IN OUR last study of this series we investigated the incident of our Lord's preaching in Nazareth, following His return to Galilee after His temptation. Matthew and Mark simply state that He returned to Galilee. Luke, however, is the one who gives us the information that He went to Nazareth and preached the marvelous sermon, which we studied last month. In Luke 4:31 we are told that Christ, after leaving Nazareth, went down to Capernaum. Luke, continuing his narrative, speaks of His healing a man in the synagogue who had an unclean spirit. If Luke's were the only record we had, we would think that this cure was the next thing recorded of our Lord. But when we examine the accounts by Matthew and Mark, we see that, when He left Nazareth to go to Capernaum, He walked along the seashore and recalled four of His early disciples. Matthew informs us that, after the temptation of Jesus, the Lord went to Galilee and then, leaving Nazareth, He went down to Capernaum in order that the prophecy found in Isaiah, chapter 9, might be fulfilled.

As He was going to Capernaum, He was walking along beside the Sea of Galilee and called these early disciples. Mark speaks of the recall of these particular disciples before Jesus entered into Capernaum (Mark 1:16-20). In view of these facts, we must believe that the call of the disciples found in Luke 5:1-11 is the same incident mentioned by Matthew and Mark. We shall, therefore, in this month's study investigate Luke 5:1-11 in connection with 4:31.

The Apostle John is the one who tells us of the call of the early disciples (John 1:35-51). Andrew was one of the two disciples of John the Baptist who left the latter and followed Christ. Immediately he went and got his brother, Simon, and brought him to the Lord. Since James and John are mentioned among the disciples to whom Jesus gave the second call (Matt. 4:18-22), it is supposed by some that John was one of the two disciples of John the Baptist who left the latter and with Andrew followed Jesus. John naturally brought his brother James to the Lord. Among the earliest disciples were also Philip and Nathanael. In all probability the disciples whom Jesus called on the occasion of which we are studying were Peter and Andrew, and James and John, because they were fishermen.

In all probability, after Jesus gave His first call to the early disciples, He was tempted of the devil for forty days. These early disciples went back home and returned to their normal activities. When Jesus returned to Galilee after the temptation, He delivered His message at Nazareth and then went down to Capernaum. Before entering this city, He was thronged by a vast multitude to whom He, stopping, preached the Word of God, as He was standing on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee (Gennesaret).

It seems that the incident of the recalling of these early disciples was early in the morning. There were two boats standing by the shore. The fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. One of the boats belonged to Simon Peter. Since the crowd was thronging Him, Jesus entered into Peter's boat and asked him to push out away from land. When he did this, Jesus spoke to the multitude from the boat.

When He finished speaking to the multitude, He instructed Peter to put out further into the lake and to let down his nets for a draught of fishes. Peter began to remonstrate, saying, "Master, we toiled all night, and took nothing: but at thy word I will let down the nets" (Luke 5:5). When they did this, they enclosed a great number of fish so that the nets were breaking. Then they beckoned to their partners in the other boat, indicating that they should come and render assistance. The catch of fish was so very large that they filled both boats to the point that they were about to sink.

When Peter really took in the situation he, in his characteristic, impetuous manner, fell at the feet of Jesus and said: "...Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, 0 Lord" (5:8).

Though these fishermen had toiled all night and had caught nothing, yet Peter at the word of the Lord was willing to lower his net for a catch. The command for him to put out the nets did not meet with Peter's approval, or agree with his idea. Nevertheless, he was willing to do whatever the Lord said. Oh, that the people of God would always be willing to do exactly what the Lord says, regardless of whether or not they can see any reason or hope of gain! Implicit obedience is what the Lord wants.

The Lord knows what is best for each of us and what will bring results, whereas we do not. It is, therefore, for us not to question, but to obey implicitly. When we do that, we will receive the blessing.

The Lord knew where the fish were, and He gave explicit instructions to His disciples where to go and when to put down the nets. The Lord knows where the blessings are and how to get us to the place where they are. He is very eager to do the very best that He can for us under all circumstances.

The Lord said on this occasion to Simon: "...Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men" (vs. 10). Another account reads, "I will make you fishers of men." They were fishers of fish; but the Lord wants to make His disciples to become fishers of men. Our chief duty and responsibility is to become fishers of men--to become soul winners. After all, the only thing that counts for eternity is that service which we render in the Master's cause for the advancement of the truth and the salvation of souls. Everything else is subordinate and secondary.

After Jesus gave His second call to the early disciples, He went into Capernaum, which He made His headquarters, and from which He went out during the rest of His ministry.

On the sabbath day Jesus was teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum. There was present a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon, and who cried out with a loud voice: "Ah! What have we to do with thee, Jesus thou Nazarene? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God" (Luke 4:34). We frequently, in the Gospel Records, read of demon possession. Some spirits are called unclean demons; others are designated as deaf and dumb spirits. It seems that these spirits are named according to the outstanding characteristic of each. A dumb spirit would be one that would cause dumbness on the part of the one thus possessed. An unclean spirit would be thus described by the fact that he thus produced moral filth in a heightened degree in the one possessed. The man cried out to Jesus and spoke in the plural number: "What have we to do with thee...." This language implies that either there were more than one demon in this man, or else that the "we" refers to this man himself and the demon. It is difficult for us to determine which of these ideas is correct. The Gadarene demoniac acknowledged that he "was possessed by a legion of demons (Mark 5:1-20).

The demon speaking in the man in this case (Luke 4:31-37) recognized who Jesus was and confessed His divine nature. Demons are not omniscient, but they appear to have supernatural knowledge, which of course comes from Satan himself. Satan has a vast storehouse of knowledge, but he is not omniscient.

Jesus would not permit the demon to witness in His behalf. He persistently refused to accept any testimony from the spirit world.

By His word the Lord commanded the demon to hold his peace and to come out of the man, which thing he did. But first he threw him down on the floor of the synagogue and departed out of him. On one occasion when Jesus cast out a demon, He ordered him never to return to the man again. That command shows that, in some instances at least, demons can come back and repossess the individual out of whom they are cast.

It is needless to say that the people in the synagogue were amazed at that which occurred, for doubtless they had never seen anything like that before. In their astonishment they said: "What is this word? for with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, and "they come out" (4:36). Of course, they had seen Jewish exorcists attempt to cast out demons. This they attempted to do with charms and certain invocations, but it is very doubtful whether or not they could cast out demons. What they did was on a low plane, or level, in comparison with that which Jesus wrought on this and on many other occasions. The people therefore said, "What is this word...?" or, What is this situation? All that Jesus did was to speak directly with His voice and to command the evil spirit to leave the man. Thus the words of our Lord were spoken with authority and power. Such an occurrence was an entirely new experience. The people, therefore, were amazed and spoke as they did.

Rumors began to start the rounds. In every place in the entire region what Jesus did in the synagogue on this occasion was the talk of the town.

The synagogue in which He performed this wonder was doubtless the same one in which He, one year before His crucifixion, preached the sermon on the Bread of Life, found in John, chapter 6. This synagogue is probably also the one that was built by a certain Roman centurion for the Jews (Luke 7:2-10). The ruins of this old building have been unearthed and partially restored. It is now, by common consent, recognized as the synagogue of Capernaum of our Lord's day.