Chapter 5 Luke 5
Jesus Calls His First Disciples (vv. 1-11)
1 One day Jesus was standing on the shore of Lake Gennesaret a while the people pushed their way up to him to listen to the word of God. 2 He saw two boats pulled up on the beach; the fishermen had left them and were washing the nets. 3 Jesus got into one of the boats – it belonged to Simon – and asked him to push off a little from the shore. Jesus sat b in the boat and taught the crowd.
4 When he finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Push the boat out further to the deep water, and you and your partners let down your nets for a catch.”
5 “Master,” c Simon answered, “we worked hard all night long and caught nothing. But if you say so, I will let down the nets.” 6 They let them down and caught such a large number of fish that the nets were about to break. 7 So they motioned to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. They came and filled both boats so full of fish that the boats were about to sink. 8 When Simon Peter saw what had happened, he fell on his knees before Jesus and said, “Go away from me, Lord! I am a sinful man!” d
9 He and the others with him were all amazed at the large number of fish they had caught. 10 The same was true of Simon’s partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee. Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will be catching e men.”
11 They pulled the boats up on the beach, left everything, and followed Jesus. f
Interesting Stuff:
a Luke is the only Gospel writer who calls it a lake. It is known by two other names – Sea of Galilee and Sea of Tiberias. It measures roughly 21 km (13 miles) by 11 km (7 miles) and is situated about 213 m (700 ft) below sea-level.
b Sitting was the usual position for teaching (see chap 4, note n). The boat provided an ideal arrangement because it was removed from the pressing crowd and yet near enough to be seen and heard.
c Peter addresses Jesus as ‘Master’, a term which is not specific like ‘Rabbi’ (which Luke never uses of Jesus) but which refers to someone in authority.
d Peter was a fisherman and he knew that the best time for fishing with nets was during the dark night and the worst time was during the morning because the fish would see (these nets were made of linen) and avoid the nets. He saw that what happened had to be a miracle. He recognised the hand of God in the life of Jesus and that drove him to realise the vast difference between Jesus and himself. He responded by falling at Jesus’ feet in humility and referred to himself as a sinner.
e The verb ‘to catch’ means literally ‘to capture alive’ or ‘to spare life’. The disciples would no longer catch dead fish in order to sell them in the market but will catch people, giving them freedom.
f This was not the first time these men had been with Jesus (see Jn 1:40-42). But this was the first time they had left everything to form a close-knit fellowship with Jesus as their Master.
Questions:
- Where was Jesus when the people pushed their way up close to him to listen to the Word of God (vv. 1-3)?
What did he do as a result?
2. What did Jesus ask Simon to do after he had finished speaking (v. 4)?
Why was Simon reluctant to do so at first (v. 5)?
3. What happened when Simon followed what Jesus asked (vv. 6-7)?
Why was this catch of fish unexpected?
4. What immediate effect did this miracle have on Simon (v. 8)?
5. What did Jesus say to him (v. 10)?
6. Who were Simon’s partners (v. 10)?
How did all of them respond to Jesus telling them that they would become fishers of men (v. 11)?
7. What do you think Jesus’ disciples learned about Jesus from this incident?
Summary of Section:
- One day Jesus was standing on the shore of Lake Gennesaret while the people pushed their way up to him to listen to the word of God.
- He saw two boats pulled up on the beach. Jesus got into one of the boats which belonged to Simon and asked him to push off a little from the shore. Then he sat down and began to teach the people.
- After he had finished, he told Simon to push the boat out to the deep water and let down his and his partners’ nets for a catch.
- Simon told Jesus that he and his partners had already tried the whole night and had caught nothing. But since Jesus told him so, he said he would obey Jesus.
- His obedience resulted in a miracle. They caught so much fish that their nets began to break. They signalled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. They filled both boats so full of fish that the boats were about to sink.
- All of them, including James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners, were amazed at the large number of fish they had caught.
