In Luke 5:1-111And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret, 2And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets. 3And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship. 4Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. 5And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. 6And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. 7And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink. 8When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. 9For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken: 10And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men. 11And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him. (Luke 5:1‑11), we find there is nothing in works to save a man; in Mark 5:22-3422And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet, 23And besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live. 24And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him. 25And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, 26And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, 27When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. 28For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. 29And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. 30And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes? 31And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? 32And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing. 33But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. 34And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague. (Mark 5:22‑34), there is nothing to give him life; in Luke 7:40-4840And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on. 41There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. 42And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? 43Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged. 44And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. 45Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet. 46My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment. 47Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. 48And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. (Luke 7:40‑48) both Simon and the woman in his house were in the same condition, deeply involved in debt, and had nothing wherewith to pay; and in John 15:55I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. (John 15:5), the Saviour says, “Without Me ye can do nothing.” It is Christ the Lord all through. We cannot get salvation by works; we cannot get it by human instrumentality; we are bankrupt before God, and have nothing wherewith, to pay; and if it is a question of doing anything for the Lord, it is necessary to know Him.
It is a very quiet, interesting scene in Luke 5. A lake, called the Sea of Galilee, and by the shore two fishing boats. But the men are not in the boats, but washing their nets. And we see on the shore One Who is the Lord of glory, and much people pressing in a crowd upon Him to hear the word of God. And the Lord asks one of the fishermen to thrust out a little from the shore; and entering the boat, He teaches the people from it. Oh, the simplicity, beauty, and quietness of that scene! And then the Lord says, “Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draft.” But Simon says, “Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing!” Night is the time when fish are mostly caught, but all that night’s work had been without result. “Nevertheless, at Thy word I will let down the net.” There was a reliance, a trust in that word; and Peter goes back to those very waters where all night they had caught nothing, and lets down the net. “And when they had this done, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes; and their net broke.” They beckoned to their partners, and filled both boats, till they began to sink! This was a revelation to Peter that he was in the presence of One Who was more than man, One Who had control over the fishes of the sea the Creator His Maker, his., God! And drawn by irresistible grace to that Person, “he fell down at Jesus’ knees, and said, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” The revelation of that Presence to Peter’s conscience showed him he was unworthy of it, and yet grace had drawn him there! God always works in these two ways. His light reveals the sinner’s condition, and His grace draws the convicted one into His Own blessed presence. The people pressed on Him to hear the word of God: Peter not only heard it, but obeyed it; and the effect was, he and his companions “forsook all and followed Him.”
In the next case in Mark 5, the Lord is on a journey to heal the daughter of Jairus, and again “much people followed Him.” His miracles attracted many; all there had needs, yet only in one ease was the need met; and it was met on the ground of faith (vv. 25, 26). She had spent all she had on physicians, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse (v., 26); but she heard of Jesus, and that He was drawing near. She says, “If I may but touch His clothes I shall be whole”; and she goes to Him; she touches His clothes; there is living contact with Him. She had not to wait for the morrow, but “straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up, and” (after she touched, not before) “she felt in her body that she was healed of her plague.”
In Luke 7 we have another “nothing.” Simon the Pharisee invited the Lord into his house, but did not give Him the common courtesies a host should give. And there stole into the room a woman, a noted character, known as a sinner, and a dissolute one. And He, the holy, spotless One, the Stranger from heaven, yet the Friend of sinners, is sitting there. She knows she is a sinner, but she knows He knows all about her, and she has confidence to come to His feet. Simon remarks, “This Man, if He were a prophet, would have known who, and what manner of woman this is that toucheth Him; for she is a sinner.” Oh, it is a grand thing when the sinner touches the Saviour! And a wonderful thing when the Saviour touches the sinner! The Lord tells Simon of two men who were debtors; one owing 500 pence, the other 50. But both were debtors. And Simon and the woman were both indebted to God; both were sinners, though one was religious and the other profligate; yet both were lost. There might be a difference in the amount of debt; but both were alike in this they had nothing to pay. Both were in debt, and both were bankrupt. “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” it matters not how far short. But the Lord says, “He frankly forgave them both.” That is God’s attitude today; He would frankly forgive. But the Pharisee would not bow down to receive such a gift; the woman did, and she got the blessing.
Oh, how blessed to know a God of love Who has frankly forgiven us, because the Lord Jesus Christ has taken our debts on the cross, and the work is finished! What a wonderful pardoning God we have! The woman loved most, because most forgiven. The one who has taken his place as a debtor, and knows the One Who paid it all, and has forgiven all, must return such love, and seek to do something to show that return. And the expression of it is seen by fruitbearing and life; as in John 15. But “without Me ye can do nothing,” and if we want to do anything that is well done in the annals of heaven, we must be in communion with Him.
QUARTUS