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Luke 5

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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,

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

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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.

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

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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.

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

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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.

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

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

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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.

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

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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.

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

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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.

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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.

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And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed.

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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 Judea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them.

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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.

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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.

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

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

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

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

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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.

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

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

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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.

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

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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.

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

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

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

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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?

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

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

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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.

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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.

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

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

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Luke 5

The chapter opens with the miraculous catch of fish — the event that overwhelms Simon Peter into the posture of sinful self-awareness and produces the call to fish for people — followed by the immediate departure of Simon, James, and John from everything. The healing of the leper establishes the pattern of Jesus reversing ritual exclusion: the touch that should defile instead purifies, and the Torah's priestly certification is upheld as a testimony. The paralytic lowered through the roof produces the chapter's central controversy: Jesus' declaration of forgiveness provokes the scribal charge of blasphemy, which Jesus answers by demonstrating the Son of Man's authority on earth to forgive through the visible healing. The call of Levi and the dinner with tax collectors and sinners produce the physician saying — I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance — and the new-wine-in-new-wineskins teaching: the kingdom's reality requires new containers. The Pharisees' preference for the old wine is the chapter's concluding note about those who cannot receive what the kingdom is bringing.

Luke 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 internal reaction of the scribes and Pharisees who have come to observe and evaluate: who speaks blasphemy, who can forgive sins but God alone? The logic is correct: only God can forgive sins. The error is the unstated premise that Jesus is merely a man.

Luke 5:22

Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, why are you thinking these things in your hearts? — the knowing of the unspoken thoughts is divine perception — Jesus perceives what they have not said aloud. The question why are you thinking these things is not a denial of their logic but a challenge to follow the logic to its proper conclusion.

Luke 5:1

One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God — the Lake of Gennesaret (the Sea of Galilee) is the setting for the call of the first disciples in Luke, which is placed after the synagogue ministry rather than at the very beginning (as in Mark and Matthew). The people crowding and listening to the word of God establishes the teaching context from which the fishing miracle will emerge.

Luke 5:2

He saw at the water's edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets — the two boats and the net-washing fishermen communicate the post-fishing routine: the night's work is done, the catch is in, the nets are being cleaned. Simon and his partners (James and John, verse 10) are in the process of finishing their work — not waiting for a catch but completing the aftermath of a failed night.

Luke 5:3

He 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 — the commandeering of Simon's boat as a floating pulpit is the first interaction between Jesus and the man who will become his chief disciple. Jesus asks (ērōtēsen, requested) rather than commands — Simon's compliance with the request is his first act of responsiveness to Jesus. Teaching from the boat on the water gives Jesus both the distance to address the crowd and the acoustic advantage of the water's surface.

Luke 5:4

When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch — the teaching concluded, Jesus turns from the crowd to Simon with a fishing instruction. Put out into deep water (eis to bathos, into the depth) and let down the nets: the instruction runs counter to both the time of day (nets were used at night, not during the day) and the recent failure (they had caught nothing all night). The instruction is a test and an invitation.

Luke 5:5

Simon answered, master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets — Simon's response is the response of faith struggling with experience: we've worked hard all night and caught nothing — the professional fisherman's reasonable objection. But because you say so (epi de tō rhēmati sou, on your word): the obedience is grounded entirely in the word of Jesus, not in any expectation of success. The because you say so is the pivotal moment of Simon's discipleship.

Luke 5:6

When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break — the immediate, overwhelming result: such a large number that the nets began to break. The excess of the catch beyond the nets' capacity communicates the kingdom's abundance — not merely adequate provision but overwhelming surplus. The same principle as the feeding miracles: Jesus provides in excess of the need.

Luke 5:7

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 — the second boat (James and John's) is called in as emergency assistance, and both boats are filled to sinking with the catch. The filling and near-sinking of two boats communicates the complete transformation of a failed night into overwhelming abundance — the same nets and the same water have produced the opposite result at the word of Jesus.

Luke 5:8

When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus's knees and said, go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man — the recognition of the miraculous produces not celebration but prostration and confession. Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man: the encounter with the genuinely holy produces the awareness of one's own unholiness — Isaiah's I am a man of unclean lips (Isaiah 6:5) and Job's my ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you (Job 42:5). The Lord title communicates genuine recognition.

Luke 5:9

For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken — the astonishment (thambos, amazement, awe) of the whole group grounds the theological response in the experiential reality of the miracle. They are not astonished by an idea or a teaching but by a catch of fish that should not have been possible. The miraculous is the occasion for the theological recognition.

Luke 5:10

And 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 fish for people — the don't be afraid addresses the fear/awe of verse 8–9. From now on (apo tou nyn, from this moment) marks the decisive transition: the old vocation is not abandoned but redirected. You will fish for people: the fishing metaphor (catching people for the kingdom) connects the old skill to the new calling — the same capacity, reoriented by the encounter with Jesus.

Luke 5:11

So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him — left everything (aphentes panta): the completeness of the response is emphatic. Not the nets this time (as in Mark) but everything — the boats, the fish (a fortune, after the miraculous catch), the whole life they have known. The completeness of the leaving is proportionate to the completeness of the encounter.

Luke 5:12

While 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 — the leper covered with leprosy (in Luke's medical observation, he is at an advanced stage) approaches Jesus in the posture of prostration and desperation. If you are willing, you can make me clean: the same petition as in Mark 1:40 — the distinction between willingness and ability, the confident faith in Jesus' power combined with uncertainty about his intention.

Luke 5:13

Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. I am willing, he said. Be clean! And immediately the leprosy left him — the touch is the radical act: touching a leper creates ritual impurity for the one who touches; Jesus reverses the equation, transferring purity rather than receiving impurity. I am willing: the declaration resolves the leper's uncertainty about Jesus' intention. Be clean: the command is the accomplishment — the leprosy left immediately.

Luke 5:14

Then 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 — the Messianic Secret command (don't tell anyone) is paired with the Torah instruction (show yourself to the priest). The priestly declaration of cleansing is the official certification of the miracle — as a testimony to them. The system that excluded the leper must officially certify his restoration.

Luke 5:15

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 — the Messianic Secret cannot contain the news: the more Jesus commands silence, the more the news spreads. Crowds came to hear and to be healed: the double purpose communicates that the teaching and the healing ministry are inseparable — people come for both.

Luke 5:16

But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed — the pattern of withdrawal for prayer is Luke's characteristic observation about Jesus' practice. Often (plēn autos ēn hypochōrōn, he himself was withdrawing into the wilderness places and praying) communicates the regular, repeated pattern. The public ministry flows from the private communion — the power for the healing comes from the prayer.

Luke 5:17

One day Jesus was teaching, and Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there. They had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present for him to heal the sick — the presence of Pharisees and teachers of the law from throughout the land at a private house teaching session communicates the institutional surveillance that is beginning. The power of the Lord was present (dynamis kyriou ēn eis to iasthai autous): Luke's theological explanation of why healing occurred on this occasion.

Luke 5:18

Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus — the four men carrying the paralyzed man are reduced to some men in Luke but the dramatic action is the same. Tried to take him in communicates the attempt before the crowd prevented it — the determination that produces the roof-opening is preceded by the failed conventional approach.

Luke 5:19

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 — through the tiles is Luke's detail distinguishing his account from Mark's digging through the earthen roof. A Mediterranean tile roof requires different technique from a Palestinian earthen roof. The lowered him right in front of Jesus: the precision of the lowering communicates the friends' intention to place the paralyzed man directly in Jesus' line of sight.

Luke 5:20

When Jesus saw their faith, he said, friend, your sins are forgiven — their faith: the faith of the four who carried the man and opened the roof. Friend (anthrōpe, literally man, but used warmly): Jesus addresses the paralyzed man with a term of acceptance before the controversial declaration. Your sins are forgiven: the forgiveness precedes the healing — the deeper need is addressed first.

Luke 5:38

No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins — the positive statement of the principle: the new wine of the kingdom requires the new wineskins of the kingdom community. The new forms are not yet specified — that is the work of the Acts narrative. But the principle is clear: the kingdom's arrival requires new containers, new structures, new community forms.

Luke 5:23

Which is easier: to say, your sins are forgiven, or to say, get up and walk? — the two-option question exposes the relationship between the unverifiable (forgiveness) and the verifiable (healing). Saying your sins are forgiven is easier to say because it cannot be immediately falsified; saying get up and walk is harder because it can be immediately tested. Jesus is about to use the verifiable as evidence for the unverifiable.

Luke 5:24

But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins. So he said to the paralyzed man, I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home — the Son of Man authority claim (the first in Luke) is grounded in the healing that follows. The connection is explicit: so he said to the man — the healing serves as the demonstration of the authority to forgive. The three commands (get up, take your mat, go home) are the restoration of function, dignity, and normal life.

Luke 5:25

Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God — the triple fulfillment (stood up, took the mat, went home) mirrors the triple command. Praising God: the first response to the healing is directed to God, not to Jesus — the appropriate attribution of the miracle to its divine source. The public nature of the healing (in front of them all) ensures the undeniable character of the evidence.

Luke 5:26

Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, we have seen remarkable things today — everyone (hapantes) was amazed — even the Pharisees and teachers of the law who had been thinking about blasphemy. The filled with awe (eplēsthēsan phobou, filled with fear/awe) communicates the theophanic response — the presence of divine power producing reverent fear. We have seen remarkable things (paradoxa, paradoxes, things contrary to expectation) today: the self-description of the witnesses.

Luke 5:27

After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. Follow me, Jesus told him — the call of Levi follows the forgiveness and healing sequence — the one who can forgive sins now demonstrates it by calling the most socially despised person in the scene. Levi sitting at his tax booth is the picture of daily occupation; the follow me is the invitation that will redirect the entire life.

Luke 5:28

And Levi got up, left everything and followed him — left everything (katalipōn panta) is Luke's emphasis: the completeness of the departure echoes the disciples' leaving everything in verse 11. Everything includes the tax booth, the income, the Roman patronage, the occupation — a more dramatic sacrifice in some ways than the fishermen's, since Levi likely had more to give up.

Luke 5:29

Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them — the great banquet is Levi's immediate response to his call: he hosts Jesus, and the banquet is populated with Levi's social network — tax collectors and others (sinners, implied). The kingdom feast begins with the kingdom's unexpected guests — the very people whose exclusion from respectable tables Jesus is about to defend.

Luke 5:30

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? — the complaint to the disciples about Jesus' behavior is the indirect confrontation: addressing the followers rather than the leader. Why do you eat and drink with: the table fellowship is the specific objection — sharing a meal creates a social and ritual identification with the people one eats with.

Luke 5:31

Jesus answered them, it is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick — the medical analogy is the logical defense of the boundary-crossing table fellowship. A doctor who refuses contact with the sick has misunderstood the medical vocation. Jesus is Israel's physician — the sick are his patients, not his contamination.

Luke 5:32

I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance — the repentance addition in Luke (absent from Mark) clarifies the purpose of the table fellowship: Jesus is not celebrating sin but calling sinners to repentance. The dinner at Levi's house is a mission event — the coming of the physician to the sick, the coming of the reconciler to the estranged.

Luke 5:33

They 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 — the fasting question contrasts the disciples' behavior with the established piety practices of John's disciples and the Pharisees. Eating and drinking communicates not merely not-fasting but active feasting — the very celebration that the Pharisees find inconsistent with genuine piety.

Luke 5:34

Jesus answered, can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? — the bridegroom metaphor identifies Jesus with the divine bridegroom of the Old Testament (Isaiah 62:5, Hosea 2:19–20). The friends of the bridegroom cannot fast at the wedding — fasting is mourning; weddings are celebration. The wedding has begun with Jesus' arrival; fasting would be the inappropriate response to a celebration.

Luke 5:35

But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; in those days they will fast — the future tense anticipates the cross: when the bridegroom is taken (removed by force — the passive implying violence), then fasting will be appropriate. The disciples' fasting will not be a religious performance but genuine mourning for genuine loss. The verse is the first indirect reference to Jesus' death in Luke.

Luke 5:36

He told them this parable: no one tears a piece out of a new garment to patch an old one. Otherwise, they will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old — the patch parable addresses the incompatibility of the new and the old. Tearing the new garment to patch the old both ruins the new garment and still doesn't work — the patches won't match. The kingdom that Jesus brings is new wine that cannot be contained in old forms.

Luke 5:37

And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined — new wine (still fermenting and expanding) bursts old wineskins (dried out and inflexible). Both the wine and the wineskins are lost. The kingdom's new reality cannot be contained within the old covenant's forms — both the new reality and the container are damaged by the forced combination.

Luke 5:39

And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for they say, the old is better — Luke's addition to the parable collection is unique: the preference for old wine. The one who is accustomed to the old wine does not desire the new — the palate formed by the old resists the new even when the new is superior. The Pharisees' preference for the old forms is the practical expression of this principle: they have tasted the old and find the new unsatisfying, not yet understanding that the new is the fulfillment of what the old anticipated.