- When Simon saw what had happened, he fell on his knees before Jesus and told Jesus to go away from him because he was a sinful man.
- Jesus told Simon not to be afraid. From then on he would be catching men and not fish.
- When they got to land, they pulled their boats up on the beach, left everything and followed Jesus.
Nuggets of Wisdom
- Jesus’ growing reputation had resulted in this crowd. Their crowding in on him led him to use the boats as a platform from which to teach. Jesus sat down to teach as was the normal posture for teaching.
- Jesus’ instructions to Simon seemed absurd because he was talking to men who knew more about fishing than he did. Not only had their night of fishing yielded nothing but their kind of nets was good only for night fishing.
- Having witnessed Jesus’ power of healing over his mother-in-law and others, and heard his teaching in the synagogue, Simon willingly submitted to Jesus, even though the instruction sounded incredulous to Simon. And his obedience resulted in a miraculous catch of fish.
- At this point, Simon had not really come to understand who Jesus really was yet. He just recognised in Jesus the authority of God, and that brought him instinctively to realise his own sinfulness. He felt himself too unworthy to be in the presence of someone so great.
- Simon and James and John’s decision to follow Jesus wholly and unconditionally was not taken all of a sudden there and then. They had met with and heard Jesus teach before, and probably had been following him to some extent. In chapter 4 we see Jesus in Peter’s house. This was, however, their turning point when they decided to leave everything behind and commit themselves to a new relationship with Jesus as their Master.
Jesus Heals a Man with Skin Disease (vv. 12-16)
12 Once Jesus was in a town where there was a man who was suffering from a dreaded skin disease. g When he saw Jesus, he threw himself down and begged him, “Sir, if you want to, h you can make me clean!”
13 Jesus reached out and touched him. i “I do want to,” he answered. “Be clean!” At once the disease left the man. 14 Jesus ordered him, “Don’t tell anyone, but go straight to the priest and let him examine you; then to prove to everyone that you are cured, offer the sacrifice as Moses ordered.” j
15 But the news about Jesus spread all the more widely, and crowds of people came to hear him and be healed from their diseases. 16 But he would go away to lonely places, where he prayed. k
Interesting Stuff:
g In some versions, the term ‘leprosy’ is used. Leprosy in biblical times was the name given to a variety of skin diseases, some curable and some not. In its worst form, it was both disfiguring and fatal. It was first of all a social disease in the sense that those so labelled were regarded as impure and separated from others. Sufferers were forbidden to approach other people. To prevent accidental contact, they were required to call out ‘Unclean’. They had no way to earn a living and had to depend on charity. ‘Lepers’ were outcasts of society and they suffered terribly from shame and rejection. They were not welcome within the boundaries of a city.
h ‘If you want to’ might express a sense of unworthiness on the part of the man rather than his doubting Jesus’ ability or willingness. Note that he did not speak of being healed but of being made clean. Leprosy was considered a dirty disease because it defiled the person, both physically and in terms of the ceremonial laws. To be cleansed meant to be healed.
i Jesus showed his compassion for the man by going against all the social and ceremonial laws and touching him. Lepers were shunned by others and probably this man had not been touched for years. Someone who touches an unclean person would be defiling himself, i.e., making himself ceremonially unclean. And one who is ceremonially unclean would make everything he touches unclean. He would be barred from worshipping in the Temple unless he goes through certain rites of purification. In this case, Jesus by his touch did not defile himself but instead he communicated healing and wholeness to the man. The disease left the man and he was made clean.
j Again Jesus did not want the man to go around and talk about his healing. Instead he asked him to keep the Law by going to see the priest. The Mosaic Law calls a man who claims to be cured of leprosy to go to the priest who acted as a kind of health inspector. If the priest was satisfied, a sacrifice was offered, after which the healed person was able to take his place in the community again.
k Again we are told of Jesus withdrawing to pray. In the midst of all the hectic activity and the crowds who were constantly surrounding him, Jesus found it necessary to take off to be quiet and to pray to God.
