Christ Demonstrates His Power to His First Disciples (Luke 5:1-11)⤒🔗

¹One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the people crowding around him and listening to the word of God, ²he saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets.  ³He 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.

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

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

⁶When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break.  ⁷So 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.

⁸When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!”  ⁹For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, ¹⁰and 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 catch men.” ¹¹So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him. Luke 5:1-11

In chapter 5 Luke shows how Christ is able to provide for his disciples and also govern all things for the benefit of his people. This chapter does not, as some think, provide us with an account of the calling of the disciples (as given in Matthew 4). The NIV translation has as heading "the calling of the first disciples", but that is not really the point of this chapter. Luke is showing how Christ already in his early ministry and when calling his disciples showed his power over all things and his ability to care for his disciples.

One might wonder how these grown men such and Peter and Andrew with their own professions and responsibilities could just drop everything and follow Christ.  Remember that they did have families and dependants (as we saw in chapter 4 with Peter's mother-in-law).  This chapter gives us a good answer to that question: the Lord shows his power to provide for his disciples and govern all things.

The Gospel takes us first to the shore of the "Lake of Gennesaret" (identified in some manuscripts as the Sea of Galilee) where people are crowding all around the Lord Jesus. The Lord sees two ships at the lake's edge of which the owners are washing (and mending) nets. The Lord got into the boat of Simon and asked him to put out the boat a little from shore. This would make it easier for the Lord to teach. Peter accommodates the Lord, and this shows that they already knew one another. Simon (Peter) was already a disciple but not yet called to leave all things and follow the Lord.

We read in 5:4 that when the Lord has finished speaking, he asks Peter, "Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch". But Peter says, "Master¹ff., we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything." Peter speaks in the plural indicating that he and his associates had been without success in that night. Therefore they were now on shore cleaning and mending their nets. It would be foolish to take the nets back to the ship and try to catch fish in the hottest period of the day. However, Simon adds, "But because you say so, I will let down the nets". The disciples had already seen some amazing things, and they knew that the Lord was able to work miracles. "Because you say so…" Peter is not trying to be polite, but expresses his understanding that Christ has power.

What happens next is beyond imagination. "They caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 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." I wonder if any other fishermen have ever caught so many fish at one time!

In Luke 5:8-11, we find the point of this account. When Simon Peter (note the addition of the name of Simon Peter) saw this mighty catch of fish, he fell at Jesus feet and said, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!"

When Simon sees the divine power shown by Christ in this simple, and yet amazing deed, he suddenly becomes quite aware of his own weakness and unworthiness. He knows that he is in the presence of Almighty God. He falls on his knees before Jesus.

Whenever people fall before someone, as reported here in this text, it is an act of worship. Consider Moses (Exodus 3:5, 6), Job (42:6), Isaiah (6:5) and Thomas (John 20:28). Consider also that a simple creature cannot accept such worship, as the angel tells the apostle John, "At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, ‘Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God!’” (Revelation 19:10)

Only God is to be worshipped, and Simon here offers the Lord the worship that he is due. This worship takes place in the events of daily life, for it is often in the wonders of every day that we see the greatness of God.

Doctrinal Certainties←↰⤒🔗

Sometimes we are faced with the claims of people who deny that the Lord Jesus Christ is himself truly God.  The denial of Christ’s deity is an old heresy that time and again seems to creep in to confuse believers. The Nicene Creed (circa 325 A.D.) unmasks the heresy of Arianism that Christ is only a creature. The Athanasian Creed (circa 300 A.D.) defends both the doctrine of the Holy Trinity and the Divinity (Two Natures) of Christ. We believe that our salvation hangs on the deity of Christ. Hence it is important to know where in Scripture this key doctrine is taught.

When Simon Peter acknowledges Jesus as being worthy of divine praise, and confesses his own unworthiness to stand in Christ’s presence, this is an acknowledgement that Jesus Christ is truly the Son of God, true God of True God. This worship happens in the course of daily events that can only be recognized as great through faith and by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Homiletical Horizons←↰⤒🔗

We need to see and acknowledge the glory of Christ in the midst of everyday occurrences. Miracles happen suddenly or unexpectedly, but must still be observed and accepted by faith that is based upon the testimony of Scripture. The Lord powerfully shows that we can trust in him to fill all our needs. All of creation stands under his power and is used for our benefit.

