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Luke5

World English Bible · Public Domain

1Now while the multitude pressed on him and heard the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret.

2He saw two boats standing by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets.

3He entered into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little from the land. He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat.

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

5Simon answered him, “Master, we worked all night and caught nothing; but at your word I will let down the net.”

6When they had done this, they caught a great multitude of fish, and their net was breaking.

7They beckoned to their partners in the other boat, that they should come and help them. They came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink.

8But Simon Peter, when he saw it, fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, Lord.”

9For he was amazed, and all who were with him, at the catch of fish which they had caught;

10and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid. From now on you will be catching people alive.”

11When they had brought their boats to land, they left everything, and followed him.

12While he was in one of the cities, behold, there was a man full of leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, saying, “Lord, if you want to, you can make me clean.”

13He stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I want to. Be made clean.” Immediately the leprosy left him.

14He commanded him to tell no one, “But go your way and show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing according to what Moses commanded, for a testimony to them.”

15But the report concerning him spread much more, and great multitudes came together to hear and to be healed by him of their infirmities.

16But he withdrew himself into the desert and prayed.

17On one of those days, he was teaching; and there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by who had come out of every village of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. The power of the Lord was with him to heal them.

18Behold, men brought a paralyzed man on a cot, and they sought to bring him in to lay before Jesus.

19Not finding a way to bring him in because of the multitude, they went up to the housetop and let him down through the tiles with his cot into the middle before Jesus.

20Seeing their faith, he said to him, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.”

21The scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?”

22But Jesus, perceiving their thoughts, answered them, “Why are you reasoning so in your hearts?

23Which is easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise 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, arise, take up your cot, and go to your house.”

25Immediately he rose up before them, and took up that which he was laying on, and departed to his house, glorifying God.

26Amazement took hold on all, and they glorified God. They were filled with fear, saying, “We have seen strange things today.”

27After these things he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax office, and said to him, “Follow me!”

28He left everything, and rose up and followed him.

29Levi made a great feast for him in his house. There was a great crowd of tax collectors and others who were reclining with them.

30Their scribes and the Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with the tax collectors and sinners?”

31Jesus answered them, “Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but those who are sick do.

32I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

33They said to him, “Why do John’s disciples often fast and pray, likewise also the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours eat and drink?”

34He said to them, “Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them?

35But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them. Then they will fast in those days.”

36He also told a parable to them. “No one puts a piece from a new garment on an old garment, or else he will tear the new, and also the piece from the new will not match the old.

37No one puts new wine into old wineskins, or else the new wine will burst the skins, and it will be spilled and the skins will be destroyed.

38But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.

39No man having drunk old wine immediately desires new, for he says, ‘The old is better.’”

Study Guide

Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Luke 5.

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Chapter Summary

In this chapter: The miraculous draught of fishes, Peter, James, and John called. (1–11). A leper cleansed. (12–16). A paralytic cured. (17–26). Levi called, Christ's answer to the Pharisees. (27–39).

vv1-11

When Christ had done preaching, he told Peter to apply to the business of his calling. Time spent on week days in public exercises of religion, need be but little hinderance in time, and may be great furtherance to us in temper of mind, as to our worldly business. With what cheerfulness may we go about the duties of our calling, when we have been with God, and thus have our worldly employments sanctified to us by the word and prayer! Though they had taken nothing, yet Christ told them to let down their nets again. We must not abruptly quit our callings because we have not the success in them we desire. We are likely to speed well, when we follow the guidance of Christ's word. The draught of fishes was by a miracle. We must all, like Peter, own ourselves to be sinful men, therefore Jesus Christ might justly depart from us. But we must beseech him that he would not depart; for woe unto us if the Saviour depart from sinners! Rather let us entreat him to come and dwell in our hearts by faith, that he may transform and cleanse them. These fishermen forsook all, and followed Jesus, when their calling prospered. When riches increase, and we are tempted to set our hearts upon them, then to quit them for Christ is thankworthy.

vv12-16

This man is said to be full of leprosy; he had that distemper in a high degree, which represents our natural pollution by sin; we are full of that leprosy; from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot there is no soundness in us. Strong confidence and deep humility are united in the words of this leper. And if any sinner, from a deep sense of vileness, says, I know the Lord can cleanse, but will he look upon such a one as me? will he apply his own precious blood for my cleansing and healing? Yes, he will. Speak not as doubting, but as humbly referring the matter to Christ. And being saved from the guilt and power of our sins, let us spread abroad Christ's fame, and bring others to hear him and to be healed.

vv17-26

How many are there in our assemblies, where the gospel is preached, who do not sit under the word, but sit by! It is to them as a tale that is told them, not as a message that is sent to them. Observe the duties taught and recommended to us by the history of the paralytic. In applying to Christ, we must be very pressing and urgent; that is an evidence of faith, and is very pleasing to Christ, and prevailing with him. Give us, Lord, the same kind of faith with respect to thy ability and willingness to heal our souls. Give us to desire the pardon of sin more than any earthly blessing, or life itself. Enable us to believe thy power to forgive sins; then will our souls cheerfully arise and go where thou pleasest.

Cross References

Luke 5
v12Matthew 8:2-4thematic

Parallel account of the cleansing of the leper, detailing his humble plea and Christ's healing touch.

Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB

v18Matthew 9:2-8thematic

Parallel account of the healing of the paralytic let down through the roof.

Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB

v27Matthew 9:9-13thematic

Parallel account of the calling of Levi (Matthew) the publican and the subsequent feast.

Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB

v33Matthew 9:14-17thematic

Parallel passage discussing fasting and the parables of the garments and wineskins.

Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB

v1Matthew 4:18-22thematic

Parallel calling of the fishermen Peter, Andrew, James, and John by the Sea of Galilee.

Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB

v8Isaiah 6:5thematic

Echoes Peter's cry of sinfulness and undoing when confronted with a direct manifestation of divine glory.

Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB

v4John 21:6thematic

A highly similar post-resurrection miraculous draught of fish commanded by Jesus on the same lake.

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

v14Leviticus 14:2thematic

The Mosaic law commanding cleansed lepers to show themselves to the priest for ceremonial testimony.

Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, John Calvin

v3Matthew 13:2thematic

Another instance where Jesus uses a ship as a floating pulpit to teach the crowds.

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

v16Mark 1:35thematic

Parallels Jesus withdrawing to solitary wilderness places early in the morning to pray.

Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB

v34John 3:29allusion

John the Baptist himself identifies Jesus as the bridegroom, mirroring Christ's bridegroom metaphor here.

Supported by John Calvin, JFB

v11Luke 14:33thematic

Matches the disciples' action of forsaking all to follow Christ with His explicit demand for discipleship.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v13Genesis 1:3thematic

Illustrates the effortless power of Christ's word ('I will; be thou clean') echoing creation.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v21Isaiah 43:25thematic

Old Testament foundation that God alone possesses the absolute sovereign prerogative to forgive sins.

Supported by Matthew Poole