Lucas 5
Marvin Vincent · Citado em PreceptAustin
Lucas 5
Vincent comments on will not match the old - In Matthew and Mark there is only a single damage, that, namely, to the old garment, the rent in which is enlarged. In Luke the damage is twofold; first, in injuring the new garment by cutting out a piece; and second, in making the old garment appear patched, instead of widening the rent, as in Matthew and Mark. John
Lucas 5
Vincent - The Rabbinical writers divided Judea proper into three parts—mountain, sea-shore, and valley—Jerusalem being regarded as a separate district. “Only one intimately acquainted with the state of matters at the time, would, with the Rabbis, have distinguished Jerusalem as a district separate from all the rest of Judea, as Luke markedly does on several occasions (Acts 1:8; 10:39)”
Lucas 5
Vincent on publicans - Publicans (telones). From telos, a tax, and oneomai, to buy. The collectors of Roman imposts. The Romans farmed out the direct taxes and customs-duties to capitalists, on their payment of a certain sum in publicum, into the public treasury, whence they were called publicani, publicans. Sometimes this sum, being greater than any one person could pay, was paid by a company. Under these were the submagistri, living in the provinces; and under these again the portitores, or actual custom-house officers, who are referred to by the term telones in the New Testament. They were often chosen from the dregs of the people, and were so notorious for their extortions that they were habitually included in the same category with harlots and sinners. “If a Jew could scarcely persuade himself that it was right to pay taxes, how much more heinous a crime must it have been in his eyes to become the questionably honest instrument for collecting them. If a publican was hated, how still more intense must have been the disgust entertained against a publican who was also a Jew” (Farrar, “Life of Christ”). The word “publican,” as a popular term of reproach, was used even by our Lord (Mt. 18:17). Even the Gentiles despised them. Farrar cites a Greek saying, “All publicans are robbers.” (Notes on Luke 3:11) During the time of Jesus in first century Israel, there were publicans and tax collectors who could walk up to a man and tax him for what he was carrying, and much more. These tax collectors were hated and despised because they were usually fellow Jews who worked for Rome. Tax collectors were also called hárpages or extortioners (from harpage 724 - extortion. They were called kapelous (2585) or hucksters, by Chrysostom and pornoboskoús which means shepherds of fornication. Finally they were also called kólakes or flatterers. From this plethora of unflattering names, it is clear that the publicans were despised by the general populace. Surely Jesus would not select such a despised Jew like Matthew Levi for one of His disciples! I love Samuel's reply to Jesse after he had rejected several brothers to be king "“Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” (1 Sa 16:7) There were two categories of tax collectors: (1) gabbai collected general taxes on land and property, and on income, referred to as poll or registration taxes and (2) mokhes collected a wide variety of use taxes, similar to our import duties, business license fees, and toll fees. There were two categories of mokhes: great mokhes hired others to collect taxes for them; small mokhes did their own assessing and collecting. Matthew was a small mokhe. It is likely representatives of both classes attended Matthew’s feast (Mk 2:15, Lu 5:29). All of them were considered both religious and social outcasts. Tax collectors are treated by the Jews as the most despised members of society, being ranked with prostitutes and the basest of people. They collected for the Roman government, and therefore were detested for aiding the Jews' foreign conqueror, as well as for frequently defrauding the people by means of levying excess taxes. William Barclay has background on tax collectors of Jesus' day - The taxation system lent itself to abuse. The Roman custom had been to farm out the taxes. They assessed a district at a certain figure and then sold the right to collect that figure to the highest bidder. So long as the buyer handed over the assessed figure at the end of the year he was entitled to retain whatever else he could extract from the people; and since there were no newspapers, radio or television, and no ways of making public announcements that would reach everyone, the common people had no real idea of what they had to pay. This particular system had led to such gross abuses that by New Testament times it had been discontinued. There were, however, still taxes to be paid, still quisling tax-collectors working for the Romans, and still abuses and exploitation. There were two types of taxes. First, there were stated taxes. There was a poll tax which all men from 14 to 65, and all women from 12 to 65, had to pay simply for the privilege of existing. There was a ground tax which consisted of one-tenth of all grain grown, and one-fifth of wine and oil. This could be paid in kind or commuted into money. There was income tax, which was one per cent. of a man’s income. In these taxes there was not a great deal of room for extortion. Second, there were all kinds of duties. A tax was payable for using the main roads, the harbours, the markets. A tax was payable on a cart, on each wheel of it, and on the animal which drew it. There was purchase tax on certain articles, and there were import and export duties. A tax-collector could bid a man stop on the road and unpack his bundles and charge him well nigh what he liked. If a man could not pay, sometimes the tax-collector would offer to lend him money at an exorbitant rate of interest and so get him further into his clutches. Robbers, murderers and tax-collectors were classed together. A tax-collector was barred from the synagogue. A Roman writer tells us that he once saw a monument to an honest tax-collector. An honest specimen of this renegade profession was so rare that he received a monument. (Luke 5 Commentary) To summarize, Jewish tax collectors were all extortioners, thieves and traitors to their own nation. They were symbols for the worst kind of people. Cf. Mt 9:10, 11; 11:19; 18:17; 21:31; Mk 2:14–16; Lk 5:30; 7:25, 29, 34; 18:11–13. Related Resources: Tax collectors (Publicans) American Tract Society Publican Easton's Bible Dictionary Publican Holman Bible Dictionary Publican Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible Publican Hastings' Dictionary of the NT Publican Morrish Bible Dictionary Publicans Hawker's Poor Man's Dictionary Publican Smith Bible Dictionary Publican Vines' Expository Dictionary Publican Whyte's Bible Characters The publican Wilson's Bible Types Publican Webster Dictionary Publican Watson's Theological Dictionary Publican International Bible Encyclopedia Publican Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia Publican McClintock and Strong's Bible Encyclopedia Publican The Nuttall Encyclopedia Publicans The Jewish Encyclopedia Publican Tax booth (5058)(telonion) toll house, revenue or tax office, toll collector's booth. Tax booths were located on main roads at the edges of towns where farmers, merchants, and caravans passed. "The tax booth was a booth located on the edge of a city or town to collect taxes for trade. There was a tax booth in Capernaum, which was on the trade route from Damascus to Galilee and the Mediterranean (click map - see purple path with Hazor about the site of Capernaum)(see Via Maris). The “taxes” were collected on produce and goods brought into the area for sale, and were a sort of “sales tax” paid by the seller but obviously passed on to the purchaser in the form of increased prices. It was here that Jesus met Levi (also named Matthew [see Mt 9:9]) who was ultimately employed by the Romans, though perhaps more directly responsible to Herod Antipas. It was his job to collect taxes for Rome and he was thus despised by Jews who undoubtedly regarded him as a traitor." (NET Note) Follow (NLT paraphrases it "Follow me and be my disciple")(190)(akoloutheo from a = expresses union with, likeness + keleuthos = a road, way) means to walk the same road (Ponder that simple definition dear believer - Am I willing to walk the same road as Jesus?) Literally to follow (like the crowds followed Jesus BUT they were not truly committed to him. E.g., see Jn 6:66) and in a figurative sense to follow Jesus as a disciple. Below are most of the calls by Jesus for men to follow Him, the verbs in red being in the present imperative calling for discipleship to be their lifestyle. Follow in Mt 4:19 and Mk 1:17 is aorist imperative meaning something like do this now, do not delay.... Matthew 4:19 And He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." Matthew 8:22 But Jesus said to him, "Follow Me, and allow the dead to bury their own dead." Matthew 9:9 As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man called Matthew, sitting in the tax collector's booth; and He said to him, "Follow Me!" And he got up and followed Him. Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. Matthew 19:21 Jesus said to him, "If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." Mark 1:17 And Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men." Mark 2:14 As He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting in the tax booth, and He said to him, "Follow Me!" And he got up and followed Him. Mark 8:34 And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. Mark 10:21 Looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him and said to him, "One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." Luke 5:27 After that He went out and noticed a tax collector named Levi sitting in the tax booth, and He said to him, "Follow Me." Luke 5:10-11 and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not fear, from now on you will be catching men.” 11 When they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Him. Luke 9:23 And He was saying to them all, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. Luke 9:59 And He said to another, "Follow Me." But he said, "Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father." Luke 18:22 When Jesus heard this, He said to him, "One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." John 1:43 The next day He purposed to go into Galilee, and He found Philip. And Jesus said to him, "Follow Me." John 10:27 "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; John 12:26 "If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him. John 13:36 Simon Peter said to Him, "Lord, where are You going?" Jesus answered, "Where I go, you cannot follow Me now; but you will follow later." John 21:19 Now this He said, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, "Follow Me!" John 21:22 Jesus said to him, "If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!" Mattoon - Jesus wanted the people to understand that being a disciple demanded their whole life, not just the times when it was convenient. It was like the old ad they used to run for Pony Express riders: "DUTY IS HAZARDOUS, ORPHANS PREFERRED." Like this old time ad, Jesus wanted people to understand what they were getting into if they followed Him. Many people don't follow the Lord today because they want to lead. Following is difficult for them. S. I. McMillen, in his book None of These Diseases, tells a story of a young woman who wanted to go to college, but her heart sank when she read the question on the application blank that asked, "Are you a leader?" Being both honest and conscientious, she wrote, "No," and returned the application, expecting the worst. To her surprise, she received this letter from the college: "Dear Applicant: A study of the application forms reveals that this year our college will have 1,452 new leaders. We are accepting you because we feel it is imperative that they have at least one follower." Beloved, "Will you be a follower of Christ?" (Mattoon - Treasures from the Scriptures) Jesus’ Team Read: Luke 5:27-35 He . . . saw a tax collector named Levi . . . . And He said to him, “Follow Me.” —Luke 5:27 In 2002 the Oakland Athletics built a winning baseball team in an unorthodox way. They had lost three top players after 2001, and the team didn’t have money to sign any stars. So Oakland’s general manager, Billy Beane, used some often-neglected statistics to assemble a group of lesser-known players either “past their prime” or seen by other teams as not skilled enough. That ragtag team ran off a 20-game winning streak on the way to winning their division and 103 games. This reminds me a little of the way Jesus put together His “team” of disciples. He included rough Galilean fishermen, a zealot, and even a despised tax collector named Levi (Matthew). This reminds me that “God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty” (1 Cor. 1:27). God used those dedicated men (minus Judas) to ignite a movement that affected the world so dramatically it has never been the same. There’s a lesson here for us. Sometimes we seek out the familiar, the influential, and the rich. And we tend to ignore people with less status or those with physical limitations. In Jesus Christ we all are equal, For God’s Spirit makes us one; As we give each other honor, We give glory to His Son. —Fitzhugh There are no unimportant people in the body of Christ. JESUS’ TEAM He . . . saw a tax collector named Levi . . . . And He said to him, “Follow Me.” —Luke 5:27 In 2002 an American baseball club built a winning team in an unusual way. They had lost three top players after 2001 and the team didn’t have money to sign any stars. So the manager used some often neglected statistics to assemble a group of lesser known players either ‘past their prime’ or seen by other teams as not skilled enough. That ragtag team achieved a 20 game winning streak on the way to winning their division and 103 games. This reminds me a little of the way Jesus put together His ‘team’ of disciples. He included rough Galilean fishermen, a zealot and even a despised tax collector named Levi (Matthew). This reminds me that “God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty” (1 Cor. 1:27). God used those dedicated men (minus Judas) to ignite a movement that affected the world so dramatically it has never been the same. Jesus put some of society’s less desirable people on His team—treating everyone the same. With the Spirit’s power and guidance, we too can honour all people equally. THERE ARE NO UNIMPORTANT PEOPLE IN THE BODY OF CHRIST. Leader Or Follower? Read: Luke 5:27-32 [Jesus] said to him, “Follow Me.” —Luke 5:27 (cf Lk 5:27-32, Mk 2:13-17, Mt 9:9-13) A close friend asked Gandhi, “If you admire Christ so much, why don’t you become a Christian?” It is said that he replied, “When I meet a Christian who is a follower of Christ, I may consider it.” But isn’t that what a Christian is supposed to be—a follower of Christ? Joe Stowell, former president of Moody Bible Institute, wrote in Following Christ: “Many of us live out our faith as though [Christ] exists to follow us. We come to believe that Christ exists to satisfy our demands. . . . This disguised form of self-serving religion sets Christ up as just one more commodity in life that will enhance and empower our dreams.” When Jesus called His disciples to follow Him, He meant that He would do the leading and directing; they would do the following (Luke 5:27). Like the disciples, we must give up our will, obey Him, and choose to “lose” our lives for Him (17:33). Without too much thought, this might sound simple. But in reality, it is impossible to do on our own. Only by choosing each day to let go of our own plans and by trusting the Holy Spirit’s leading can we cooperate with His work in us. Because Christ is the One who holds The key to all our needs, We can release what we hold dear To follow where He leads. —Sper To lead others to Jesus, you must first learn to follow Him. Luke 5:28 And he left everything behind, and got up and began to follow Him. Lu 5:11 Lk 9:59-62 1Ki 19:19-21 Mt 19:22-27 J C Ryle's Comments on Luke 5 - clear, devout, and accurate Luke 5:27-32 Jesus Came to Call and to Save Sinners - John MacArthur Luke 5:27-32 Why Jesus Does Not Save Good People - Steven Cole Luke 5 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries COUNTING THE COST TO FOLLOW JESUS Spurgeon on Jesus' call to Matthew - This was just a parallel case to that of curing the palsied man; it is precisely the same morally as the other was physically. The office of a publican was disreputable in the eyes of the Jews, and this Levi was probably making money fast at the cost of his own countrymen. He was paralyzed morally as the other man was physically; but as soon as Christ said to him, “Follow me,” “he left all, rose up, and followed him.” (Luke - exposition) And he left (kataleipo) everything behind - Luke alone of the synoptic Gospels records this important detail. Tax collecting was profitable business, but Levi made the choice of a lifetime, to leave a profitable temporal occupation to enter into the eternally profitable service of the Lord Jesus Christ. Do you see a difference between Peter, et al, leaving everything to follow Him and the action of Levi? Recall they had just witnessed first hand evidence of His divine power causing Peter to acknowledge Him as "Lord" (kurios). There is no record that Levi had a previous miraculous event to motivate him to leave all and follow! Not to mention, that what Levi left was undoubtedly far more lucrative than the fishing business of Peter, et al. Levi is a perfect example of a man who counted the cost and said "I want my life to count!" Do you? Then count the cost and follow Jesus! THOUGHT - We are not all called to leave our current place of service but some surely are. What about you? Have you been clearly called and yet you are hesitating to leave a comfortable position to follow Christ in what would be in the world's eyes a less profitable service? I know a man who had the gift of preaching and he was doing this as a lay minister while working at Dell Computers in the early days of its existence. I can remember talking with his wife who was willing to live on less to follow Jesus, but her husband was attracted to the potential he had at Dell, where he was an excellent salesman. That was over 20 years ago. Every time I think of this man, I become saddened by what he gave up eternally for worldly wealth. Today he is a very rich man (probably 100's of millions rich - in Austin we call them "Dellionaires"!), but he missed the opportunity of a lifetime to follow Jesus! We were good friends with another couple who told how the husband knew in his 30's he was being called to preach the Gospel, but his wife could not stand the thought of a lower income (he was a well-paid NASA engineer) and so they eschewed full time ministry. Later as we talked with them while they were in their 60's we heard both of them say sadly how they regretted not heeding God's call on their life. Let's be honest, we can't fault either of these men, for we don't know what we would have done if placed in similar positions of choosing between visible worldly wealth and invisible heavenly wealth! So let me ask again, is Jesus calling you, crying out "Follow Me!"? (See the related discussion of the value of "Vertical Vision") The phrase left everything reminds us of Jesus' words in Mark 8:34-37+ - And He summoned the multitude with His disciples, and said to them, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 35 "For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's shall save it. 36 "For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? 37 "For what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Compare Jesus' words in Luke 14:33+ “So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions. Note the striking contrast between the response of a well off tax-collector and a rich young ruler in Luke 18 A ruler questioned Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 19 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. 20 “You know the commandments, ‘DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, DO NOT MURDER, DO NOT STEAL, DO NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS, HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER.’” 21 And he said, “All these things I have kept from my youth.” 22 When Jesus heard this, He said to him, “One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” 23 But when he had heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. 24 And Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God! 25 “For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 They who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” 27 But He said, “The things that are impossible with people are possible with God.” 28 Peter said, “Behold, we have left our own homes and followed You.” 29 And He said to them, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, 30 who will not receive many times as much at this time and in the age to come, eternal life.” (Luke 18:18–30+). Compare others who had a desire to follow but lacked the "follow through!" Here we encounter two men who wanted to become permanent disciples and accompany Jesus wherever He would lead them, but they did not want it enough to "count the cost!" As they were going along the road, someone said to Him, “I will follow You wherever You go.” 58 And Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” 59 And He said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.” 60 But He said to him, “Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God.” 61 Another also said, “I will follow You, Lord; but first permit me to say good-bye to those at home.” 62 But Jesus said to him, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:57-62+) And got up (anistemi) and began to follow (akoloutheo) Him - We see a similar description in Lk 5:11+ "When they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Him." To re-emphasize, it is the call to every believer to follow Jesus. Followed is imperfect tense active voice (choice of his will) signifying that Matthew began at once to follow Jesus and continued following Him (he kept it up).
Lucas 5
Vincent has a description that may have been what this looked like - "This hall answered to the khāwah of Arabian houses, which is thus described by William Gifford Palgrave: “The khāwah was a long, oblong hall about twenty feet in height, fifty in length, and sixteen or thereabouts in breadth. The walls were covered in a rudely decorative manner with brown and white wash, and sunk here and there into small triangular recesses, destined to the reception of books, lamps, and other such like objects. The roof was of timber, and flat; the floor was strewn with fine, clean sand, and garnished all round alongside of the walls with long strips of carpet, upon which cushions, covered with faded silk, were disposed at suitable intervals. In poorer houses, felt rugs usually take the place of carpets” (“Central and Eastern Arabia”)." Cross The Divide As [Jesus] was dining in Levi’s house, . . . many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus. —Mark 2:15 Today's Scripture: Mark 2:13-17 (cf Lk 5:27-32, Mk 2:13-17, Mt 9:9-13) Two young men with mischief on their minds approached a missionary’s outreach bus parked in a downtown area of a German city. The missionaries were there to offer refreshments as a way to open up conversations about Christ. The two visitors, wearing skull-and-crossbones bandannas, were there to offer trouble. But the missionaries didn’t respond to the ruffians as they expected. The Christians welcomed them warmly and engaged them in discussion. Surprised, the guys hung around long enough to hear the gospel. One trusted Jesus that day. The other, the next day. Those two young men and the missionaries who reached them were light-years apart culturally. The guys were German; the missionaries, American. The guys were involved in a culture of darkness and death; the missionaries were shining the light. The cultural divide was crossed with cookies and nonjudgmental love. Cross the divide. Take Christ to the culture— even if it doesn’t look anything like yours. Making Friends Many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus and His disciples. —Mark 2:15 Today's Scripture:Mark 2:13-17 (cf Lk 5:27-32, Mk 2:13-17, Mt 9:9-13) A letter from a friend described the adjustments that his son and daughter-in-law were facing as young missionaries in a country long resistant to the gospel of Christ. “After some rough early going,” he wrote, “they are getting used to not having modern conveniences and are falling in love with the people.” A photo showed the couple’s 2-year-old-son Wesley and a waiter in a restaurant, both grinning widely as they shared a moment of friendship. My friend commented, “Ever smiling, Wesley makes friends wherever he goes.” That got me to thinking. Making friends and loving people is the key to sharing the gospel wherever we are, because that’s what Jesus did. Some religious leaders were surprised when Jesus openly associated with people they considered undesirable. They said to His disciples, “How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?” (Mark 2:16). Yet Jesus was known as the friend of sinners. He said, “I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance” (Mk 2:17). Reflect & Pray To the lost is where Christ went, Revealing grace from God above; To lost sinners we've been sent To be their friends, to share God's love. —Fitzhugh Loving the lost is the first step in leading them to Christ. Gene Brooks applies this verse to our lives: Many Christians have been criticized for the very thing Jesus was attacked for: associating with the wrong kind of people. The problem is that while we are to separate from evil, we are also to call sinners to repentance. Jesus’ way of doing this was not to shout at sinners from a distance, but spend time with them. Because we cannot tell what another person’s motives are, we must not criticize fellow believers just for associating with them. Another myth we believe is that “I will be criticized or embarrassed if people do not respond.” BUT – Levi was so happy about being a follower of Jesus that he had a party and invited everyone, especially those who needed Jesus. AND – He was criticized BUT . . .Jesus was the focus of the party. Sinners confessed their sins and received forgiveness. New believers met others followers of Jesus and were established in their faith. Matthew grew spiritually. The critics were silenced. Is God calling you to do what Levi did, to introduce those with whom you have a relationship to Jesus? Here’s how you can do what Levi did, and invite people to your home: i. Look around and identify your friends, co-workers, neighbors, fellow students, and family who do not know Jesus Christ as Lord. Write their names down. ii. Look up and pray every day for each person you have listed. iii. Look out for opportunities to build your relationship with these people. iv. Look forward to your Party. Invite every person on your list. Prepare your own 3 minute story of how you came to know Jesus as Lord. Have your Party and invite them to follow Jesus! v. Look after those who gave their lives to Jesus Christ. Help them grow in their faith. Invite them to church. Give them a Bible and show them how you talk to God. (Levi's Party) Luke 5:30 The Pharisees and their scribes began grumbling at His disciples, saying, "Why do you eat and drink with the tax collectors and sinners?" Lu 5:17,21 7:29,30,34,39 15:1,2 18:11 19:7 Isa 65:5 Mt 21:28-32 Mk 7:3 J C Ryle's Comments on Luke 5 - clear, devout, and accurate Luke 5:27-32 Jesus Came to Call and to Save Sinners - John MacArthur Luke 5:27-32 Why Jesus Does Not Save Good People - Steven Cole Luke 5 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Parallel passages: Mark 2:16+ When the scribes of the Pharisees saw that He was eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they said to His disciples, “Why is He eating and drinking with tax collectors and sinners?” Matthew 9:11+ When the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, “Why is your Teacher eating with the tax collectors and sinners?” THE "SEPARATISTS" GRUMBLE THAT JESUS DOES NOT SEPARATE FROM SINNERS Bock makes an interesting observation - The official response to the meal occurs some time after the event when the Pharisees and their scribes approach the disciples with a question. That this encounter comes after the party is clear, because the Pharisees would not have come to such a party, as their question shows, even in the unlikely event that they had been invited (Marshall 1978: 220; Tiede 1988: 128). The appearance that the leaders are near or at the party is a result of literary compression. Craig Evans gives rationale for the anger of the Pharisees at Jesus' failure to separate from shady scum - Since they were the party of “separatists,” who believed that redemption would come about by separating themselves from every impurity and impure person (inspired by the admonition of Lev. 10:10), they were offended by Jesus’ frequent association with those persons considered religiously impure and sinful....The major difference between the outlook of the Pharisees and the approach taken by Jesus was that whereas the former were separatistic and exclusivistic Jesus called people of every sort to himself. Jesus was not interested in isolating himself from sinners, but was interested in bringing change to the lives of sinners. Thus, the difference in religious philosophy between Jesus and the Pharisees was fundamental, making conflict unavoidable. (Ibid) The Pharisees undoubtedly were familiar with the (non-Biblical) rule set down by the rabbis = “The disciples of the learned shall not recline at table in the company of the ‘am hā—’āreç” (translated = “the people of the soil,” aka “the rabble that does not know the law.” THOUGHT - Is there some group with which you refuse to associate? Perhaps some who engage in perverse sexual behavior or partake of noxious substances or who run establishments of questionable nature, etc, etc. What did Jesus pray to His Father? "I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one." (Jn 17:15) In short, disciples of Jesus are to be IN the world but not OF the world! How else can these lost souls hear? I recall being at a church that was near a park frequented by homosexual men who engaged in sinful acts, and my wife had the gall to ask the leadership of the church if we could send men to sit at the tables in the park (it was no more than 100 yards away from the sanctuary!) so that they could share the Gospel with and explain how Jesus had come to set men free from such sinful behavior. The answer she received was an uncompassionate "No! We cannot do that!" Believers are to be in the world but not "of" the world (IN = Jn 17:11, not OF = Jn 17:14, 15, 16, 18). We are to be lights of Jesus (Jn 8:12) in the world (Mt 5:14-15, 16+, Php 2:15+). We are to be like boats in the water. That is our design. But when water (world) gets in the boat, that is disaster! This truth is illustrated by a submarine which is fully functional in water but is ruined if water gets in the cabin. A submarine on the ground (out of the water) is useless and is hardly able to accomplish its mission. When it is in the water it must be insulated from the water. If the water ever gets into the submarine then there is cause to sound the alarm. Believers are to be insulated from the world (like Daniel in the midst of idol infested Babylon) but not isolated from the world. Are you in a holy huddle or are you actively pursuing your calling to be salt and light to those who are dead in their trespasses and sins (Eph 2:1+) and need to be thrown the life preserving Gospel, which they may grab or may refuse and drown forever in the eternal abyss. We cannot save them but we can certainly throw them a Gospel life preserver! How are you doing dear "submarine saint?" The Pharisees (pharisaios) and their scribes (grammateus) began grumbling (gogguzo) at His disciples (mathetes) - The phrase the Pharisees and their scribes describes those men within the sect of the Pharisees who were scribes or “lawyers” (cf. Lk 10:25+), men who were professional theologians and OT scholars who traced their history back to the time of Ezra and Nehemiah. While not all Pharisees were scribes, most of the scribes were Pharisees with lesser numbers found among the sects of the Sadducees and Essenes. The meaning of Pharisees is separated ones while the meaning of saints is set apart ones. Do you see the difference? Saints are set apart from the world but also set apart unto God as ambassadors to the godless world. Sadly some saints can fall into subtle forms of legalism and end up acting like "Pharisees!" Theses separated ones, the Pharisees, would not even let the edge of their robe touch the likes of men like Levi, much less eat with them! And notice who is "taking the heat" from the religious leaders! The ire of the religious leaders falls on the disciples who had been eating with the despised vermin. His disciples were beginning to learn what it meant to follow Jesus. It was that way then. It is the same way now for all who seek to follow Jesus! Do not be surprised for "all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted (You won't find this promise in most of the books of "Bible Promises!")