Sometimes the perils and demands of daily life weigh us down. We easily forget that we have a loving and powerful Saviour who watches over us. We need to be encouraged in the Gospel of Christ and also positively serve others whose circumstances give rise to worry and fear. What does it take for us to say in our circumstances, “Go away from me, Lord, I am a sinful man”. God is greater than our sins. We need to develop a sense of awe that God has come to dwell with us in Jesus Christ. “This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.” (1 John 3:19, 20)

From Now on You Will Catch Men←↰⤒🔗

The event of the miraculous catch of fish is not just an account that happens en passant. The disciples are amazed at the catch of fish they had taken. But our Lord has much more in mind than a successful fishing expedition. He says, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men.” (5:10) It is at this point that these fishermen are called to a far greater task. “From now on you will catch men”.

Notice the careful pastoral encouragement that Christ gives to Peter, “Don’t be afraid”. If the miracle of the great catch leads the disciples to wonder, amazement and some trepidation, they need not fear. But their life’s calling has changed: from now on you will catch men. They understand that this is not an impossible venture, for they know that he who commands the fish also governs the hearts of men. The work of catching men is not a pipe-dream but a work that will have amazing success under the Lord’s guidance and blessing. For the disciples it is still at this point a learning process, but the process has started.

This new, all-encompassing mandate has truly changed their lives. Their association with Christ may until now have been rather “loose and periodic”²but has now become close and definite. Therefore it says in verse 11, “So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything, and followed him”.  Note the progression in this sentence: boats on shore (no more fishing), left everything (nothing or no one excluded, a radical and complete action) and followed him (new focus). Following Christ is now their vocation in life. This will not have been easy for the disciples and their families, but they go undeterred in faith.

The families of these men could make use of this great catch of fish, and they would not go hungry.  And even then, the Lord would provide for all. The family business would be carried on by Zebedee and hired hands who worked for him (Mark 1:20). The men involved in this matter were Simon Peter, James and John and possibly Andrew. The nucleus of the disciples has been formed.

The Man with Leprosy←↰⤒🔗

¹²While 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."

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

¹⁴Then 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.”

¹⁵Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. ¹⁶But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. Luke 5:12-16

The Tension Increases←⤒🔗

It may seem at first that the accounts in Luke 5 are just haphazardly placed together with no binding theme. But perhaps it is good to note that each encounter increases the tension of Christ’s burgeoning ministry.

Occasional disciples become full-time followers. A man who has an impossible-to-heal disease (leprosy) is healed in a manner never before seen. Again the tension rises. Then, when healing a paralytic, Christ brings in the element of forgiving sins. Once again the tension rises and the accusation of blasphemy is heard. The calling of Levi puts even more distance between the Lord and the Jewish leaders. A disagreement surfaces about the requirements of fasting. In all these important areas at the beginning already of his public ministry, our Lord does not shun controversial matters. And soon, as we see in the next chapter, there is the beginning of a conspiracy to take action against Jesus. The followers are committed; the leaders are discussing counter-actions. Trouble is brewing.

The Man with Leprosy (5:12-16)←⤒🔗

We do not know much about this man who has leprosy. That’s okay, because the account is not really about him in the first place. It is about the saving power of the Lord Jesus.

Let us first see what the disease of leprosy meant in that culture and time. The Bible speaks in Leviticus about various skins diseases, some of which make a person unclean and thus required isolation. Not every skin condition is contagious and spread by human touch. The Law of God makes very clear distinctions (Leviticus 13 and 14).

Leprosy was considered to be highly contagious and those inflicted with it were required to wear “torn clothes, let [their] hair be unkempt, cover the lower part of [their] face and cry out ‘Unclean!’” They were to live alone outside the camp. Their seclusion seems to be for medical reasons so that the disease would not spread in the villages and towns of Israel.

It was an illness that basically meant an excommunication from Israel’s worship.  Because also lepers needed companionship and help, they often lived together in leper colonies. The progressive disease led to skin lesions, and limbs being damaged from infections. In Jesus’ time, there was no known cure. There are still many leper colonies in India, China, and Japan. I personally visited a leper colony in Paramaribo, Suriname and saw firsthand the devastation caused by this illness.

