Luke 5: Calling disciples, healing & teaching

• v.1-11   Jesus Calls His First Disciples
• v.12-16 Jesus Heals a Man with Leprosy
• v.17-26 Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralyzed Man
• v.27-32 Jesus Calls Levi and Eats with Sinners
• v.33-39 Jesus Declaration about new structures for a new kingdom

v.1-11 Jesus Calls His First Disciples

v.1-3 Jesus uses Peter’s boat from which to preach

v.1 One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God.

v.2 He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets.

v.3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.

[Note: One day he was teaching by the lake and there were two groups of fishermen nearby so he asked Simon if he could preach from his boat.]

v.4-8 Jesus demonstrates his power (?knowledge) for Peter

v.4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”

v.5 Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”

v.6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break.

v.7 So they signaled 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.

v.8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!”

[Note: Afterwards he suggested to Peter they get a catch, but Peter demurred – yet they caught a massive haul and needed the other boat to help. Peter was devastated.]

v.9-11 Jesus calls them to follow him

v.9,10 For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.”

v.11 So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.

[Note: Jesus reassures him so they left with Jesus.  Luke expands on Matthew’s simple record of the calling of the first disciples by revealing the apparent miracle that overwhelmed Peter, paving the way for an easier acceptance of the call.]

v.12-16 Jesus Heals a Man with Leprosy

v.12 While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy . When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”

v.13 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him.

v.14 Then Jesus ordered him, “Don’t tell anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”

v.15 Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses.

v.16  But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.

[Note: While traveling around, a leper approached Jesus and so Jesus touched him and healed him and told him to do what the Law required after a cleansing. Nevertheless, the news about him spread even more and in order to pray, Jesus often had to find solitude.]

v.17-26 Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralyzed Man

v.17-19 A paralyzed man is brought to be healed by persistent friends

v.17 One day Jesus was teaching, and Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there. They had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal the sick.

v.18 Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus.

v.19 When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.

[Note: One day when Jesus was teaching and healing, while Pharisees were watching, some men brought a paralyzed man to Jesus, and so crowded was it they had to break through the roof.]

v.20,21 Jesus forgives the man which upset the Pharisees

v.20 When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”

v.21 The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, “Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

[Note: Jesus forgave the man and the Pharisees were upset at that.]

v.22-26 Jesus challenges – it is easier to forgive or to heal

v.22 Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts?

v.23 Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’?

v.24 But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.”

v.25 Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God.

v.26 Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, “We have seen remarkable things today.”

[Note: Jesus challenged them, which is easier – to heal or to speak words, but to help you … he instructs the man who is immediately healed. [Point made – he has power and authority to do both!] This amazes all the onlookers.]

v.27-32 Jesus Calls Levi and Eats with Sinners

v.27,28 After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. “Follow me,” Jesus said to him, and Levi got up, left everything and followed him.

v.29 Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them .

v.30 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”

v.31,32 Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

[Note: He calls tax-collector, Levi, to follow him and Levi sets up a feast for Jesus and invites his tax-collector friends, which upsets the ‘religious’ people. Jesus explains.]

v.33-39 Jesus Declaration about new structures for a new kingdom

v.33-35 Jesus, challenged about fasting, gives an answer

v.33 They said to him, “John’s disciples often fast and pray, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours go on eating and drinking.”

v.34 Jesus answered, “Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while he is with them?

v.35 but the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; in those days they will fast.”

[Note: Jesus is questioned about prayer & fasting. He asks, do you fast at a wedding? When the groom is gone, you can fast. Implication?]

v.36-39 Teaching – you can’t mix old and new

v.36 He told them this parable: “No one tears a piece out of a new garment to patch an old one. Otherwise, they will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old.

v.37 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined.

v.38 No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins.

v.39 And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for they say, ‘The old is better.’” 

[Note: A parable: Imagine mending an old garment with new material – they won’t go together. Similarly you don’t put new wine into old skins. New wine needs new skins and those who drink old (matured) wine won’t want new wine. Implication – the new life that Jesus was bringing would upset those who preferred the old, and the old ‘structures’ of religion wouldn’t cope with the new ‘life’]

For those who may wish to make a study of this chapter, to perhaps think some more about what you have been reading, use the link below: