Abide Together: Reflections on Luke 5

In Luke 5, Jesus calls the first disciples to follow Him, helps the leper and paralytic, has a couple of run ins with the scribes and Pharisees and reminds everyone that He came not “to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”  The thing that stuck out to me the most was Peter’s response to Jesus enabling them to make such an overwhelming catch of fish.  Peter responds to Jesus’ power by falling down at Jesus’ feet and saying, “Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!”  Once Peter sees his life in comparison to Jesus’ holiness and power, he knows he is not worthy to be in Jesus’ presence.  This is the response of everyone who truly understands Jesus’ holiness and power.  They know they are sinful and are not worthy to be in the presence of Jesus.  Jesus then says to Peter, “Do not fear, from now on you will be catching men.”  Jesus tells Peter that He is not going to destroy him, but instead HE is going to change him and use him on His mission to save sinners.  The contrast in this passage is when the Pharisees and scribes complain that Jesus is eating with sinful people.  The Pharisees and scribes would not admit their sin and therefore could not be saved from the penalty of their sin.  Only those who admit they are not righteous, can be made righteous.  Lord, thank You for opening my eyes to the fact of my sin and then through Jesus making me righteous and calling me on mission to proclaim Your salvation to sinners.

– Bryan McKenzie