Luke describes the man as being “covered with leprosy”. As a doctor Luke of course was interested in the progressed state of the disease. The man was really sick. This made the healing all the more miraculous.

The man was desperate. This explains why he broke with the existing protocol, walked through the crowd, and came directly to the Lord, and fell down before him. His request is worded in humble faith, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” (5:12) The leper does not doubt Jesus’ power. He says, “You can make me clean”, that is, completely healed so that he can again be a part of Israel’s community that serves the Lord.

Then our Lord did something truly unexpected and shocking. Everyone stayed far away from lepers. Physical contact with a leper was simply not done. The one who touched a leper would also be considered unclean. But it is clear that the Lord reached out, touched the man, and said: “I am willing. Be clean!”

The healing was an act of Christ’s will. It was an expression of his compassion. Being moved by this man’s plight and seeing his faith, Christ said, “I am willing”. Just a touch was sufficient. Followed by a divine command, “Be clean.” We should also note carefully that Luke writes, “And immediately the leprosy left him”. It did not take a few days for the man’s condition to be stabilized. People could see him becoming whole.

Jesus’ next words are very important and typify his ministry. It says that Jesus ordered him. The Lord did not suggest, or advise, but ordered the man “Don’t tell anyone, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.” (5:14)

Christ never made light of the Law of God given through Moses. Also in this situation: do what Moses commanded. The priests and all Israel were to be aware that this amazing miracle could only be done by God.

This is what the king of Israel said when he read the letter of the Syrian king to heal Naaman (2 Kings 5:7). And when Naaman was healed, he said to Elisha, “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel”. The healing of leprosy required divine intervention. At this point we should read the account of Naaman.

Our Lord did not say that the man could never tell other people about his miraculous healing. But the man first had to make his healing official by showing himself to the priest and offering the required sacrifices. We do not know if the man actually did what was expected of him, but surely he will have listened to Christ’s orders.

I mention this because the next verses suggest that the leper’s healing induces even more people to come to the Lord Jesus. “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. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” (5:15, 16)

The Gospels clearly tell us that Jesus often went alone to solitary places to pray. No people, just prayer. What would it be that Jesus prayed?

Doctrinal Certainties←↰⤒🔗

We may believe that Christ, then and now, is able to heal us from sickness and disease. But note the words of the leper, “If you are willing”. Christ’s deep compassion and love for us does not always imply that every request of ours is immediately granted as we want. We must be aware of the fact that God has his own times and designs. Ultimate healing for all believers will come on the great day of Christ’s return.

It is important for us to acknowledge this when we face serious illnesses. We must trust in the Lord who will keep all evil from us or turn it to our benefit. But the Lord is in no way obliged to grant us the healing which we ask. It is also a powerful testimony when a believer can bear the burdens placed on him in this life.

The apostle Paul had what he called “a thorn in the flesh”, even a messenger from Satan, and Paul pleaded with God to deliver him from this problem, but God would not remove it (2 Corinthians 12:7-10). Gods reply: my grace is enough for you.

Homiletical Horizons←↰⤒🔗

When preaching about texts where healing is described, we must show proper meekness. Let us see the leper’s humility and the Lord’s graciousness. We need to remember that Christ’s many works of healing and restoration point forward to a time when all will be healed. We do not question whether the miracles described in the Bible are true. What we should question is whether such claims made today are true.

We also need to understand that we live in a time in which the Lord has been vindicated. Our salvation is now based on more certainty. Christ is raised from the dead and ascended into heaven from where he will one day return. This expectation does not devaluate life here on earth, but it does remind that us we are still on the road to a better time and better world.

I am suspicious of preachers and preaching that have grand promises for healing and prosperity in this life, if only we generously support their ministry with ample funding. This world is still a world that bears the scars and turmoil of sin, and these will not be removed from earth until the great resurrection.

Who Can Forgive Sins but God Alone? (Luke 5:17-26)←⤒🔗

¹⁷One day as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law, who had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem, were sitting there. And the power of the Lord was present for him to heal the sick. ¹⁸Some men came carrying a paralytic on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. 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.

