After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. “Follow me,” Jesus said to him, and Levi got up, left everything and followed Him.

Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to His disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”

Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

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I just can’t help but think about how the religious leaders spent all of their time with Jesus complaining and judging. They missed out on so much because they couldn’t get out of their own negative way. I know people like that today. You know, it’s hard to experience the full and abundant life Jesus has for us when we remain in a constant state of negativity. If we aren’t careful, we will miss out on so much as we focus on the negative thoughts, opinions, and flaws all day. You are a child of God! Have some positive energy today!

One day Jesus was teaching, and the Pharisees and the teachers of the law were sitting there. They had come from every village in Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal the sick. Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.

When Jesus saw their faith, He said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”

The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, “Who is this fellow that speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

Jesus knee what they were thinking and asked, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So He said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God. Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, “We have seen remarkable things today.”

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It was their faith that healed them. I want to take it in another direction though. Paul would later say that you could have so much faith that you could move mountains, and it would be worthless without love. The love that these men had for their friend was evident in their efforts to bring Him to Jesus. They weren’t planning on helping their friend find forgiveness…just healing. But something beautiful happens in the life of an individual when they find Jesus…they’re often changed on the inside which then directly affects the outside actions. When we love people enough to get them to Jesus…even when it’s not easy…beautiful things can happen in their life. Yes, it was their faith that brought him forgiveness and healing…but that faith was accompanied by a love that reflects Jesus. Is your faith bathed in love?

While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”

Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” He said, “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him.

Then Jesus ordered him, “Don’t tell anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”

Yet the news about Him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear Him and be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.

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Jesus was not afraid to disengage from the people. He would often go to lonely places…in other words, alone…and pray. In our culture, before this pandemic, it was go, go, go. Hopefully, we have learned a valuable lesson in being able to slow down. This passage speaks directly to me today. I stress about whether “people” think I am doing enough, or if I believe I am doing enough. This usually keeps me in “church” mode when I should be in “family” mode or even “God” mode. I have a hard time shutting down. I’ve tried to designate a day to relax and stay away from ministry related things. But what I’m leaving out is the fact that Jesus withdrew…TO PRAY. There was intention behind His disengagement. Me, I just waste the day. Maybe you’re like me…and you need to be able to disengage. But let’s be more intentional with it. Let’s allow God, in those moments, to fill us up again, instead of everything else.

One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around Him and listening to the word of God. He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then He sat down and taught the people from the boat.

When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”

Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”

When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.

Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed Him.

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Simon says “…but because you say so…” There are times in our life where even logically it might not seem smart to follow where God is leading you. Simon knew there were no fish…but he did it anyways. I wonder…what may God have been asking you to do that you brushed away because it just didn’t seem right? Where has God led you that maybe logically didn’t make sense? You see…God surpasses our understanding. My challenge for you is next time you hear God but brush it away because of logic…be like Simon and do it anyways. You might just find your boat/life so full of blessings that you don’t know what to do.

Jesus left the synagogue and went to the home of Simon. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Jesus to help her. So He bent over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up at once and began to wait on them.

At sunset, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying His hands on each one, He healed them. Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, “You are the Son of God!” But He rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew He was the Messiah.

At daybreak, Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for Him and when they came to where He was, they tried to keep Him from leaving them. But He said, “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.” And He kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea.

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I believe sometimes the church can act like the people in Capernaum. They didn’t want Jesus to leave…they wanted Him all to themselves. The church acts in this way sometimes. We want Jesus all to ourselves…and this is proven by the lack of initiative to share Him with those who don’t have Him. Jesus told them He had to go through all the towns. Similarly, Jesus commanded us to share Him to the ends of the earth. If we truly have and understand Jesus…we won’t want to keep Him to ourself, because it’s no longer we who live but Christ who lives in us. So…what will you do? Will you try to keep Him for yourself and in so doing miss who He really is…it will you share Him with others and realize who He is really is?

Then He went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath He taught the people. They were amazed at His teaching, because His words had authority.

In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an impure spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice, “Go away! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are-the Holy One if God!”

“Be quiet!” Jesus said sternly. “Come out of him!” Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him.

All the people were amazed and said to each other, “What words these are!” With authority and power He gives orders to impure spirits and they come out!” And the news about Him spread throughout the surrounding area.

