

Read Luke 5:27-32 The next person Jesus encounters is a publican named Levi. Publicans were tax collectors who were usually Jews hired by the Romans to collect taxes. Many of them were extortioners who collected more than they were suppose to for their personal gain. They were hated by their brothers. Levi is not only a tax collector, but a Levite which makes him from the priestly tribe. Levi is also known as Matthew. Levi means “joined” and Matthew means “gift of Jehovah”. Matthew was definitely joined to Jesus and given the gift of salvation that Jesus came to give. He then became a gift back to God. Why Jesus would choose the people he did to be his disciples is the same mystery of why he chooses us. He took a person out of all walks of life and told them to leave everything and follow him. Matthew had riches and favor with the government, but he also had a longing in his heart for something more. He saw ‘something more’ in Jesus. Matthew was so excited to be chosen that he threw a great party and invited all of his other publican friends. The scribes and Pharasees complained about Jesus hanging out with these corrupt people. I think they were secretly jealous that Jesus would chose him over them. Jesus reply to that was, “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” It wasn’t that the Pharasees were righteous, it was that they were righteous in their own eyes. Lord, thank you for choosing us in all our unrighteousness to crown us with life.

Tues.’s Devo - The Paralyzed Man

Read Luke 5:15-26 When life got stressful for Jesus he always got alone to pray. He knew where to go to rest and receive power to go on. He would need it for the next adventure. I don’t know if I ever paid attention to verse 17 till now, but he was teaching the Pharisees and doctors of the law who had come from miles around to hear him. He was teaching in a home when all of a sudden the roof started disappearing and a paralyzed man was lowered down on his bed. It seemed to be the only way his friends had to get him to Jesus. When Jesus saw the faith of his friends he forgave the man who was paralyzed. What a strange thing to say. The man needed healing and didn’t ask to be forgiven. But Jesus had another agenda. For one thing, he knew that sin made this man this way, so he needed to deal with the root cause. Needless to say this ruffled the feathers of the Pharisees and doctors because this sounded blasphemous to them. Who was Jesus to think he could forgive sins? Jesus knew what they were thinking so he replied, “Which is easier to say, your sins are forgiven or to say, rise up and walk? But that you may know that the Son of man has power on earth to forgive sins, I say to you, Arise, take up your bed, and go home.” The man did just that! They all praised God, but a fear of God also settled over their hearts. This miracle represents another picture of sin. This man’s sin paralyzed him. How many times do we allow our sins to hold us back in ministry, in growth, and in life, period. Sin paralyzes and ultimately kills. To this man, sin had kept him inoperable most of his life. He was totally dependent on his friends and a burden to his family. Sin does that. Jesus took care of his sin issue and the miracle came. This is a good case for repentance. Jesus would say the same thing to us, Your sins are forgiven. Now, arise, take up the thing you were bound to and walk. Go back to your first love and start over. Lord, show us the things we need to repent of and help us to walk in freedom.

Mon.’s Devo - The Leper Healed

Read Luke 5:9-14 This miracle got the attention of the fishermen, especially, Simon Peter, and brothers: James and John. Jesus told them not to be afraid because from now on they will be fishers of men. That was all they needed to hear. They dropped their nets and left all to follow Jesus. At the next city there was a man eaten up with leprosy who came to Jesus, fell at his feet and begged, “ if you want to, you can make me clean.” Jesus reached out his hand and said, “I will; be clean”. Immediately the leprosy was gone. He told him to be quiet until he had showed himself to the priest to verify his healing, then be cleansed according to the law. This would be a miracle to the priests and people of the temple. Let’s look at this miracle. No other disease could symbolize sin like leprosy. Sin and leprosy are a disease of our flesh. The longer they stay the deeper they penetrate till it eventually they cause death. James puts it like this. “Every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust has conceived, it brings forth sin; and sin, when it is finished, brings forth death.” (James 1:14-15) When the man asked to be cleansed he was acknowledging that Jesus was the Messiah who had the authority to do that. No other man could. Jesus saw his faith and immediately cleansed him. It is the picture of salvation. We are all sinners who just need to recognized we are sinners and that there is one who can take our unclean sin away, and that person is Jesus. When we ask, it is an immediate response from heaven. We are clean! Notice that Jesus told him to go and have the miracle verified by the priest. Today, that would look like a person being healed and then going back to their doctor to confirm it. A few weeks ago my husband and I were asked to come and pray for a lady who was eaten up with cancer and terminal. There were about 100 people who had gathered to pray for her. I heard yesterday that the cancer is now just in a small place on her rib which will only take a few rounds of chemo to cure. I pray that they won’t even have to do that. Sometimes you get a miracle right then and sometimes you get a healing that takes time but either is a gift from God. Lord, help us to contend for your miracles and your headings and most of all, your salvations.