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

²¹The 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?”

²²Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? ²³Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? ²⁴But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins…” He said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.”  ²⁵Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God.  ²⁶Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, “We have seen remarkable things today.”Luke 5:17-26

The Power of the Lord was Present (5:17)←⤒🔗

This segment tells us about a healing that took place in Capernaum. Jesus is in a house and there are so many people present that the way into and from the house is blocked. Therefore some friends decide to let their paralyzed friend be lowered from the roof so that he will come down right before the Lord.

The text tells us that “the power of the Lord was present for him to heal the sick.” This should not be taken to mean that sometimes the power of the Lord is not present. So-called faith healers sometimes say that they feel the “healing power of the Lord” is present. Then miracles can happen and this power is channelled through the healer.

But the power of the Lord does not mean something that stands on its own.³This power is everywhere where Christ is.  Since our Lord is divine he can always from anywhere exert this power. But no one can tap into that power at will.

The Pharisees and the Teachers of the Law (5:17)←⤒🔗

There were great crowds present at this occasion. But note also that special mention is made of the “Pharisees and teachers of the law”. We find that they came from “every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem”. The eagles have gathered.

This gathering of Pharisees and Teachers was made up of people who had authority to inspect all teachings and movements, and they now especially were focused on Jesus of Nazareth with whom they had already clashed.

These people were commonly called “the Pharisees” and are mentioned here for the first time in Luke’s gospel. The name probably comes from a Hebrew verb that means “to separate” and is sometimes translated as the “separated ones” (“the holy ones”)⁴. They had a special position and authority (so they thought) and functioned as religious police.

It is important to note that the Lord Jesus was never intimidated by their presence and taught the truth without fear. Sometimes he warned people for the influence and the “leaven” of the Pharisees. The friction between Jesus and the Pharisees grew and led to Christ’s death at Golgotha.

Your Sins are Forgiven (5:20)←⤒🔗

In Luke 5:17-26 we read about the healing of a paralytic man. This is an event that causes the tension between Christ and the Jewish leaders to rise even more, because the Lord does not just say “Be healed”, but “Friend, your sins are forgiven”. Christ connects a physical healing to spiritual restoration. The whole focus of this part of Scripture is to show that Christ has the power also to forgive sins.

Christ is teaching one day, probably in a house in Capernaum (see Mark 2:1, 2). Many people came to hear him, especially Pharisees and teachers of the law from Jerusalem (5:17, 21) whose motives are suspect, to say the least. The rejection of Christ is becoming more apparent.

Our Lord is not intimidated by this growing interest but will use the time and occasion to focus on another matter: the forgiveness of sins. It says that “the power of the Lord was present to heal the sick” (5:17). But many people cannot get close to him because the place is packed.  However, some young men have made a rather ingenious plan to carry a paralytic on the roof and then lower him right in front of the Lord. Then the Lord will (almost) have to heal their friend.

As a young person I often wondered how these men were able to break through the roof which probably was flat and was sealed by tar. The roof was probably also covered with tiles. It will not have been a major task to make a hole. At the same time, people will have heard noise and were looking up. What a surprise when the people see a paralytic person being lowered on a mattress! Now it has everyone’s attention, and the room will have fallen silent. Now every word that the Lord says can be heard by all.

Some perhaps thought that this paralytic and his friends were real rogues. How dare he come down from the roof in this manner, and more or less demand to be healed? This man was probably a great sinner; otherwise he would not be paralyzed. Everyone wondered: what will the Lord do now? Will he berate the man and order him to be taken away?

What does Jesus say? “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” Did the man really come to have his sins forgiven, or to be healed from his handicap? And what exactly is the connection between sickness and sinfulness?

Many Jewish teachers felt that behind every serious sickness lay a specific sin. John gives the account of a blind man and the question asked by the disciples, “As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” (John 9:1, 2)

Of course, we know that sickness and death came into the world by way of sin. But not every sickness is evidence of some serious misdeed. Christ, however, overcomes sickness and its cause which is sin. In this case he says to the man who is being lowered into the room, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”

Obviously the man and his friends believed that if they came directly before the Lord, he would be healed. Notice their ingenious method. But it is the Lord Jesus who brings the matter to a whole new level by saying “Your sins are forgiven.”

