Romans 12:16 - Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be WISE in your own estimation.

When Jesus first instructed Peter to let down the nets, we can hear the scoffing and doubt in Peter’s response. Luke 5:5 Simon responded and said, “Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but I will do as You say and let down the nets.”

Yet, AFTER the miracle, Peter is once again humbled and broken. Luke 5:8 But when Simon Peter saw this, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!”

We should take note of Peter’s reaction. Of course there is what he said about being a sinful man. Kenneth Bailey writes, “Faced with authentic holiness, Peter senses that he is unclean.” His use of the somewhat impersonal “Master” in verse 5, to the highly personal “Lord” in verse 8 is telling. Jesus has the power to make the unclean clean again and He does the same with us. That this happened at Tabgha is remarkable, because in John 21, a nearly identical scene will play out, including a miraculous catch of fish and a broken Peter who will be made clean again.

But, back in Luke 5, also notice Peter’s values and priorities. He had just won the “fishing lottery.” Yet at that moment, the big haul resulting in the big payday wasn’t a priority. “Catching and killing fish will be transformed into catching people and bringing them to new life.”

It’s easy to get our kingdoms confused. Our citizenship, our kingdom, is in heaven not of this world. Peter is relatable to us as disciples precisely because he struggles to operate in these two realms from time to time. But here, he gets it right.

1 John 2:16 - For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not from the Father but from the world.

The enemy has used this threefold trap since the Garden of Eden. We see, we lust, then we take. This is the world’s method. In fact our entire economy is based on this approach. But this is not God’s way.

in John 5:43, Jesus contrasts Himself, sent by God against another unnamed person who comes in his own name as the world’s representative. 1 John 2, written by the same author, clearly contrasts the ways of the Father against the ways of the world.

When we inappropriately desire the things of this world, we are living for this world, not living for God. When we choose to live for the father by John’s and Jesus’ definition, we are rejecting the things of this world.

2 Corinthians 5:20 - Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ

In John 5:30, Jesus said, “I do not seek My own will but the will of Him who sent me.”

Just as Jesus was sent as an ambassador, a representative, of the Father, so we have been sent as ambassadors and representatives for Jesus. Our actions reflect on Him, positively or negatively. In our dealings with others, we are to put his interests above our own.

2nd Peter 3:18 Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

When Jesus said “This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears” (Luke 4:21), He was unquestionably proclaiming to be the Messiah. To some (perhaps only a vocal minority), they reacted negatively. This IS blasphemy! And indeed it would have been if it weren’t true. What they failed to do was to take time to understand whether Jesus’ claims had any merit.

Our world is structured in a way to get us to react with our emotions. We could argue the entire economy is structured this way - the sellers want EVERYTHING to be an “impulse buy.” The media typically wants us to react with fear. Of course sin never wants us to take the time to understand what we are about to do and the possible consequences.

Believe it or not, most of us have been programmed to react by our environment. As Believers we need to overcome this. If the people of Nazareth had taken the time to examine Jesus’ claims, they would have understood that He wasn’t blaspheming, but in fact He was and IS the promised Messiah.

Understanding > Reacting.

Colossians 1:13-14

For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

In John chapter 4, the woman’s water pot is a symbol of the divide between Samaritans and Jews. A Jew such as Jesus could not touch the Samaritan’s pot because it was unclean, nor does the woman offer it to Jesus because He is unclean to her. At the end of their discussion, she runs into town with the Good News, leaving her water pot, figuratively and literally at Jesus’ feet. Colossians 1:13-14 is a great summary of the transformation in the woman’s life and it speaks of the rescue and transformation we have in Him. May we always leave our pots of division, hurt, disappointment, and depression at jesus feet!

Eph 4:1-3 Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, being diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Col 3:5 Therefore, treat the parts of your earthly body as dead to sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.

In John 3:14, Jesus states that the serpent in the wilderness (see Numbers 21 6-9) was a foreshadow of His ministry. Because of rebellion, God sent a plague of serpents to bite the people. As a remedy, He instructed Moses to fashion a brass serpent and put it on a pole. Whoever was bitten could look on the pole and be healed. In the same way, whoever is bitten by sin can look upon (believe in) Jesus and be spared the punishment for sin, which is death (John 3:15).

By the time of King Hezekiah, the thing God meant for good had been turned into a thing of idolatry for the people. 2 Kings 18:3-6 records that Hezekiah “broken in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for the people of Israel had made offerings to it..”

Believers have a tendency to take the the good gifts of God and turn them into idols. Christmas might be a modern example. Colossians 3:5 reminds talmidim to be on guard against such things and keep our focus on God.

Php 2:3-4 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility consider one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

In John 1:35, John the Baptist essentially refers two of his own disciples to Jesus. Imagine a teacher today saying, “you should really go to the church down the street; that teacher is better than I am”!

Yet, this is essentially what John the Baptist says to his former disciples.

It speaks of John’s humility and that fact that his eyes were on God’s bigger picture.

This is how it should be with us. It’s not about us; it’s about Him.

Act 2:42 They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

From Jesus’ temptations in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11), we learn that Satan likes to attack when believers are isolated. He entices us with things that appeal to our eyes, our flesh, or our pride of life (1 John 2:15-17).

The more we remain in fellowship with other believers, the less vulnerable we are to the enemy’s attacks.

2Ti 3:16-17 All Scripture is inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man or woman of God may be fully capable, equipped for every good work.

During his temptations in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11), Jesus concludes each test the way any good rabbi would; He makes an appeal to Scripture.

“As it is written…” should be a phrase we as Talmidim begin to use frequently as we continue to learn to be imitators of Jesus.

2nd Timothy reminds us that all scripture, not just our favorite portions, is profitable for the man or woman of God.

Gal 6:10 So then, while we have opportunity, let’s do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.

John the Baptist encouraged his followers to “Bear fruit in keeping with repentance” (Matt 3:8). Our works matter; our good deeds become our wedding garments (Revelation 19). We don’t do good works to get saved; we do good works because we already are saved. A healthy fruit tree will bear healthy fruit. If we are saved, there should be evidence.

2 Ti 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a worker who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.

At the temple when He was 12, Jesus respectfully, but unapologetically explained to His parents that the Study of God’s Word took priority at that moment. He would later use His knowledge of Scripture to fend of the Devil’s attacks (Luke 2:48-50).

Pro 25:2 It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.

The gospel writers sometimes add details that we need to chase down before we can understand (see Luke 2:2 for one example).

Isa 51:7 “Listen to Me, you who know righteousness, A people in whose heart is My Law; Do not fear the taunting of people, Nor be terrified of their abuses.

Joseph had to be reassured that he was not sinning by proceeding to marry Mary, even though it was wrong in the eyes of the popular culture (Matthew 1:19).