Questions:
- What did the man with the skin disease do when he saw Jesus (v. 12)?
2. What did Jesus do and say to him (v. 13)?
3. What further instructions did Jesus give him after he was healed (v. 14)?
What does this say about Jesus’ attitude to the Jewish Law?
4. In the midst of all his busyness, what did Jesus do (v. 16)?
5. Comment on why Jesus’ touch went against the social or religious customs of his day.
Summary of Section:
- Once Jesus was in a town where there was a man who was suffering from a dreaded skin disease.
- When the man saw Jesus, he threw himself down and begged Jesus to heal him, saying, “Sir, if you want to, you can make me clean.”
- Jesus reached out and touched him and answered, “I do want to. Be clean!” Immediately the man was healed.
- Jesus ordered the man not to tell anyone but to go straight to the priest and let the priest examine him. Then he was to offer the sacrifice as ordered by the Law of Moses to prove to everyone that he was cured.
- However, the news about Jesus continued to spread all the more widely and crowds of people came to hear him and be healed from their diseases.
- Jesus, however, would go away to lonely places where he prayed.
Nuggets of Wisdom
- In those days, it was against the Mosaic Law for a leper to come into a city or near healthy people. It is probable that the man in his desperation ignored the rule because he had heard of Jesus’ healing miracles. He was desperate enough to do anything to be cleansed.
- Lepers faced tremendous shame and loneliness. They were banished from their home and their community. Wherever they went, they were to cry, “Unclean! Unclean!” People hated them because they feared the disease. That was the kind of man who came to Jesus out of his desperation and misery. He was unclean, unloved, and Jesus in compassion, reached out and touched him. No matter how bad we feel about ourselves, Jesus still desires to reach out to us in compassion. It is the very essence of God’s character to love the unlovable, and to touch the untouchable.
- Again Jesus probably did not want the crowd at this stage to become too enthusiastic about his healing works because it would lead them to proclaim him as their earthly Messiah. He therefore charged the man not to tell anyone. However, he had to obey the Law by showing himself to the priest and make the appropriate offering for his cleansing so that he could be pronounced ceremonially clean. We see here that Jesus himself also kept the ceremonial laws as long as they did not clash with the need to show love and compassion.
- Luke mentions again Jesus’ habit of withdrawing for prayer, during which he would be strengthened for the work that God had for him. With his reputation increasing, and the number of people claiming his time and attention on the rise, Jesus found it necessary to withdraw to lonely places to pray.
Jesus Heals a Paralysed Man (vv. 17-26)
17 One day when Jesus was teaching, some Pharisees and teachers of the Law l were sitting there who had come from every town in Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. The power of the Lord was present for Jesus to heal the sick. 18 Some men came carrying a paralysed man on a bed, and they tried to carry him into the house and put him in front of Jesus. 19 Because of the crowd, however, they could find no way to take him in. So they carried him up on the roof, m made an opening in the tiles, n and let him down on his bed into the middle of the group in front of Jesus. 20 When Jesus saw how much faith they had, he said to the man, “Your sins are forgiven, my friend.”
21 The teachers of the Law and the Pharisees began to say to themselves, “Who is this man who speaks such blasphemy! o God is the only one who can forgive sins!”
22 Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Why do you think such things? 23 Is it easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? p 24 I will prove to you, q then, that the Son of Man r has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralysed man, “I tell you, get up, pick up your bed, and go home!”
25 At once the man got up in front of them all, took the bed he had been lying on, and went home, praising God. 26 They were all completely amazed! Full of fear, they praised God, saying, “What marvellous things we have seen today!”
Interesting Stuff:
l This is the first time the Pharisees and teachers of the Law (see ‘The Pharisees’ and ‘The Scribes’, p. xiii) are mentioned in Luke. The Pharisees were a religious group who were concerned about maintaining the purity of the Law and the traditions. They emphasised following strictly all the details of the Law and kept themselves apart from those Jews who did not do so. They were the unofficial religious leaders and they spearheaded the opposition to Jesus.
The teachers of the Law or scribes as they were also called, were those who studied, interpreted and taught the Law and the traditions. Most of them were Pharisees. It seemed that Jesus’ reputation had aroused the attention and opposition of the religious authorities. Thus Pharisees and teachers of the Law from every village including Jerusalem, the religious centre, came to observe all his doings carefully.
m Palestinian houses had flat roofs with an outside staircase that led up to them. They were made from wooden beams with smaller branches on top and covered over with mud, mixed with straw.
n Since most Palestinian roofs were made from mud, some scholars think that Luke might have described the roofs of Hellenistic homes which were tiled and which would be more familiar for his Gentile readers.
o The Pharisees considered blasphemy to be the most serious sin a man could commit. In Jewish theology, even the Messiah could not forgive sins. Thus they saw Jesus’ forgiveness of sin as his claim to being equal to God which to them was blasphemous.
p Jesus’ question was most probably not meant to ask his listeners to rank which was more difficult, forgiving sins or causing the paralytic to walk. He wanted them to know that the power to heal and the authority to forgive sins go together and he proved it to them by asking the man to get up. And the man was healed. By showing his authority and power in the physical realm, he proved to them that he had that same authority and power in the spiritual realm to forgive sins as well.
q The Jews of the day thought that all sickness is due to sin and that a sick person does not recover until all his sins are forgiven him. Jesus’ power to heal was a visible affirmation to them of his power to forgive sins.
r This is Luke’s first use of the expression ‘Son of Man’. He uses it 26 times in his Gospel. This title is never used by anyone but Jesus. In the book of Daniel, the Son of Man is pictured as a heavenly figure who, in the end times, is entrusted by God with authority, glory and sovereign power. Here Jesus uses it to refer to his Messiahship but in the context of forgiving sins.
Questions:
- Who came to observe Jesus as he was teaching (v. 17)?
2. How was the paralysed man brought to Jesus (v. 18)?
What did the men carrying the paralysed man do when they could not bring him into the house (vv.18-19)?
3. What did Jesus say to the paralysed man (v. 20)?
4. What was the reaction of the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees to what Jesus said (v. 21)?
5. What did Jesus do to prove to them that he could forgive sins (vv. 24-25)?
6. What was the reaction of the crowd to what happened (v. 26)?
Summary of Section:
- One day, Jesus was teaching in a house. His reputation had spread and there were Pharisees and teachers of the Law who had come from every town in Galilee, Judea and Jerusalem to observe him.
- That day, God’s power was present for Jesus to heal the sick.
- Some men came, carrying a paralysed man on a bed. They could not carry him into the house because of the crowd there.
- So they carried him up on the roof, made an opening in the tiles, and let him down on his bed into the middle of the group in front of Jesus.
- When Jesus saw how much faith these men had, he said to the paralysed man that his sins were forgiven.
- This immediately provoked a reaction from the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees. They began to say amongst themselves that Jesus was speaking blasphemy because only God could forgive sins.
- Jesus knew their thoughts and asked them what was easier to say – to tell the man that his sins were forgiven or to ask him to get up and walk.
- To prove to them that he had the authority and power on earth to forgive sins, Jesus told the man to get up, pick up his bed and go home. Immediately, the man got up in front of them all, took his bed and went home, praising God.
- Everyone was completely amazed and full of awe. They recognised the hand of God and praised Him for the marvellous things they had seen that day.
Nuggets of Wisdom
- This is the first time Luke mentions the Pharisees and teachers of the Law. They were there in an official capacity to check out on Jesus. They represented not only every Jewish village but also the city of Jerusalem itself. Their hostility towards Jesus became apparent in their reaction to Jesus when he forgave the paralysed man his sins.
- Again Jesus’ ministry is characterised by his word and deed – his teaching and healing – and the presence of the Holy Spirit, here mentioned as the power of the Lord upon Jesus.
- The men who brought their paralysed friend to Jesus must have had great faith in Jesus otherwise they would not have gone to all that trouble of getting their friend into Jesus’ presence. Thus Jesus responded to ‘their’ faith, presumably the faith of the friends and the paralysed man.
- Note that Jesus’ first words were to do with sin, and not sickness. He saw the man’s faith and forgave him his sins. When confronted about claiming to do that which only God could do, Jesus went on to heal the man to show to the Pharisees and teachers of the Law that he had authority on earth to forgive sins. Jesus’ authority to forgive sins and to heal goes together, and the healing took place immediately.
- The Pharisees and teachers of the Law’s understanding was that sin and suffering were connected. If a man was suffering, he had sinned. Using their assumption that the man had sinned, Jesus by healing the man, was showing them the proof that the man’s sins had been forgiven.
- Luke proceeds to tell the reaction of the man and the crowd. Their attention was focused not on Jesus but on what they saw as God’s hand in the healing. So it was God that they glorified.
- One wonderful thing about this story is that it was the man’s friends’ faith, on top of his own that saved him. Augustine, a very important theologian of the early church who later became a bishop, lived a very reckless and immoral life during his younger days. His mother, who was a very devout Christian, went to seek the help of a Christian bishop. He told her that “It is impossible that the child of such prayers and tears should perish.” Because of his mother’s prayers and faith, Augustine later came to faith. There are many people who have been saved by the faith of friends or family members who have faithfully brought them before God in prayer.
Jesus Calls Levi (vv. 27-32)
27 After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, s sitting in his office. t Jesus said to him, “Follow me.” 28 Levi got up, left everything, and followed him. u
29 Then Levi had a big feast in his house for Jesus, and among the guests was a large number of tax collectors and other people. 30 Some Pharisees and some teachers of the Law who belonged to their group complained to Jesus’ disciples. “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and other outcasts?” v they asked.
31 Jesus answered them, “People who are well do not need a doctor, but only those who are sick. w 32 I have not come to call respectable people to repent, but outcasts.
Interesting Stuff:
s Levi was also known as Matthew (Mt 9:9).
t The term probably refers to a toll booth or a small customhouse at which goods being transported were taxed. Capernaum’s customhouse must have been particularly important because it was the major point of entry into Palestine from the north and east.
u Since Jesus had been ministering in Capernaum for some time, it is likely that Levi had already known him or known about him.
v These were people who like the tax collectors were rejected by society. They were either immoral or they followed occupations that the religious regarded as incompatible with the Law, e.g., the prostitutes, robbers, etc.
w Jesus was not implying that the Pharisees were physically healthy but that a person must recognise himself as a sinner before he can see his need for God to save him from his sins.
Questions:
- Where did Jesus meet Levi (v. 27)?
2. What did Jesus say to him (v. 27)?
What was his response (v. 28)?
3. Who were among the guests at the feast that Levi invited Jesus to (vv. 29-30)?
Why were the Pharisees and teachers of the Law upset with Jesus and his disciples (v.30)?
4. How did Jesus reply to their criticism (vv. 31-32)?
5. Comment on why the Jews hated tax collectors in those days.
6. Name another tax collector who was accepted by Jesus (19:2).
What do these two incidents show about Jesus’ attitude towards people like these tax collectors?
Summary of Section:
- After the last incident, Jesus went out and saw Levi, a tax collector, sitting in his office.
- He told Levi to follow him. Levi got up, left everything and followed Jesus.
- Then Levi held a big feast in his house for Jesus and he invited a large number of tax collectors and other people who were considered as outcasts in Jewish society.
- Some Pharisees and teachers of the Law questioned Jesus’ disciples as to why their teacher was eating and drinking with people like these.
- Jesus told them that people who were well did not need a doctor but only those who were sick. He had not come to call people who considered themselves righteous before God to repent, but those who were outcasts, who recognised that they were sinners.
Nuggets of Wisdom
- Levi’s name is also given as Matthew in the Gospel of Matthew.