Faith does enter into the picture in this way: the man and his friends believed that Jesus could heal; it was a matter of getting his attention. They believe him to be a man of God. I do not say that they believed Christ to be the Messiah. The text does not specify the content of faith, but states only that he believed. This faith in Christ’s power is shown in a special way.

Therefore the Lord also makes a special statement, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” The Lord not only takes away a physical affliction but removes also what is the man’s main problem, whether he knows it or not: your sins are forgiven! At the bottom of all human ailment and disease lies the reality of our sinfulness. That sinfulness must be removed, utterly and fully. To make this abundantly clear the Lord Jesus goes to the root of the problem: friend, your sins are forgiven!

We read then (5:21), “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?’” The Jewish leaders have not unravelled the secret of Christ’s power. They cannot explain how Jesus does what he does. But this time he goes too far. By claiming to forgive sins, he places himself on equal footing with God. This is clear and unadulterated blasphemy.  If you claim to forgive sins, you claim to be God, and no human being can ever be God! Blasphemy is the most serious sin that a person can commit.

Blasphemy occurs when a human being claims to be or do things that only God can do. When Christ was being tried later before the Sanhedrin, the Jewish Council, the high priest asks him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?” Jesus did not avoid the issue, for he said, “I am.” (Mark 14:62)  And the high priest says: you have heard the blasphemy! From beginning to end Christ was accused of and convicted for blasphemy.

Jesus knew very well what Israel’s leaders and teachers were thinking. He has a question for them: Which is easier to say “your sins are forgiven” or “Get up and walk”?

When someone says to a paralyzed person: stand up and walk, it is not so easy to grant that ability. When the person then does stand up and walks, there is an immediate visible result and tangible proof. Everyone who sees it is amazed. But if nothing really happens, people feel betrayed.

 It is easier to say to someone: your sins are forgiven. For no one expects or sees anything different. The person who is forgiven is outwardly unchanged. How can we be sure that his sins are really forgiven? If you can heal the body, it is impressive. But to heal both, body and soul, is undeniably an act of God.

And he says, “But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins…” and he pauses to look at the paralytic, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.”(5:24) Christ, who works a great miracle, allowing a paralyzed man to walk, also does the greater miracle, forgiving sins. He who heals the body also heals the soul!

He said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat, and go home”. And the man immediately “stood up in front of them all, took what he had been lying on, and went home praising God” (5:25)

Everyone who has seen and heard this is amazed. “They were filled with awe and said: “We have seen remarkable things today.” (5:26) But have they understood the greater miracle? In Christ we have everything we need for body and soul.

Levi Restored as a Man of God←⤒🔗

²⁷After 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, ²⁸and Levi got up, left everything and followed him.

²⁹Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them.  ³⁰But 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’?”

³¹Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. ³²I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.  Luke 5:27-32

The Calling of Levi (5:27-32)←⤒🔗

Christ has claimed and demonstrated the power to forgive sins and thereby to restore sinners. What the Lord does next in the calling of the tax collector, Levi, confirms his claim that he can and does call sinners out of a life of sin and into a life of service.

Mark adds in his account of the Gospel that Levi was the son of Alphaeus, which leads me to conclude that Levi’s family was known in the area. Later in the official calling of the apostles Levi is listed as Matthew (see Matthew 10:3). This calling went very smoothly, for Matthew immediately left his booth and followed Jesus. This is all the more noteworthy because Matthew was a publican or tax-collector and such officials did not readily give up their authoritative post and lucrative position.

The Jews hated tax-collectors. This may be true of many citizens all over the world, still today. But in Matthew’s case, as with other tax-collectors in that place and time, these tax collectors were officials appointed to collect the imperial tax, the tax for the emperor of Rome who would use this money as he saw fit for the betterment of Rome and the increase of personal grandeur.

To work with the occupying forces of Rome was considered by many Jews to be an act of treason. Besides, many tax collectors exacted higher taxes than Rome required, and the tax-collectors greedily filled their own pockets by fraud. Most Jews did not associate with tax-collectors, and so these people had to find friends in the more unsavory part of the population.

