2026 Reading Plan Reflections - Days 85 & 86
Making Space for the Kingdom
Luke 5
"Jesus boarded one of the boats, the one that belonged to Simon, then asked him to row out a little distance from the shore. Jesus sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. When he finished speaking to the crowds, he said to Simon, 'Row out farther, into the deep water, and drop your nets for a catch.'” Luke 5:3-4 CEB
Sometimes what God is doing next… requires space. Not more effort. Not more noise. Space.
And in Luke 5, that’s exactly what Jesus keeps creating.
Space for the Spirit to Work
The crowds are pressing in. Everyone wants something. Healing. Teaching. Answers. So what does Jesus do? He steps into a boat. Not to escape—but to create space.
A little distance. A little margin. Enough room for people to actually hear. And then… He turns that borrowed space into a moment that changes everything. Simon, James, and John thought they were just helping a teacher. But obedience—simple, practical obedience—opened the door for something deeper. A catch they couldn’t explain. A call they couldn’t ignore. A life they couldn’t go back to. Jesus made space. And they stepped into it.
Space for Encounter
Then there’s the paralytic. His friends refuse to let barriers win. So they make space—literally tearing open a roof to get him to Jesus. And in that moment, Jesus does more than heal a body. He reveals something deeper: “The Human One (Son of Man) has authority to forgive sins.” That’s a direct echo of Daniel 7.
Jesus is making space—not just for healing, but for a redefinition of the kingdom itself. Even the experts in the room are being invited to see differently. But that kind of space requires humility.
Space for the Outsider
And then Levi. A tax collector. A man pushed to the margins. The kind of person most would avoid. Jesus doesn’t avoid him. He calls him. And in doing so, He steps into Levi’s world—his table, his relationships, his network. People others had written off suddenly have a seat at the table. That’s what Jesus does. He doesn’t just welcome individuals—He creates space for entire groups who thought they were excluded.
The Real Tension
But not everyone is ready for that kind of space. Because space requires change. Jesus names it plainly: New wine… needs new wineskins. The old structures can’t hold what God is doing now.
And here’s the hard truth: Sometimes it’s not sin that resists God’s movement—it’s preference. “The old wine is better.” Familiar. Comfortable. Controlled. But the kingdom doesn’t come to reinforce what’s comfortable. It comes to transform.
A Wesleyan Reminder
This is where holiness comes into focus. Holiness isn’t rigid—it’s responsive. It’s a life continually shaped by grace, stretched by the Spirit, and made ready for what God is doing next. If we’re not willing to be stretched… we risk missing it.
The Question for Us
Jesus is still making space. In your life. In your church. In your calling. The question isn’t whether the space is there. It’s whether you perceive it. And whether you’ll step into it.
And in Luke 5, that’s exactly what Jesus keeps creating.
Space for the Spirit to Work
The crowds are pressing in. Everyone wants something. Healing. Teaching. Answers. So what does Jesus do? He steps into a boat. Not to escape—but to create space.
A little distance. A little margin. Enough room for people to actually hear. And then… He turns that borrowed space into a moment that changes everything. Simon, James, and John thought they were just helping a teacher. But obedience—simple, practical obedience—opened the door for something deeper. A catch they couldn’t explain. A call they couldn’t ignore. A life they couldn’t go back to. Jesus made space. And they stepped into it.
Space for Encounter
Then there’s the paralytic. His friends refuse to let barriers win. So they make space—literally tearing open a roof to get him to Jesus. And in that moment, Jesus does more than heal a body. He reveals something deeper: “The Human One (Son of Man) has authority to forgive sins.” That’s a direct echo of Daniel 7.
Jesus is making space—not just for healing, but for a redefinition of the kingdom itself. Even the experts in the room are being invited to see differently. But that kind of space requires humility.
Space for the Outsider
And then Levi. A tax collector. A man pushed to the margins. The kind of person most would avoid. Jesus doesn’t avoid him. He calls him. And in doing so, He steps into Levi’s world—his table, his relationships, his network. People others had written off suddenly have a seat at the table. That’s what Jesus does. He doesn’t just welcome individuals—He creates space for entire groups who thought they were excluded.
The Real Tension
But not everyone is ready for that kind of space. Because space requires change. Jesus names it plainly: New wine… needs new wineskins. The old structures can’t hold what God is doing now.
And here’s the hard truth: Sometimes it’s not sin that resists God’s movement—it’s preference. “The old wine is better.” Familiar. Comfortable. Controlled. But the kingdom doesn’t come to reinforce what’s comfortable. It comes to transform.
A Wesleyan Reminder
This is where holiness comes into focus. Holiness isn’t rigid—it’s responsive. It’s a life continually shaped by grace, stretched by the Spirit, and made ready for what God is doing next. If we’re not willing to be stretched… we risk missing it.
The Question for Us
Jesus is still making space. In your life. In your church. In your calling. The question isn’t whether the space is there. It’s whether you perceive it. And whether you’ll step into it.
Faith In Action
Where might God be asking you to make space? In your schedule? In your assumptions? In your relationships? Name one area—and intentionally create margin there this week for God to move.
Lord, You are always at work, often in ways I don’t expect. Give me eyes to see the space You are creating and a heart willing to step into it. Stretch me where I’ve grown rigid, and shape me into someone ready for what You are doing next. Amen.
Posted in Bible Reading Plan 2026
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