Scripture Reading: Luke 5:1-11
The scene of this lesson is the Lake of Gennesaret. “Although God has created seven seas,” said the rabbis, “yet He has chosen this one as His special delight.” No body of water on the earth is so sacred to the hearts of Christians as this little inland sea. Along its shores Jesus walked, wrought, and talked. At that time its shore was a garden, without break, covered with pleasant towns and villages. Desolation now reigns about it. In our Lord’s time it was covered with fishing boats and vessels of all kinds. A great population then crowded its shores. Now the towns have disappeared, and the boats no longer ply on the beautiful waters. Yet everywhere in the sands are the footprints of Him who came to save us. “It is the gem of Palestine, a sapphire fairly set in its framework of hills, but more fairly set in the golden words and works of the Son of God.”
In the story of our passage we have one of the experiences of our Master on this beautiful sea. The people thronged about Him to hear Him speak. The crowd became very great, and that He might speak to the people more satisfactorily, He entered one of the fishing boats that were moored by the shore. The fishermen had left their boats and were wasing their nets. Using this fishing boat as a pulpit, Jesus spoke to the people. That little boat had done good service many times before in other ways. It had carried people across the lake, it had been used in fishing, but it never had been put to such a use as it was that day, when the Lord preached from its deck to the throngs on the beach. We can find pulpits every day from which we can preach to the people about us. The boy can speak at school, or from his place of duty, or in the office where he works. The girl can find a pulpit among her friends, at her daily tasks, in the social group of which she is a member. No one ever yet lacked opportunities to speak for the Master. Often the little sermons we speak on the way, as we walk, or as we ride on the street cars or on the railroad train, have more effect, a wider reach of influence, than if we stood up in a church pulpit and made a fine address.
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