Luke5

Jesus calls Simon Peter, James, and John after a miraculous catch of fish, promising they will catch men. He then demonstrates His divine authority by cleansing a leper and forgiving the sins of a paralytic, healing him despite the skepticism of religious leaders. Following this, Jesus calls Levi, a publican, and teaches about His mission to call sinners to repentance, using parables about new wine and old wineskins to explain His new covenant.

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The Miraculous Catch and Call of Peter

¶ And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret,

And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets.

And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship.

Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.

And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.

And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake.

And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.

When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.

For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken:

And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.

And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.

Jesus Cleanses a Man with Leprosy

¶ And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.

And he put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will: be thou clean. And immediately the leprosy departed from him.

And he charged him to tell no man: but go, and shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing, according as Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.

But so much the more went there a fame abroad of him: and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by him of their infirmities.

And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed.

Jesus Heals a Paralytic and Claims Authority to Forgive

¶ And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judaea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them.

And, behold, men brought in a bed a man which was taken with a palsy: and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before him.

And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus.

And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.

And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?

But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts?

Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk?

But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house.

And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God.

And they were all amazed, and they glorified God, and were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things to day.

The Call of Levi (Matthew)

¶ And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said unto him, Follow me.

And he left all, rose up, and followed him.

And Levi made him a great feast in his own house: and there was a great company of publicans and of others that sat down with them.

But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?

And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.

I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Questions About Fasting and the New Way

And they said unto him, Why do the disciples of John fast often, and make prayers, and likewise the disciples of the Pharisees; but thine eat and drink?

And he said unto them, Can ye make the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them?

But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.

And he spake also a parable unto them; No man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old; if otherwise, then both the new maketh a rent, and the piece that was taken out of the new agreeth not with the old.

And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish.

But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved.

No man also having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better.

Study Notes for Luke 5

Verse 1

The Lake of Gennesaret is another name for the Sea of Galilee. Jesus taught from the shore, but the crowd pressed in, prompting him to find a better vantage point.

Verse 3

Jesus used Simon’s boat as a natural pulpit, allowing his voice to project over the water to the large crowd. This demonstrates Jesus’ practical method of teaching and his initial interaction with Simon.

Verse 4

Jesus commands Simon to launch out into the deep, setting up a test of obedience that would lead to a dramatic demonstration of divine power over nature.

Verse 5

Simon addresses Jesus as 'Master' (Epistata), a title unique to Luke that emphasizes Jesus' authority as an overseer or commander. Peter’s obedience, despite his professional experience suggesting the effort was futile, is crucial.

Verse 8

Peter’s response to the miracle is one of profound awe and conviction of sin, typical of Old Testament encounters with the Holy God (e.g., Isaiah 6). The miracle revealed not just power, but divine holiness.

Verse 10

This is the vocational application of the miracle. The massive, impossible catch symbolizes the future success of the apostolic mission, drawing people (like fish) into the kingdom.

Verse 11

This verse marks the definitive call of Peter, James, and John. Their immediate abandonment of their livelihood highlights the radical and total commitment required for discipleship.

Verse 12

Leprosy was a severe skin disease that rendered a person ritually unclean and socially ostracized (Lev. 13). The man’s plea shows faith in Jesus’ ability, asking only about his willingness.

Verse 13

By touching the leper, Jesus intentionally violates purity laws, demonstrating that his holiness and power overcome impurity, rather than being contaminated by it.

Verse 14

Jesus instructs the man to follow the Mosaic ritual (Lev. 14) to be declared clean by the priest. This provided official confirmation of the healing and validated Jesus’ actions to the religious authorities.

Verse 16

Luke frequently emphasizes Jesus’ practice of prayer, especially after intense ministry or before major events, demonstrating his human dependence on the Father.

Verse 17

This verse marks the first time Luke explicitly notes the presence of religious opposition (Pharisees and doctors of the law) who have gathered from across the region to scrutinize Jesus’ ministry.

Verse 19

This detail emphasizes the immense faith and resourcefulness of the friends, who literally broke through architectural barriers to bring their friend to Jesus.

Verse 20

Jesus addresses the man’s spiritual need first. He connects physical healing to the greater spiritual reality, claiming an authority only God possessed.

Verse 21

The religious leaders correctly identify the claim: forgiving sins is blasphemy if done by anyone other than God. Jesus deliberately provokes this challenge to reveal his true identity.

Verse 23

Jesus poses a rhetorical question: physical healing is visible and verifiable, thus harder to fake, but spiritual healing is greater. By performing the verifiable miracle, he proves his unseen authority to forgive.

Verse 24

The title 'Son of man' is Jesus' preferred self-designation, emphasizing both his humanity and his divine, Messianic authority drawn from Daniel 7, particularly the power to judge and forgive.

Verse 27

Tax collectors (publicans) were despised by Jews because they worked for Rome and often extorted their own people, making them social and religious outcasts. Levi is identified as Matthew in parallel accounts (Matt. 9:9).

Verse 29

Levi immediately responds to his call by hosting a feast, inviting his professional associates ('publicans and sinners') to meet Jesus, demonstrating the transforming power of the call.

Verse 30

The Pharisees found Jesus’ association with known sinners scandalous, as it violated their strict codes of ritual purity and separation.

Verse 31

This statement is Jesus’ central defense of his ministry to the marginalized, defining his mission as seeking out those who recognize their spiritual sickness, not the self-righteous.

Verse 32

Jesus clarifies that his purpose is not to affirm those who believe they are already righteous, but to bring sinners to repentance, which is the foundational purpose of the Gospel.

Verse 33

The question concerns the differing spiritual practices of Jesus’ disciples compared to those of John the Baptist and the Pharisees, who observed frequent, voluntary fasts.

Verse 34

Jesus identifies himself as the Bridegroom, an Old Testament image for the Messiah. His presence is a time of joy and celebration, making fasting inappropriate.

Verse 35

This is a veiled reference to Jesus’ future suffering, death, and ascension. Only after His physical absence (when the Bridegroom is 'taken away') will fasting become a practice of discipline and spiritual longing.

Verse 36

The parables of the garments and the wineskins illustrate that Jesus' new covenant ministry cannot be merely patched onto the old legalistic framework of Judaism.

Verse 37

New wine continues to ferment, creating pressure that old, stiff leather wineskins cannot withstand, causing them to burst. The new life of the Gospel requires a new structure and spiritual approach.

Verse 39

This verse, unique to Luke, provides a somber conclusion, noting the human tendency to prefer the familiar comfort of the 'old way' (the established religious tradition) over the radical, challenging newness of Jesus’ teaching.

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Luke5

The Miraculous Catch and Call of Peter

Jesus Cleanses a Man with Leprosy

Jesus Heals a Paralytic and Claims Authority to Forgive

The Call of Levi (Matthew)

Questions About Fasting and the New Way

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