Five Minute Friday: Opinion

Photo by Harris Vo on Unsplash

Today I am participating in Five Minute Friday, where a group of writers get together and free write about a one word prompt for 5 minutes. Today's word is "opinion."

Begin.

After they had arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax came to Peter and asked, “Does your Teacher pay the two drachmas?”

“Yes,” he answered.

When Peter entered the house, Jesus preempted him. “What do you think, Simon?” He asked. “From whom do the kings of the earth collect customs and taxes: from their own sons, or from others?”

“From others,” Peter answered.

“Then the sons are exempt,” Jesus declared. “But so that we may not offend them, go to the sea, cast a hook, and take the first fish you catch. When you open its mouth, you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for My tax and yours.”

                                                             -Matthew 17:24-27 (BSB)

This is an interesting passage of Scripture. In it Jesus actually asks Peter’s opinion, what he thinks. Jesus likes to ask questions.

Has He ever asked you a question? I have had Him ask me questions before when He was trying to lead me to the solution to a question I had. It helped a lot.

In the above passage, He also uses the question to provide not only a solution to a current issue, but to do so in a supernatural, miraculous way.

Have you ever gone fishing before? Do you like to fish? I used to go fishing with my dad when I was a little girl. I remember because I would always get some kind of treat from the snack shop. We fished in a stocked pond. I am assuming this expedition for Peter took place in the Sea of Galilee since they were in Capernaum. But in all of my fishing trips, I have never gotten a fish that had a coin in its mouth. How would that even be possible?

Another interesting fact about this passage is that Jesus told Peter to cast a hook. This is the second time Jesus has told Peter to do something regarding fishing and a miracle happened. The first time was with the net-breaking catch of fish when Jesus called him to ministry. Do you think he was building in Peter that he was the solver of all problems?

I don’t think he needed Peter’s opinion, but He might have wanted Peter to arrive at the conclusion on his own.


Stop.

31 Days of Jesus: Jesus Solves Problems

Today's word prompt for the 31 Days Five Minute Friday Writing Challenge is Problem.

Jesus solves problems.

Throughout the Gospels, we see Jesus solving problems.

In Luke 5, Jesus causes Peter and his partners to catch a boatload of fish, literally, after fishing and catching nothing all night.

When Jesus had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch.”

“Master,” Simon replied, “we have worked hard all night without catching anything. But because You say so, I will let down the nets.” When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to tear. So they signaled to 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.-Luke 5:4-7 (Berean Study Bible)

In John 2, Jesus turns water into wine at a wedding after the guests have run out. 

When the wine ran out, Jesus’ mother said to Him, “They have no more wine.” “Woman, why does this concern us?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever He tells you.”

Now six stone water jars had been set there for the Jewish rites of purification. Each could hold from twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus told the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” So they filled them to the brim.

“Now draw some out,” He said, “and take it to the master of the banquet.” They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not know where it was from, but the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside and said, “Everyone serves the fine wine first, and then the cheap wine after the guests are drunk. But you have saved the fine wine until now!”-John 2:3-10 (Berean Study Bible)

In Luke 9, we have a record of Jesus causing 5 loaves and 2 fish to feed 5000+ people.  The disciples wanted to send them away to get food.  But Jesus was like here, let me fix it.

As the day neared its end, the Twelve came to Jesus and said, “Dismiss the crowd so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside for lodging and provisions. For we are in a desolate place here.”

But Jesus told them, “You give them something to eat.”

“We have only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered, “unless we go and buy food for all these people.” (There were about five thousand men.)

He told His disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” They did so, and everyone was seated.

Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, Jesus spoke a blessing and broke them. Then He gave them to the disciples to set before the people.

They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.-Luke 9:12-17 (Berean Study Bible)

He repeatedly solved problems when issues arose. When he came into contact with things that needed to be affected in the natural, supernatural things began to happen.

He also healed people over and over and over again. The phrase “and he healed them all” is repeated many times. There are also many individual accounts of healing throughout the Gospels.

In John chapter 5, verse 17, Jesus says, 

But Jesus answered them, “To this very day My Father is at His work, and I too am working.”

Jesus solves problems.

What problem do you need solved today?

 To read more in the series, please go to 31 Days of Jesus.

A Foundation of Grace: Grace Gives Big Time

As the crowd was pressing in on Jesus to hear God’s word, He was standing by Lake Gennesaret. He saw two boats at the edge of the lake; the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, which belonged to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from the land. Then He sat down and was teaching the crowds from the boat."

When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch.”

“Master,” Simon replied, “we’ve worked hard all night long and caught nothing! But at Your word, I’ll let down the nets.”

When they did this, they caught a great number of fish, and their nets began to tear.  So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them; they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, because I’m a sinful man, Lord!”  For he and all those with him were amazed at the catch of fish they took,  and so were James and John, Zebedee’s sons, who were Simon’s partners.

“Don’t be afraid,” Jesus told Simon. “From now on you will be catching people!”  Then they brought the boats to land, left everything, and followed Him.-Luke 5:1-11 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)

For the last few years, I have started spending more time looking at people and the way they responded to Jesus in the Gospels and the way He responded back to them.  We can learn so much about his character in this way, who he was/is, how he treated people, and this will give us insight into how he is treating us now.  Because a lot of people really don't have an accurate picture of how God is relating to them.

I was reading this story this morning and a few things about Jesus' encounter with Peter stood out to me. 

This was an early meeting of Peter and Jesus.  Peter did not yet really know Jesus based on his actions. He was not traveling with him yet. But he goes through a little transition during this meeting.

The Bible says Jesus saw two boats.  He chose to get into Peter's boat that day.

He asks Peter to push the boat out a little from the edge and then starts teaching the people.  Peter was still in the boat listening to Jesus teach.  After Jesus finishes, he tells Peter to let his nets down for a catch.  Peter doesn't think that is a good idea.  He has just fished all night, caught nothing, and doesn't believe it will do any good.  But because Jesus just told him to, he decides to do it.  He has been teaching in his boat after all. 

What Peter doesn't realize, as many of us don't, is that Grace is sitting in our boat.  Even after an encounter, it takes us a little bit to get it.

So, he lets down the net and they catch so many fish (somebody else is in the boat with Peter, but he's doing all the talking as usual) that they have to call for their partners to help and then both boats began to sink.  That is a lot of fish!!!  How many fish would it take to cause a boat to sink?  They are made to be buoyant.  They were carrying grown men and there were so many fish in the boat it started to sink!!

Peter still didn't get it completely, who Jesus was, and what he was about.  We can tell by his response to Jesus.  I plan on talking about that more later.

But, my oh my, we can learn about Jesus in this passage, and about the Grace He brings with Him.

The Grace Jesus brings gives big time! The Grace He brings is a superabundantly, overflowing, boat-sinking type of giving!