Dig Deeper:
INTRODUCING SIMON: We met Simon (later known as Peter) for the first time yesterday in chapter 4 when Simon invited Jesus to his house and Jesus healed his mother-in-law. Two things stand out about Simon in the opening passage of this chapter: first, he faithfully obeys Jesus even when it doesn't seem logical (redeploying the fishing nets after working hard to wash and stow them - v5); secondly, we see him reject Jesus for the right reason: because Simon recognized a sinful man can not be in the presence of a holy God (v8). Simon didn't yet know what so many people still miss today: that Jesus came to make people righteous and acceptable, not to squash them for their sin.
SPIRITUALLY DISCIPLINED: Even though Jesus tells most of His miracle recipients to stay quiet about what has happened, it doesn't take long for word to get out and for crowds to begin inundating Jesus with requests for healing. Yet even as people flock to Him to beg Him to perform this critical work, look at the habit that Jesus maintain in v16: "He often withdrew to lonely places and prayed." If Jesus realized that this quiet time was so important that He made sick people wait to be healed, do you think it's important for you to make this a strong habit? What's your plan for making this happen?
MEMORY VERSE:
It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. (v31-32)
UM, WHAT'S A WINESKIN?? Jesus uses two metaphors in v36-39 that would have made perfect sense to the people He was talking to but that don't seem to make any sense to us. You can use a good study Bible to learn more, but what Jesus was telling these Pharisees was that they needed to stop trying to patch in bits and pieces of Jesus' teaching into their old law. They were trying to perform the same calculation we read about so often in Paul's letters: Jesus + religious rituals = salvation. Jesus wants them to know they must trust in Him alone.
AAA Prayer Tips:
ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: The almighty God who has the power to heal (v17) and the power to forgive (v20)
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Submit yourself to Jesus as Simon did (v8) and then listen to Jesus' command for your life as Simon did (v10)
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:
