Day 21

We are in the process of looking at the first six “fishing trips” Jesus goes on with his young ministry team. We are doing this for two reasons, do you remember what they are? Jesus' goal was to
1. train the ministry team and 2. reach the masses. Although Fridays trip was well executed, today’s “fishing trip” may surprise you. When we left Friday, Jesus had healed a demon-possessed man of an evil spirit and, immediately, news about Jesus spread into all the surrounding district of Galilee (Mark 1:28). Jesus leaves the synagogue in Capernaum and heads to Peter’s house. Yes, Peter owned a house and he was even married!  Check it out!

Read: Luke 4:38-44; Matthew 8:14-17;Mark 1:29-39

Where is Jesus “Fishing”?

Who is He trying to reach?

What is Jesus modeling about fishing for men in a house setting?

How is he “Fishing”?

Today, we are at Peter’s home for a very different kind of “fishing trip”– Home outreach, beginning in the evening after sunset. Because of the news of what had happened in the synagogue in Capernaum, the word of Jesus’ authority, power and message had carried to the surrounding area and people came to bring their sick and demon-possessed. The first outreach was in a synagogue and the second in a disciple’s home, two very different places to reach people with the Good News about Jesus. Another huge difference in this outreach event was that it was a spontaneous event that probably lasted long into the night, judging by the amount of people who showed up. Notice once again that Jesus does not heal everyone or cast out every evil spirit (Mark 1:34).  

Once again, let me remind you that although Jesus may have wanted to heal everyone He came in contact with, He only healed those the Father allowed him to. He always said and did what the Father told him to. I think many times Jesus did not heal people because the Father was more glorified in the sickness than in the healing of a person. I know this is a tough truth to wrestle with, especially when you are face-to-face with a parent or someone you love who has cancer or some deadly disease. Yet, we must understand, as Jesus did, that it is about bringing glory to the Father and not about earthly, temporal comfort. Every person Jesus healed eventually died.

Another thing I do not want us to miss is what happens in the morning after this great night of ministry. Look back and check it out. What does Jesus do and when does he do it (Mark 1:35)? Jesus, after a long night of ministry, gets up before dawn and slips out of the house to get alone with His Father. Wow! How cool is that? A quiet time with His father was not just a once-in-awhile thing for Jesus. He modeled a lifestyle of getting alone with His Father, to hear His voice, to find out the next steps in life and ministry and just commune with Him (Luke 5:16).
Do you have that passion in you to know God as Father and commune with Him? Notice that after meeting with His Father, Jesus’ disciples come looking for Him. That is because they had already gotten excited about these “fishing trips” and had gone ahead  and seemingly planned one on their own (or at least Peter did). “Come back, Jesus,” they called to Him. “Everyone is looking for you and we need you to go!”

It reminds me of my youth ministry days. I would plan events and lessons and at the last moment ask Jesus to show up and He’d say, “Not now- maybe next time you should talk to me and God beforehand.” Yikes! Been there, done that!

Jesus, in this case, shocks them all by telling them no because they needed to leave to preach in the next towns. I can only imagine the looks on their faces. How did Jesus know it was time to move on? Remember, He had just spent the early hours with His Father, getting the next steps. So, acting in obedience, Jesus does the will of God and not the will of men.

As you plan your event, do so with the Father and not without Him. Ask for His guidance form the beginning. He wants to be included in every part of your life and not be an add-on in the end.

Jesus loved getting away to be with His dad, to hear His voice, to get His next steps and commune with Him. How about you? Do you have this Jesus lifestyle of making time to be with your Father? This is such an important part of your walk with Christ.

Today is all about having lifestyle of meeting with God. In our passage we see Jesus model it, and we see the importance of it! This is hard  in the busy world in which we find ourselves. Satan will do everything he can to keep you from spending time with your Father. Don't let him win.



It is time to start thinking about a date for your “fishing trip”, that we began to think about last week,  if you have not already. You must immerse yourself in prayer. Ask the Father to identify the people you are to reach out to and who will join in the “fishing team”. Pray for them and involve them in planning the expedition.

Seriously! Put a date on the calendar! Be praying asking God to make the right time! Lets get busy!