- As a tax collector, Levi was not only despised, he was also a religious out- cast. Tax collectors were forbidden from going to the synagogues and were classed together with robbers and murderers. No self-respecting devout Jew would go near them.
- The Pharisees and scribes who were there to observe Jesus’ activity would never have eaten with people like Levi and his friends because they regard- ed these people as sinners (v. 30). For them there was no surer way of becoming unclean than associating with sinners. They would also have thought it below their dignity to seek to save them. The best ones among them did allow sinners to come to them to seek a better life, but they never went to them to try to help them.
- But Jesus looked beyond all these externals and into Levi’s heart. He saw himself as sent by God to people such as these whom no one would bother about but who recognised their need for forgiveness and for God.
- Sharing a meal in the Middle Eastern cultures symbolised the sharing of lives, of kinship and of unity. In eating with the sinners, Jesus was therefore doing more than just mixing with them. He was essentially extending a hand of friendship and kinship to them, and drawing them into a community around himself.
- Sometimes our efforts to reach out to certain people are unsuccessful because these people have no need for God in their lives. Often they, like the Pharisees and the scribes, think their lives are fine. We need to ask God to open our eyes to those people who have a real need for Him. And like Jesus, we need to look beyond the externals and at the heart.
Jesus Is Questioned about Fasting (vv. 33-39)
33 Some people said to Jesus, “The disciples of John fast frequently and offer prayers, x and the disciples of the Pharisees do the same; but your disciples eat and drink.”
34 Jesus answered, “Do you think you can make the guests at a wedding party y go without food as long as the bridegroom z is with them? Of course not! 35 But the day will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.” a’
36 Jesus also told them this parable: “No one tears a piece off a new coat to patch up an old coat. If he does, he will have torn the new coat, and the piece of new cloth will not match the old. b’ 37 Nor does anyone pour new wine into used wineskins, c’ because the new wine will burst the skins, the wine will pour out, and the skins will be ruined. 38 Instead, new wine must be poured into fresh wineskins! 39 And no one wants new wine after drinking old wine. d’ ‘The old is better,’ e’ he says.”
Interesting Stuff:
x John the Baptist had grown up in the desert and practised a strict and simple lifestyle. He wore clothing made from camel’s hair and lived on a diet of locusts and wild honey (see Mk 1:6). The Pharisees also had rigorous or strict lifestyles as well. Jesus, however, went to banquets and his disciples enjoyed a freedom not known by the Pharisees.
y A Jewish wedding was a particularly joyous occasion and the celebration associated with it often lasted a week.
z Jesus was comparing himself to the bridegroom and his disciples to the guests of the bridegroom. It would be unthinkable to fast during the festivities of a wedding because fasting for the Jews was associated with sorrow.
a’ In the OT, fasting was required only on the Day of Atonement. But it was also practised voluntarily as a sign of mourning, at times of disaster and national calamities, and as a sign of repentance. However in time, it lost most of its religious significance. By Jesus’ time, it had become a fixed practice with the Pharisees and many other Jews to fast regularly twice a week with much outward show and hypocrisy.
When Jesus the bridegroom is taken from them by death, then fasting would be in order. While Jesus rejected fasting legalistically for display, he himself fasted privately (Mt 4:2) and taught about fasting (Mt 6:16-18).
b’ Patching up an old garment with a piece torn off from a new one is to spoil both, the new by being torn and the old by having a patch that does not match.
c’ Wineskins were made from animals, usually goats, where the flesh and bones of the animals were removed, leaving their skins intact. They could then be used as containers for wine or other liquids. At first, they would be fairly elastic but when old, they lack this quality and would burst easily under stress. New wine would ferment and expand. Thus if it was put into old skins, it would cause them to burst.
d’ This verse is found only in the Gospel of Luke and seemed to have been an old Jewish proverb. It is the expression of an attitude that does not want change and is content with the old ways.
e’ Jesus was pointing to the reluctance of some people to change from their traditional religious ways and consider the new ways of the Gospel.
