Luke 5 (Devotional Commentary)
A Walk through Luke and Acts
Week 5 takes us into chapter 5 of the Gospel of Luke and into more personal interactions of Jesus with his disciples and the crowds (remember that we are in the section on the ministry of Jesus in Galilee, in 4:14-9:50). At the heart of Jesus’s story is Jesus (re)forming around himself his disciples as God’s New Covenant people. This is also true for us as readers. When we read the Gospels, we can ask ourselves two questions to posture ourselves before the transforming presence and word of Jesus:
Who is Jesus?
What does it mean for me to follow Jesus?
I like to teach on these questions as two parallel tracks on which the four Gospel travel - the question of Christology (the study of Christ) and the question of discipleship (learning and leading others to follow Jesus). Answering each of these questions, especially together, will put you in a place to sit at the feet of Jesus and to learn from him. Keep in mind these questions as we read and study through the rest of the Gospel of Luke.
Photo by Fredrik Öhlander on Unsplash
IV. THE MINISTRY OF JESUS IN GALILEE (4:14−9:50)
Luke 4:14−9:50 can be best summarized as the ministry of Jesus in Galilee. Although Jesus did ministry in other parts of Israel in 4:14−9:50, the focus is clearly on His Galilean ministry work. It seems that Luke presented episodes of Jesus’ ministry in this section to provide readers with an overall picture of the patterns, developments, and purpose of this ministry. This section of Luke’s Gospel can be split up into the following parts: the mission of Jesus (4:14−30); the authority of Jesus (4:31−44); the calling of Simon Peter (5:1−11); the cleansing of a leper (5:12−16); the healing of a paralytic (5:17−26); the calling of Levi (5:27−32); Jesus and fasting (5:33−39); Lord of the Sabbath (6:1−11); the twelve apostles (6:12−16); the sermon on the plain (6:17−49); the faith of a centurion (7:1−10); the raising of a widow’s son (7:11−17); Jesus and John (7:18−35); forgiveness and love (7:36−50); supporting Jesus (8:1−3); hearing Jesus (8:4−21); the calming of a storm (8:22−25); the healing of a demonized man (8:26−39); a dead girl and a sick woman (8:40−56); the sending out of the Twelve (9:1−9); the feeding of the crowd (9:10−17); Peter’s confession of Christ (9:18−27); the transfiguration of Jesus (9:28−36); the healing of a boy (9:37−45); and the greatest in the Kingdom of God (9:46−50).
C. The Calling of Simon Peter (5:1−11)
Luke 5:1−11 is primarily about the calling of Simon Peter. While others also responded to Jesus’ call to discipleship, Simon Peter is the focus of these verses. After Jesus had spent some time with Simon in Capernaum (cf. 4:38−44), Jesus called Simon, a fisherman, to be a catcher of men.
Jesus’ statement in 4:43, about being sent to preach the good news of God’s Kingdom to all of Israel’s towns, provides the backdrop for this passage and the entirety of Jesus’ ministry in Luke’s Gospel. Jesus called Simon to follow Him during one occasion of Jesus teaching the people who came to Him. After Jesus began His teaching from the shores of the Sea of Galilee (“the Lake of Gennesaret”), Simon helped Jesus by allowing Him to teach God’s word from Simon’s boat (5:1−3). While on Simon’s boat and after finishing His teaching, Jesus demonstrated His power as God’s Son to Simon. Jesus’ partial self-disclosure to Simon occurred in the context of fishing. As a local fisherman of the Sea of Galilee, Simon knew that the best daytime fishing was found in shallow water. Even though Simon and his fellow fishermen had “worked hard all night” doing deepwater fishing, Simon trusted Jesus enough to follow His instructions (5:4−5). The subsequent catch of fish was so “large” that the nets, the fishermen, and the boats could barely handle the load (5:6−7). While all on the two boats were “astonished” by this miracle, Simon expressed his sinfulness before one he deemed to be a prophet of God. Jesus recognized Simon’s fear of Himself and called Simon to follow Him as a catcher of men. Implicit in this calling is Jesus’ acceptance of this man who humbled himself before Jesus. Simon and (at least) James, John, and Andrew immediately followed Jesus for discipleship and service in God’s Kingdom (5:8−11; cf. Mk. 1:16−20).
D. The Cleansing of a Leper (5:12−16)
The cleansing of a leper is the main focus of 5:12−16. Jesus came across a man covered with leprosy and cleansed him by healing him. Jesus’ ministry to this man happened in an unspecified town.
Upon seeing Jesus, the man humbled himself before Jesus as he begged Jesus to “make” him “clean” (5:12). Although everyone else became unclean by touching someone with leprosy, Jesus had contagious holiness. Jesus was “willing” and able to cleanse this man with His healing touch (5:13). It was Jesus’ desire that no one be told about this miracle, but He did want the man to do what was necessary to have his social status restored (5:14; see also Lev. 14:1−32). Those who were unclean among the Jews were disconnected from their fellow Jews in a number of social settings, including activities related to the Temple and synagogues. This man was among “the poor” Jesus came to preach good news to, because Jesus restored him in spiritual and social ways (cf. 4:18−19). Word about Jesus as a teacher and a healer spread even more rapidly after this healing. Despite the increase of needy crowds, Jesus persisted in spending time in solitude and prayer (5:15−16; cf. 4:42). Like Jesus, our ministry is to be fueled by time alone with God. Contemplation and action go hand-in-hand in the way of Jesus.
E. The Healing of a Paralytic (5:17−26)
Luke 5:17−26 consists of the healing of a paralytic and the controversy this miracle created among some Pharisees and teachers of the law. This conflict is the first of many that Jesus had with them and other Jewish religious leaders. The four passages in 5:17−6:11 are united by elements of controversy between these leaders and Jesus.
Jesus healed this paralytic man when He was teaching in someone’s house. The news about Jesus had spread so quickly and so far that Pharisees and teachers of the law came from every Galilean village and from the province of Judea to hear Jesus teach. Some men and a paralytic man believed that Jesus had the power to heal the paralytic, so they attempted to get him to Jesus (5:17−18). Because the crowd prevented them from accomplishing their goal, they tried another way to meet with Jesus. The successful approach was using stairs, which were on the outside of the house, to get on the roof. They then lowered the paralytic through the roof tiles, which were not fixed (5:19). Seeing their faith-in-action, Jesus told the paralytic that his sins were forgiven (5:20). The Pharisees and teachers of the law all had the same response – they thought Jesus was defaming God by exercising the right to pronounce the forgiveness of one’s sins (5:21). Among the Jews, it was only acceptable for God-appointed priests and prophets to do this in the name of the Lord. Knowing their disapproving thoughts, Jesus demonstrated His authority as “the Son of Man” to forgive sins by healing the paralytic. Jesus’ argument was that if He displayed authority over this man’s sickness, then these religious leaders should believe that He could and did forgive the man’s sins. The healed man praised God. Everyone else there did the same and was amazed by Jesus’ words and deeds (5:22−26). How can we, likewise, express amazement and praise in response to the work of Jesus in our lives?
F. The Calling of Levi (5:27−32)
Verses 27−32 can be best summarized as the calling of Levi. It seems that Jesus called Levi to follow Him soon after He had healed the paralytic. As in the previous passage, Jesus’ actions again provoke some Pharisees and teachers of the law to question Him and His ministry.
While on His way to His next destination, Jesus encountered Levi, a tax collector, by his tax booth and called him to discipleship. Like Simon and others, Levi immediately left his profession to become a disciple of Jesus (5:27−28; cf. 5:1−11). To honor and show his gratitude to Jesus, Levi later held a great banquet. Many tax collectors and others who were considered to be “sinners” (e.g., prostitutes and criminals) were taking part in the festivities. It is probable that these people accepted and rejoiced in Jesus’ message that God’s Kingdom was present and powerful through Him. Some Pharisees and their associated teachers of the law were also at the banquet, and they complained to Jesus’ disciples that their Master was eating and drinking with the “unclean” (5:29−30). Jesus’ answer to them centers on comparing Himself to a doctor who must be with the sick. Those who consider themselves to be “righteous” (i.e., the so-called “healthy”) do not heed Jesus’ call “to repentance,” because they do not know their need for the salvation from sin Jesus offers. On the other hand, those who have the spiritual perception of Levi (i.e., “the sick”) humbly acknowledge their sins, enter into the life of God’s Kingdom, and follow Jesus and His Way of life (5:31−32). With whom do you identify in this story? As we read the Gospels, let us identify ourselves with “the sick” who are in need of the healing touch, grace, and power of Jesus the Healer.
G. Jesus and Fasting (5:33−39)
Luke 5:33−39 centers on Jesus and fasting. This short passage is a continuation of Jesus’ interactions with some Pharisees and teachers of the law in 5:29−32. After Jesus adequately answered their complaint about the kind of company He kept (see vv. 31−32), they decided to criticize Jesus from another angle.
Their criticism was concerning the fasting habits of Jesus’ disciples – Jesus did not call His disciples to fast and pray in the way that John and the Pharisees did with their disciples (5:33). The real issue here is fasting, not praying, for Jesus often taught and modeled an authentic, devoted prayer life (see, e.g., 11:1−13). The Pharisees were known for fasting twice every week, on Mondays and Thursdays. In His response to this criticism (and throughout His teaching), Jesus did not diminish or devalue the spiritual value of fasting (see Mt. 6:16−18). Jesus’ focus was the appropriateness and timing of fasting during His ministry on the earth. Time and place matter in God’s Story of Redemption - both for Jesus and for us.
Jesus’ answer to the criticism comes in two parts (vv. 34−35 and vv. 36−39). First, Jesus compared Himself to a bridegroom and His disciples to the bridegroom’s guests. Just as it would be inappropriate for these guests to mourn in the bridegroom’s presence, His disciples should not fast when Jesus was with them. His disciples’ time for mourning would come when Jesus would face suffering and crucifixion because of the plotting of much of the Jewish religious leadership (5:34−35). The second part of Jesus’ answer, which came in the form of a parable, indirectly addressed their criticism. They did not realize that since God was doing a new work in and through Jesus, a new way of living, in response to this work, was required. Jesus used two everyday-life illustrations to make this point. None of the people at the Levi’s banquet would expect people to sew a patch from a new garment on an old one or to pour new wine into old wineskins. Likewise, the manner in which the Pharisees and their teachers of the law had distorted the Way of God in the Old Testament is unsuitable for those whom Jesus redeems (5:36−38). It seems that verse 39 is intended to be a sarcastic jab at these religious leaders for their views. How can we celebrate the goodness and grace of Jesus in our lives, especially with others? What place might hospitality practically play in this pursuit?