The Jewish leaders conveniently forgot that under Roman rule they, too, took from the common man. But the calling of Levi or Matthew sent out a clear signal: I sovereignly choose whom I call, even if the rulers of the day see them as traitors and thieves. A man of greed is changed into a man of grace.

Levi is extremely honored by this calling. Not only does he accept the summons to follow Jesus but he also organizes a great banquet for Jesus and a large crowd of tax-collectors and others who were “sinners”.

There are a number of reasons for this banquet. Matthew wanted to bid a proper farewell to his former colleagues. This banquet therefore was a great banquet attended by many. Matthew also wanted to indicate that he was beginning a new life, following Jesus. He made a clean and full break with his old lifestyle. The Lord was the “guest of honor”, so to speak. It means that the Kingdom of Heaven was breaking into the society of that day. Levi breaks with the old; beginning with the new, a significant moment of departure.

In Matthew 9:10 we read that many tax collectors come to the banquet, but also many “sinners”. The quotation marks are present already in the NIV Bible, meaning that it is taken as a collective noun. The word “sinners” means people who were “notoriously evil …tax collectors, adulterers, robbers and the like.”⁵It was not really an upstanding gathering. These people flaunted their sinful lifestyle publicly and laughed at the Law of God.

“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’?’” (5:30) Notice that they complained to Jesus’ disciples. They did not approach the Lord directly, perhaps out of fear, but perhaps also because the Lord was very busy with those attending the banquet.

In any case, the word is passed on to the Lord Jesus: why do you eat and drink with sinners? We read that the Lord gives them a prompt and direct answer (5:31, 32). Luke states that 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.”

The Lord does not say that this gathering of “sinners” is without severe problems. By referring to them as being “sick” he acknowledges that these people are in mortal danger. But the usage of the word “sick” here also has a positive flavor: these people can still be saved, pulled at the right time as branches out of the fire (Jude 23, “snatch others from the fire and save them…”).

This passage has a powerful final statement, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance (5:31, 32). This pretty well sums up the entire ministry of Jesus Christ.

The Function of and Need for Fasting (5:33-39)←⤒🔗

³³They 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.”

³⁴Jesus answered, "Can you make the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? ³⁵But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; in those days they will fast.”

³⁶He told them this parable: “No one tears a patch from a new garment and sews it on an old one. If he does, he will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old. ³⁷And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. ³⁸No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. ³⁹And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for he says, ‘The old is better.’”Luke 5:33-39

Fasting at the Marriage Feast?←⤒🔗

We read in Luke 5:33 that “they” asked Jesus about fasting. They pointed out that John’s disciples observed fasting, as did the disciples of the Pharisees. We are not clear to whom “they” refers. I think that this question comes from the sect of the Pharisees who were at this time confronting the Lord because of doing certain things which he shouldn’t do.

The last question was: Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners? The Jewish leaders are still incensed at Christ’s attending of Levi’s banquet. Now another subtle accusation is launched. Not only does Jesus eat with sinners, but he also neglects the required fasting, and eats when he should not. In other words, his eating and drinking habits are totally against the Jewish laws and customs.

The Lord gives an answer that may appear to be somewhat cryptic. It says that Jesus answered: “Can you make the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is still with them? But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; in those days they shall fast”.

Note carefully that the Lord Jesus neither promotes nor forbids fasting. He has himself also fasted, for example in the desert. But fasting (to be combined with prayer) is meant as evidence of humbling oneself in difficult times in true repentance to seek the Lord’s favor. There are times when such fasting is appropriate. It is, however, not a command for the New Testament church.

But note how the Pharisees and leaders had made their fasting into an ostentatious show for personal glory. “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting.  I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.” (Matthew 6:16, NIV). Many religious rituals and observances are meant for glory among men and not glory to God.

But the Lord Jesus says: who, really, fasts during a wedding, when the bridegroom is present and has prepared a fine banquet? It would be an insult to the bridegroom and destroy the joy of the feast. But, he adds, the time will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them; then they will fast (5:35).

Notice that in this response of our Lord it becomes clear that Jesus himself is the bridegroom! Now there must be joy, and a banquet (like the one given by Levi) is not out of order. Now is the time to feast and not to fast!

