Luke 5:1-11
Jesus Chooses His Disciples
1 One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. 2 He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.
4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”
5 Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”
6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.
8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” 9 For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 10 and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.
Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” 11 So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.
Matthew 16:13-20
Peter Declares That Jesus Is the Messiah
13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” 20 Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.
Luke 5:27-32
Jesus Calls Levi and Eats with Sinners
27 After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. “Follow me,” Jesus said to him, 28 and Levi got up, left everything and followed him.
29 Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. 30 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”
31 Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
When Peter first met Jesus, he was fishing with some other guys...Jesus helped Peter and the sons of Zebedee catch a large amount of fish that day...Peter recognized who Jesus was when he saw this large catch and he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, LORD; I am a sinful man!”...For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners...Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.”...So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed Him...And after Jesus called and named His Disciples, I sometimes think of them as the First Christian Church, the Jesus Church, the Church of Christ....And Jesus is their Pastor, their Minister -and what a Minister He is!!!...
Later Jesus is in one of His Disciples house...It is Matthew who was a tax collector...So someone ask Jesus, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”...Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick...I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”...
Then later when Jesus asks His Disciples who He is, Peter answers, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.”...Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by My Father in heaven...And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it...I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”...Then He ordered His disciples not to tell anyone that He was the Messiah...
Jesus told His Disciples that He came to earth to call on sinners...Jesus gave Peter the keys to His church and Peter has already admitted to Him, that He is a sinful man...Then He gives the key to His church to Peter...The church exists of sinful men, and Jesus Disciples and followers were sinful, as well as all of us who follow Him...To deny this, is to deny the cross that saves us, and His mercy, and His grace and His truth...