Fri.’s Devo - The Miracle of the Fish

Read Luke 4:40-5:8 The day is coming to an end and Jesus is still healing everyone who is brought to him. This is a picture of the end of time when the anointing will be on the earth to heal and deliver all who come to the Lord. He must have ministered all night long because when it became light he left to be alone. The people begged him to stay but he told them he needed to go preach God’s kingdom to others. He went to the synagogues to preach but apparently this wasn’t enough because we find him standing by the sea and the people begging to hear him preach. Jesus noticed 2 ships on the shore where the fishermen were washing their nets after their day of fishing. Jesus entered Simons and asked him to launch out a little from the shore so he could preach. When the sermon was over he turned to Simon and told him to go back out and let their nets down for a haul. Simon tried to explain to Jesus that they had fished all night and not gotten anything, but because you asked us we will do that. When they did they caught so many fish their nets started to break and they had to call to the other boat to come and help. They both hauled in so many fish their boats started sinking. Simon was overwhelmed at this miracle and bowed down and worshiped Jesus as the son of God. For Simon, it took a physical display to convince him who Jesus was. He heard him preach and even allowed him to use his boat, but when he saw the work, his faith became alive. James says it so well, “faith without works is dead”. The bigger picture of this miracle was that Jesus came to fish for men where others - the prophets, and judges had fished and come back empty. The preaching of the word would no longer be void and ineffective, but it would hit ears and hearts that were ready to hear and many would come in to the kingdom. Lord, may we do the works that you did so that many souls would come to the kingdom.

Thurs.’s Devo - Back to Capernaum

Read Luke 4:31-39 Jesus went back to Capernaum where they were hungry for what he came to give. He was able to teach in the synagogues every sabbath and the people were amazed because his words were not monotonous readings, but inspired words full of power. When God’s power is that raw it rouses up demons in people and they manifest as they did here. A man who possessed an unclean spirit or I might say ‘it possessed him’, spoke up. He spoke to the spirit in Jesus and asked if he was there to destroy them because they (the demons) recognized him as God. Jesus rebuked him and told him to be quiet and leave the man. It hurled the man in the middle of the synagogue then left him. Sort of reminds you of today’s movies… only it is real. The people had never seen such a display of spiritual warfare in their midst and wondered what kind of person Jesus was. Everyone was talking about Jesus so he went to Simons house for some rest. Simon’s mother had become sick with a high fever and they asked Jesus to look at her. He went to her bedside, rebuked the fever and it left. She was so well, she got up immediately and waited on them. This reminds me of a day when my boys were really young and I got the flu which didn’t happen often. I called Dave at work and told him I had fever and felt really bad and that I was going to bed. He said he would pick up some chicken for supper. Caleb, who was about 3 at the time, came into my room and climbed up on my bed. He reached out and touched me and said, “Jesus heal my mom.” Then he got down and went back into the living room to play. I lay there and immediately felt better. After a few minutes I realized I was healed and got up. I felt totally well, but I decided to wait to tell Dave of my miracle until after he came home with supper! Simon’s mother didn’t get off the hook but I’m sure she was thrilled to be able to fix dinner that night. Lord, help us to have childlike faith. With you all things are possible.

Wed.’s Devo - Rejected at Home

Read Luke 4:23-30 Jesus has just proclaimed to his home town that he is anointed by God to preach , heal, and deliver and they are trying to decide how someone who grew up among them could do all these miracles. Jesus perceived their thoughts and knew they would want him to perform the things he did in Capernaum to prove himself He needed their faith but they were filled with unbelief. He told them instead that “no prophet is accepted in his own country.” To illustrate what he was saying he tells two stories about Gentiles who God chose to heal. Of all the stories in the Bible he could have chosen, these would offend them the most. What he was saying was there were many Jewish widows in the days of Elijah who were dying during the famine yet God chose to sustain a Gentile from the city of Sidon. Elisha healed an unrighteous Syrian who had leprosy when there were many leperous Jewish people. Jesus had healed many people in other cities who stood for the Gentiles and didn’t heal those in his own town which stood for the Jews in his story. How dare God to choose Gentiles over Jews and the people of Capernaum over them. When he told these stories the people in the synagogue were furious at Jesus and had him kicked out of the city. They took him to a cliff and were going to push him off but he just walked through the crowd untouched and walked away. I don’t know what stands out the most to me in this passage whether it is that self-righteousness will steal your miracle, or that when you walk with God and do his will there is no enemy or plan that can harm you. Both are good to think about. Lord, we don’t want to be like the people in the synagogue who have the son of God walk into their midst, speak truth and totally reject it. We want to able to accept you in whatever form you take and welcome whatever you chose to do.