Luke 5:27-39

27 Later, as Jesus left the town, he saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. 28 So Levi got up, left everything, and followed him.

29 Later, Levi held a banquet in his home with Jesus as the guest of honor. Many of Levi’s fellow tax collectors and other guests also ate with them. 30 But the Pharisees and their teachers of religious law complained bitterly to Jesus’ disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with such scum?”

31 Jesus answered them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. 32 I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent.”

33 One day some people said to Jesus, “John the Baptist’s disciples fast and pray regularly, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees. Why are your disciples always eating and drinking?”

34 Jesus responded, “Do wedding guests fast while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. 35 But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.”

36 Then Jesus gave them this illustration: “No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and uses it to patch an old garment. For then the new garment would be ruined, and the new patch wouldn’t even match the old garment. 37 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the new wine would burst the wineskins, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. 38 New wine must be stored in new wineskins. 39 But no one who drinks the old wine seems to want the new wine. ‘The old is just fine,’ they say.”

Comments

Here are just a few quick things to pay attention to:

• Like Peter, James, and John, Levi (Matthew) leaves everything to follow Jesus. Once again, Luke adds this to text he has otherwise borrowed from Mark.
• Peter called himself a sinner and Levi is a tax-collector, so it is quite correct to call Jesus a friend of tax collectors and sinners. It’s not just that Jesus went and ministered to such ‘unsavory’ people – he actually liked them, they were among his closest friends, and they were the ones he trusted to carry on building his kingdom.
• The Pharisees, teachers, and even John the Baptist’s followers have such a hard time with Jesus eating with such people because having a meal with someone is more of a spiritual event than we tend to realize. In church lingo, we call this “table fellowship” and it’s a big deal because it creates a spiritual unity and solidarity – for good or for bad. Outside the power of the Holy Spirit this sort of thing could go wrong. But when you are operating in the Spirit like Jesus was, you can eat with anyone – and the spiritual unity you create will do them good without doing you harm.
• Luke cleans up the wineskins/garment patch teaching; the grammar here makes more sense than in Mark. Luke also adds the line at the end about people preferring the old wine. Some people just prefer the status quo, even over something that would be better, because the better requires effort of some kind, while the status quo is already here – it doesn’t even require overcoming inertia. Following Jesus requires moving into the new of his kingdom and overcoming inevitable resistance that will most often try to push you back to your prior status quo or some invented religious status quo that skirts around doing the hard work of the kingdom – leaving all and following Jesus. The old may seem better, but the new is the best in the world.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale HousePublishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Luke 5:12-26

12 In one of the villages, Jesus met a man with an advanced case of leprosy. When the man saw Jesus, he bowed with his face to the ground, begging to be healed. “Lord,” he said, “if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean.”

13 Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” And instantly the leprosy disappeared. 14 Then Jesus instructed him not to tell anyone what had happened. He said, “Go to the priest and let him examine you. Take along the offering required in the law of Moses for those who have been healed of leprosy. This will be a public testimony that you have been cleansed.”

15 But despite Jesus’ instructions, the report of his power spread even faster, and vast crowds came to hear him preach and to be healed of their diseases. 16 But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.

17 One day while Jesus was teaching, some Pharisees and teachers of religious law were sitting nearby. (It seemed that these men showed up from every village in all Galilee and Judea, as well as from Jerusalem.) And the Lord’s healing power was strongly with Jesus.

18 Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a sleeping mat. They tried to take him inside to Jesus, 19 but they couldn’t reach him because of the crowd. So they went up to the roof and took off some tiles. Then they lowered the sick man on his mat down into the crowd, right in front of Jesus. 20 Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the man, “Young man, your sins are forgiven.”

21 But the Pharisees and teachers of religious law said to themselves, “Who does he think he is? That’s blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!”

22 Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you question this in your hearts? 23 Is it easier to say ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up and walk’? 24 So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!”

25 And immediately, as everyone watched, the man jumped up, picked up his mat, and went home praising God. 26 Everyone was gripped with great wonder and awe, and they praised God, exclaiming, “We have seen amazing things today!”

Comments

Ever listen to great classical music and notice how the theme or motif repeats over and over, even as it develops, modulates, and builds? This is what Luke is doing here. Like the four notes in Beethoven’s Fifth (dah-dah-dah-dum), word-authority-power-proof resonate in both these vignettes. Is there any better word than hearing Jesus say, “I am willing?” If so, it has to be, “Your sins are forgiven.” Both are words we long to hear. And both are words Jesus has the authority to speak. Two important things get added to the theme here: the inclusion of “unclean” people – untouchables who are touched by Jesus, and the extension of Jesus’ authority over forgiveness of sins. Jesus exercises authority to touch those who must not be touched and Jesus exercises authority in forgiving sins. Both acts are supported by powerful healings which serve as proofs of Jesus’ authority in these areas.

Also notice the phrase in v.17, “And the Lord’s healing power was strongly with Jesus.” Luke again emphasizes that Jesus does the miraculous by the power of the Holy Spirit – the same power Peter and Paul will do miracles by in Acts – the same power you and I can still do miracles by. May the Lord’s healing power be strong with us as well.

We’ve read in Matthew and Mark about Jesus reading minds, so v.22 doesn’t strike us as new. But Luke hoped we would read it and remember the word Simeon spoke over the baby in the Temple: “the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed.” (2.35) Simeon’s word carried authority and power too.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale HousePublishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.