When is it time to fast? In this context: the time will come when the bridegroom is taken from them. What times are meant? We must think here of Christ’s arrest, condemnation, and crucifixion. We may also take it one step farther. There will be times when the church is faced with such severe persecution and trial that fasting and prayer may be indicated. But, says the Lord, not now!

In connection with this the Lord tells them a parable, actually two parables with a similar line and meaning. (5:36-39). A parable intends to make a matter clear through simplification. It was hard for the Pharisees to break with old forms like fasting. Fasting had a meritorious character for them. John’s disciples also followed the trends and tradition of their time and fasted at regular times.

But the parables make clear that sometimes it is necessary to do away with longstanding customs and traditions. Remember the point here is fasting with prayer. Our Lord does not say that all traditions are passé and should be tossed out, but he does say that sometimes it does not work to combine old traditions and new developments.

The first example is that of mending an old garment with a patch from a new garment. What happens? You ruin the new garment, and the patch from the new garment will not match the old. All you have done is destroyed two garments. Sometimes you just cannot mix the old with the new.

The second example is that of the wineskins. No one pours new wine into old wineskins. The new wine ferments and increases, and the pressure will burst the old wine skin. You lose the skin and the wine. New wine must be poured into new wineskins that are flexible and able to expand. It’s a matter of common sense.

And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for “the old is better”. Old wine well-aged in proper wineskins tastes better than new wine that must still be fully fermented and aged. This means: do not throw out the old until the new has gone through a period of maturation. Sometimes you have to stick with the old before you move over to the new. Wisdom is required.

Nice parables. But what do they mean in this context and ours? This means that fasting and other typically Old Testament practices simply do not fit anymore in the new dispensation. We cannot just mix the two forms of worship (Old and New Testament). We have to be open for adaptations which reflect the new reality in Christ.⁶

Doctrinal Certainties←↰⤒🔗

The relation between the Old and New Testaments has long been a topic for discussion. In the transition from Old to New, there was much debate about which Jewish laws the Christian Gentiles had to observe. It led to the Council of Jerusalem, described in Acts 15. What stays, and what goes? Also in our time the debate rages in general, and on many specific points.

This is one of the reasons why the Belgic Confession has included an article on the “ceremonies and symbols” of the Law that have ceased with the coming of Christ. Their use should be abolished among Christians and yet their truth and substance remain in Jesus Christ in whom they are fulfilled.⁷

The Old Testament has great value for the New Testament church. We can learn many things from the Old Testament about God, ourselves, and the world. Yet we are not bound to laws that have been fulfilled in Christ. There is in Christ’s teaching always a strong opening to the New Testament.

Homiletical Horizons←↰⤒🔗

Whenever studying this chapter and the part about the old and the new wineskins, we must be careful not to abuse the text. The text does not say that “the old” is always better. Nor does it say that the old must be discarded. It says that what must be preserved is what we have in Christ.

The Old Testament is a rich field for preaching and learning. But in the Old Testament much is still hidden. Augustine coined a Latin phrase, “Novum Testmentum in Vetere latet; Vetus Testmentum in Novo patet.” Which means: the New Testament is hidden in the Old; the Old Testament becomes apparent in the New”. In the Old Testament things are still obscured but it the New Testament things are fully clear. The church has moved from less to more knowledge, from shadows to full sunlight. It is not so that we now understand all things fully, but we have made great strides ahead. It is still true in the New Testament time as well. “For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.” (1 Corinthians 13:9,10)

It is not a bad thing in itself that we do not have all the answers yet. It keeps us humble. One day we shall know fully. Until then we may hold fast to the doctrine of Scripture, summarized in our ecumenical and reformed creeds.

Questions←⤒🔗

1. Why did Christ demonstrate great power when he called his first disciples?
2. What is the point of the miracle of catching many fish? Why is the context of this miracle very crucial?
3. What characterizes worship?
4. How can we see the miracles of God in every-day life? Can you find them?
5. What is the meaning of the phrase “fishers of men”?
6. What is the effect of leprosy?
7. What is the meaning of the expression, “The power of the Lord was present” (Luke 5: 17)?
8. What is the connection between the healing of the body and the renewal of the soul? What are we to think of “faith healing”? What is the connection between sickness and sin?