1 One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the people 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.
Just imagine the scene – Jesus was teaching by the Lake of Gennesaret. The people were crowding around Him so tightly all listening to the Word preach the word! The word translated “listening” is the Greek word “Akouo” meaning to hear, acknowledge, understand, and heed. They were not only hearing they were heeding! Oh, that it would be the same for us too! How often we sit, soak, and sour through wonderful exposition of the Scriptures. We hear truth yet remain unchanged. This is sad, in more ways than one might imagine. We are held accountable for the truth that we have received. Scripture tells us: 1 So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God. 2 Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. 1 Cor 4:1-2 (NIV)
Again we are told in Luke: 47 "That servant who knows his master's will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. 48 But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. Luke 12:47-48 (NIV)
Indeed, it is a precious privileged priority to hasten the heeding of His glorious word! Of this, we should take note! Spying a boat at the water’s edge and knowing His voice would travel over water like a microphone, Jesus steps into Simon Peter’s boat and asks him to put out from the shore. He would be able to reach many more with the Good News of the Kingdom of God from a boat on the water rather than trying to yell over the throngs crowding around Him. He sits down in the boat and begins to teach. The word translated “taught” is the Greek word “Didasko” meaning to learn, know, or teach. It has inherent in it the calculation of the increase in understanding of the pupil. It is used absolutely of Christ’s teaching; as instruction in the Christian faith and Christian teaching. How like Christ! He teaches us exactly where we are. The same is true for the believer today. The Holy Spirit leads and guides each one of us into all truth exactly where we each are as we study and grow in the Scriptures. This is how we “grow up” in Him:14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. Eph 4:14-16 (NIV)
As we are taught and as we flesh out the truths given to us, the body grows – how very cool! I love the way Christ works! “Cultivate my heart, Lord, so I may catch every word that falls from heaven – every syllable of encouragement, every sentence of rebuke, every paragraph of instruction, every page of warning. Help me to catch these words as the soft, fertile soil catches seeds.” Ken Gire