LUKE 5
JESUS CALLS HIS DISCIPLES + PERFORMS MIRACULOUS ACTS OF HEALING
Along the Sea of Galilee, Jesus calls His first disciples. Simon, James, and John are fishing all night casting their nets outside the boats with no luck. Jesus instructs Simon to lower his net again. Simon is overwhelmed with fish, so many that his boat begins to sink. Jesus tells them that they will no longer be fishermen, but fishers of men, foreshadowing their spreading of the Gospel message.
Jesus performs the miraculous act of healing a man with leprosy by reaching out and touching the man with the infectious disease. Wanting to remain discreet, He asks the man to not say anything about how he was healed. Instead of remaining silent, the man talks freely and word of Jesus’ abilities spreads. Jesus withdraws to desolate places to pray and avoid the crowds.
One day, when Jesus is speaking to a large crowd, a few men carry their paralyzed friend to see Jesus for healing. Because the crowd is so large, they are not able to get to Him, so they lower their friend through the ceiling! The men firmly believe in the healing power of Jesus and are desperate to get near Him.
When Jesus sees the man being lowered, He tells him that his sins are forgiven. The Pharisees and religious leaders present question His authority to forgive sins, an act that can only be done by God. Jesus knows the resistance He will face from the Pharisees and asks them if it would be easier for Him to forgive sins or to heal the paralyzed man, making Him able to walk. After puzzling the Pharisees with this question, He tells the paralyzed man to stand up and walk home. Suddenly, the man is able to stand and praise God for his miraculous healing.
Jesus calls Levi, a tax-collector, to become a disciple. Levi agrees to leave everything behind to follow Him. Levi throws a grand feast in his house, inviting Jesus and other tax collectors. Culturally, being a tax collector was not a desirable career and often seen as dishonorable. Levi is most likely disciple and gospel writer Matthew, called by a different name.
The Pharisees question Jesus, asking why He would eat and socialize with sinners and tax collectors. He responds by saying that those who are not sick do not need a physician, meaning that He came to call the sinners, not the righteous, to repentance.
The Pharisees ask Jesus why His followers do not fast like the other religious people, instead they feast and drink. Using the analogy of a bride at her wedding, He explains that His presence with His disciples is a time of celebration, not fasting. Jesus also expresses a sense of newness, explaining that you would not rip up a new garment to repair an old garment or waste new wine by putting it in an old wineskin. He is emphasizing the newness and joy that He will bring to His people!
