Luke 4&5: Amazing and astonishing are two words used by Dr. Luke to tell about how people reacted to the teaching of Jesus. In the Nazareth synagogue, he is selected to read the scriptures. The listeners were amazed at his gracious words, but as soon as they realize He is pointing to their lack of compassion, they were transformed from meek and mild and sought to kill him. They were like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Leaving Nazareth, he heads to Capernaum and encounters a crowd by the seashore. “Borrowing” Peter’s boat, he challenges Peter to let down his nets. It had been a night of poor fishing, but with some reluctance, Peter let down his nets and soon was astonished. The net was so full that it was about to break. Yet, Peter responds: “go away from me; I am a sinful man.”

As He is busy teaching, he encounters the religious leaders and uses a parable about wineskins and garment patches as evidence the religious leaders were unwilling to change; they were comfortable with the old ways.

Luke sums up these amazing, astonishing encounters with these words: “The old is good enough.”

Do we, too, respond, “The old is good enough?” Jesus is challenging us think outside the box.