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What stands out to me is how the people were so amazed with Jesus’ words…not so much the driving out of the demon…but the words and authority He used to do it. What’s so crazy is that we have the greatest message…the greatest words ever spoken or written. The Gospel message is literally life changing. If the church could humble itself and begin speaking these words boldly, as one who has victory, I believe people would be amazed at those words. Why? Because of confidence, joy, excitement, and even desperation we use to speak them. Jesus had authority as He spoke. We have Jesus…let’s start speaking.

Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about Him spread through the whole countryside. He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised Him.

He went to Nazareth, where He had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day He went into the synagogue, as was His custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. Unrolling it, He found the place where it is written:

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because He has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim good news to the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Isaiah 61:1-2

Then He rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on Him. He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

All spoke well of Him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from His lips. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” they asked.

Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to me: ‘Physician, heal yourself!’ And you will tell me, ‘Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.’”

“Truly I tell you,” He continued, “no prophet is accepted in His hometown. I assure you that there were many widow’s in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed-only Naaman the Syrian.”

All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. They got up, drove Him out of town, and took Him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw Him off the cliff. But He walked right through the crowd and went on His way.

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A prophet is not honored in his hometown. Why? In the Gospel of Mark it actually makes reference to the fact that their lack of faith prevented Jesus from doing miracles there. Lack of faith? Didn’t they believe in God? You see, it was more about the messenger than the message. They were blind to the message because they were fixated on Joseph’s son saying He was the Son of God. We do this too. We often accept or reject a message based on who is providing it. It’s time we let the Word of God speak louder than the words of man. It’s time to drop our judgment and criticism of the messenger and focus more of the message. You want God to move? Listen to His words…

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days He was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those forty days, and at the end of them He was hungry.

The devil said to Him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’”

The devil led Him up to a high place and showed Him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to Him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. If you worship me, it will all be yours.”

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.’”

The devil led Him to Jerusalem and had Him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. For it is written: ‘He will command His angels concerning you to guard your carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”

Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.

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Jesus combated temptation with scripture. So many of us cave in to the temptation far too often and question why we aren’t stronger. But how many of us are truly diving into the Word of God daily? How many of us have equipped ourself to combat the temptation? We can’t defeat it under our own power…remember it’s not a sin to be tempted…it’s what we do in response that get’s is in trouble. You want to defeat the temptations in your life? Hide the Word of God in your heart.

When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as He was praying, heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on Him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when He began His ministry. He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph, the son of Heli, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melki, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph, the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai, the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josek, the son of Joda, the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri, the son of Melki, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er, the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim, the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David, the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon, the son of Amminadab, the son of Ram, the son of Herron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah, the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxed, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, the son of Methusalah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalalel, the son of Kenan, the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.

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The Spirit descended on Him like a dove. This same Spirit…the one that guided Him through the testing in the wilderness, gave Him strength to face the cross, rose Him from the dead, is the same Spirit that you and I obtain at baptism. We have everything we need to face this world with the Holy Spirit. We have been given power to go out and share the Gospel to the ends of the earth. You don’t need more education, more practice, more help…you just need the power from the Holy Spirit to equip you with good news. Find strength in the Holy Spirit today.

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar-when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene-during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet:

“A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him. Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. And all people will see God’s salvation.’”

Isaiah 40:3-5

John said to the crowds coming to be baptized by Him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”

“What should we do then?” the crowd asked.

John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has good should do the same.”

Even tax collectors came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they said, “what should we do?”

“Don’t collect any more than you are required to,” he said to them.

Then soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?”

He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely-be content with your pay.”

The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Messiah. John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” And with many other words John exhorted the people and proclaimed the good news to them.

But when John rebuked Herod the tetrarch because of his marriage to Herodias, his brother’s wife, and all the other evil things he had done, Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison.

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I just can’t help but think about the questions they were asking John. What should we do? And John would say don’t do this thing wrong you are doing. It seems pretty clear cut to me. But if you think about…the longer you drift away from God and participate in sin, the harder it is to differentiate between what is right and wrong. It becomes a way of life…not easily broken. What clear cut things is God telling you to quit? Because you know…sometimes it’s just that obvious.