Launch Out - Pressing In

Luke 5:1 On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, 2 and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. 3 Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon's, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. 

This passage Luke 5:1-17 is  so packed with truth. It is important when doing exegesis on the Scriptures that you take out meaning and not put it in. It is tempting to say - the boat means this and the fish mean this and Peter represents this, ect. That's man making the Word conform to his life instead of man himself being conformed by the Word. I'd suggest two things to help you get the right interpretation. One is to do your homework. Know how to study the scriptures and give them some time and effort. Two, learn how to allow the Holy Spirit to teach you. Let Him guide you and open the living truth to your heart. Never forget the Scriptures are the Word, Jesus Christ. Approach the Word like these people on the shore and press in to know the Word relationally.

Luke says they pressed in to hear the Word. The Greek here is epikeisthai which indicates that they physically pushed against Jesus, they continued with persistence. There was an urgency in their pressing forward. Jesus likely got into the boat to get some breathing room. There are times when the crowed pressed in to do Jesus harm, but He slipped from their midst. There were times when they pressed in for another free meal and he left them. Now they press in with their desperate need to hear the Word and Jesus begins to feed them spiritually. He sat down which indicated a position of teaching and imparting truth. I would love to have been there. Maybe in eternity, Jesus will let me go back and sit on the shore and hear Him teach the Word (That's Stephens eschatology 101).

 So what can you take out of verses 1-3? Is there a pattern here we can learn? When we press into God with a desperation to know Christ, He will respond and teach us His Word. What and amazing God we serve.

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