SCRIPTURE: LUKE 5
THE CALLING OF THE FIRST DISCIPLES (vs. 1-11)
One day, Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret and saw two boats left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats belonging to Simo and asked him to put out a little from shore. He sat down and taught the people from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he told Simon to put out into deep water and let down the nets for a catch. Simon told him that they had worked hard all night but hadn’t caught anything. But Simon did what Jesus told him. When they had done so, they caught a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 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.
When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord;. I am a sinful man!” (v. 8). For he and all his companions including James and John, the sons of Zebedee were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken. Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men.” (v. 10). So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.
THE MAN WITH LEPROSY (vs. 12-15)
A man with leprosy approached Jesus and fell with his face to the ground begging him to make him clean. Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man saying, “I am willing, Be clean” (v, 13). And immediately the leprosy left him. Jesus ordered him not to tell anyone but to show himself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for his cleansing as a testimony to them. But 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.
JESUS HEALS A PARALYTIC (vs. 17-26)
While Jesus was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there. Some men carried a paralytic on a mat through the roof and lowered him into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” (v. 23). When the Pharisees and the teachers of the law heard it, they considered that statement a blasphemy because who can forgive sins but God alone? Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? which is easier to say, ‘You sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk'” But 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 u8p, take your mat and go home” (vs. 22-24). Immediately, he stood up , took what he had been lying on and went home praising God. Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God because they have seen remarkable things.
THE CALLING OF LEVI (vs. 27-32)
As Jesus went out, he saw a tax collector by the name of Levi, sitting at his tax booth. Jesus said to him, “Follow me”: (v. 20-7) and Levi got up, left everything and followed him. Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law complained to his disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and ‘sinners” (v. 30) 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.” (v. 31)
JESUS QUESTIONED ABOUT FASTING (vs. 33-39)
The Pharisees asked Jesus, “John’s disciples and our disciples often fast and pray, but yours go on eating and drinking.” (v. 33). Jesus answered, “Can you make the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, in those days they will fast.” (v. 35).
Jesus 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. And 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. No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine wants to new, for he says, ‘The old is better.'” (vs. 36-39)
THOUGHTS:
Peter, James and John had been fishing the whole night but caught nothing. But when he followed Jesus’ instruction to put the net into deep water, they were able to see a miracle. The net was full of fish that almost broke the net. Peter had felt his own insignificance in comparison to Jesus’; greatness. So when Jesus called them to follow him, they left everything and followed Him. Following Jesus means more than just acknowledging him as Savior. We must leave our past behind and commit our future to him.
Leprosy was a contagious and incurable disease. They were considered as outcasts because people no longer associate with them. But when Jesus saw a man with leprosy, he reached out his hand, touched and healed him. We must not be afraid to reach out and touch people who need God’s love.
Jesus was impressed with the friends of the paralyzed man. They took him to the roof and lowered him down in front of Jesus. Because of their faith, Jesus healed the man. We cannot make another person a Christian, but we can do much through our words, action and love to give him a chance to respond. Look for opportunities to bring your friends to Christ.
Levi was also named Matthew. He was a tax collector who was hated by most people because of dishonesty. But when Jesus called him to follow him, he responded by leaving behind a material fortune in order to gain a spiritual fortune. He held a reception for his fellow tax collectors and other notorious “sinners” so they could meet Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law accused Jesus of associating with “sinners”. Jesus told them the healthy do not need a doctor but the sick.
When the Pharisees questioned why Jesus’ disciples did not fast, Jesus told them while the bridegroom is still with them, they do not need to fast. But when the bridegroom is taken from them, that is the time they will fast.
Explanation of the Parable of the Wineskin:
“Wineskins” were goatskins sewn together at the edges to form watertight bags. Because new wine expands as it ages, it has to be put in new pliable wineskins. A used skin, having become more rigid, would burst and spill the wine. Like old wineskins, the Pharisees were too rigid to accept Jesus, who could not be contained in their traditions or rules. Christianity required new approaches, new traditions, new structures. Our church programs and ministries should not be so structured that they have no room for new methods or new ideas. We must be careful that our heart does not become so rigid that it prevents us from accepting new ways of thinking that Christ brings. We need to keep our heart flexible so we can accept Jesus’ live-changing message.