Questions:
- What was the complaint of the people to Jesus (v. 33)?
2. How did Jesus answer them (vv. 34-35)?
3. What two parables did Jesus use to illustrate his point (vv. 36-38)?
4. What did Jesus say will happen if one tears a piece off a new coat to patch up an old coat (v.36)?
What do the ‘new coat’ and ‘old coat’ represent?
State the lesson of this parable.
5. What did Jesus say would happen to the used wineskins when new wine is poured into them (v. 37)?
Where must new wine therefore be poured into (v. 38)?
State the lesson of this parable.
6. What did Jesus mean when he said that no one after drinking the old wine would want new wine because he says that the old is better (v. 39)?
Summary of Section:
- Some people wanted to know from Jesus why the disciples of John and the Pharisees fasted frequently and offered prayers but his disciples did not do the same. Instead they ate and drank.
- Jesus’ reply was that wedding guests do not fast. He saw himself as the bridegroom who brings joy to his guests. Therefore while he was present there was no need for his followers to follow fixed rules about fasting. But there would come a time when he would be taken away, referring to his death, and then his disciples would fast.
- Jesus then told two parables to drive home the point that he was teaching something that was radically new.
- The first parable was about not tearing a piece off a new coat to patch up an old coat. The new coat would be torn and the piece of new cloth would not match the old.
- The second parable was about not pouring new wine into used wineskins. This was because the new wine would burst the old wineskins, the wine would pour out, and the wineskins would be ruined. Instead, new wine must be poured into new wineskins.
- He added that his new teaching would not be welcomed by some because they were content with the old and were not willing to consider anything that was new. He said that no one after drinking old wine would want new wine because they considered the old wine as better.
Nuggets of Wisdom
- Jesus’ behaviour at Levi’s feast led to further questions about his actions, in particular his eating and drinking practices. Jesus and his disciples were too cheerful and did not practise mournful fasts and this puzzled some. Though the only fast prescribed in the Law was that on the Day of Atonement, fasting by the more religious Jews had become a weekly practice.
- Fasting was done twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays. These days were market days and public, religious fasts were officially held at the market and in the open market place. It was easy to tell if people were fasting because they went barefoot and did not wash or anoint themselves with oils. They also walked around with long gloomy faces to show others that they were fasting (see Mt 6:16-18). Fasting was done with much outward display and hypocrisy.
- The praying probably refers to the set times of prayer offered at 12 midday, 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. Luke makes it very clear that Jesus and his followers prayed often and so Jesus here was answering their question on fasting, not on prayer.
- Fasting in the OT was typically done in response to great loss or as an expression of hope. Jesus was not opposed to fasting as a practice, but to fasting at the present. This was the time for his disciples to feast, not fast because he, the hope of Israel, was with them. Only when he, the bridegroom, is taken away will fasting be appropriate, not only as an expression of mourning but in hope of his coming again.
- Following the external forms of religion without the heart is not what God was seeking from His people. Jesus was showing by his life that having a heart of compassion for people who were considered ‘sinners’ by the Jews was more important than being bound by tradition or prejudice.
- The Pharisees and scribes believed that to maintain the purity of Judaism and so please God, one must follow rigidly all the rules set forth in the Oral Tradition. After a while, their religion became only an outward form with- out the heart. Jesus, however, taught that it was the heart, not the outward form of religion that was ultimately more important.
- Jesus used two parables to point out that the old and the new are basically incompatible and cannot be reconciled. He portrayed the old coat, like Judaism, as in need of repair. His point was that his new teaching could not be mixed with the old forms of religion, the legalism of the religious leaders, just like you cannot put a new piece of cloth on an old garment. Neither could his new teaching be contained within the old forms of religion because it goes beyond the old forms of Judaism.
- Jesus concludes by emphasising that people tend to want the old and to reject the new, assuming wrongly in this case, that the old is always better.
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