This morning before I read Luke 5:1-11 I heard the question, “What is Jesus doing in this passage?” repeated in my mind. So I made an effort to answer the question as I read the passage. The first thing that struck me about what Jesus was doing was that he was “standing by the lake.” Amidst the crowd which was pressing in on him, wanting something from him, and the stress the situation presented, Jesus was standing that morning by the lake of Gennesaret breathing in the morning air.
The second thing Jesus was doing was “seeing” – He saw the used fishing boat that Peter and his coworkers were in earlier that morning. Jesus was observing and scanning the whole area until his eyes rested on those two boats. Jesus’ posture was in stark contrast with what was going on around him. The crowd was causing a busy, stirring, and possibly noisy environment but Jesus just simply stood and observed the whole place.
And the third thing that stuck out to me was that Jesus “sat down.” After he got into the boat, he sat and began to teach the people. As the scene unfolded I pictured Jesus taking his time, not rushing, moving deliberately (and not hurriedly), and then sitting to be with people he loved to do what he loved to do.
Standing, seeing and sitting in a posture of peace was what Jesus did before he began teaching, before he challenged his future disciples. In that crowded circle of people, Jesus managed to find some space to stand apart and look out into the lake. And when the time was right he sat back down with people and taught.
The first four verses teaches to take such a posture. In the midst of busyness, hurried situations, and a “crowd” who wants to grab at me and take from me, I need to learn to stand and look out into the lake. I need to slow down and look around. And when the time is right to sit back down with people I love and to be with them. As I think about the day ahead I can hear my 22-month old crying, wanting food or my attention; I can feel the need to make “to-do” lists and the pressure of accomplishing it; I can imagine the number of emails I have to return. And as I think of the potentially crazy day ahead, I see Jesus taking postures of peace and am reminded to imitate those postures.
Thanks for reading.
Joe