(2 Ti 3:12+, cf "many tribulations" = Acts 14:22+) As Jesus taught us in John 15 (a clear warning to all who would follow Him in every age)... “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you (IF YOU ARE LIKE ME, I PARTICULARLY DON'T LIKE THIS ONE BECAUSE MY NATURAL BENT IS FOR EVERYONE TO LIKE ME! FLESH IS HORRIBLY SELF-CENTERED!). 19 “If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. 20 “Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also. 21 “But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me. (John 15:18-21) Matthew 10:25 “It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign the members of his household! Luke 6:40+ “A pupil is not above his teacher; but everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher. Luke 10:16+ “The one who listens to you listens to Me, and the one who rejects you rejects Me; and he who rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me.” Why were the Pharisees grumbling? Because they had missed the truth expressed in Micah and Matthew... Micah 6:8+ He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God? Matthew 23:23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. The Pharisees (pharisaios) and their scribes (grammateus) began grumbling (gogguzo) - Matthew and Mark's version lack Luke's colorful word grumbling. Grumble in English is an onomatopoeic word - Can't you just hear the low rumble coming from the religious brood of vipers (Mt 3:7, 12:34, 23:33). And the Greek sentence places grumbling at the beginning for emphasis! "Grumbling the Pharisees..." is how it reads literally. In addition the verb grumbling is in the imperfect tense, which indicates that they were doing this over and over and over - grumble, grumble, grumble! Gene Brooks - The use of “were complaining” (egongyzon) is significant because in the LXX it is used to describe the murmuring of Israel in the Wilderness (Ex 15:24+; Ex 16:7-12+; Ex 17:3+; Nu 11:1+; Nu 14:2, 27-29, 36+; Nu 16:11, 14+; Nu 17:5, 10+) and of Israel’s rebellion against God (Ps 59:15;106:25; 1 Cor 10:10). The point? In opposing the faithful Son of God, the Pharisees and scribes are following the rebellious ways of their ancestors (Luke 15:2; 19:7). (Luke 5:27-39 - Common Sinners & New Wine) THOUGHT - You never grumble like the Pharisees and scribes do you? If so, recall Paul's command in Phil 2:14+ to "Do (present imperative = continually, habitually, as your lifestyle) ALL (HOW MANY? NO EXCEPTION CLAUSES!) things without grumbling or disputing." Then Paul gives us the reason/purpose it is so critically important for disciples of Jesus not to grumble, writing "SO THAT (term of purpose) you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world (BELIEVERS ARE LIKE WALKING "BILLBOARDS" "ADVERTISING", SO TO SPEAK, THE GOSPEL!)." (Php 2:15+). And remember that you may the only light in some lost sinner's life! If we grumble we cannot fulfill Jesus' command in Mt 5:16+ "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father Who is in heaven." In short, if we grumble, we fail to bring glory to our Father in Heaven! People (lost and saved) fail to get a proper opinion of the invisible God because of our visible ungodly grumbling! Think about that the next time your entertain the temptation to grumble! (Woe!) Now, before you tell me "This is simply not possible! You don't know my circumstances!" While I do not know your circumstances, I do know that what is humanly (naturally) impossible is super-humanly (supernaturally) possible! What do I mean? Remember that God never gives us a command without giving us the ability to obey that command. And in this context, Paul has just commanded the saints at Philippi to "Work out (present imperative) your salvation in fear and trembling," (Phil 2:12+) an "all inclusive" command which would obviously include not grumbling or disputing. Then Paul explains how this is supernaturally possible beginning with "for" (a term of explanation) "FOR it is God Who is at work in you (THE SPIRIT OF JESUS INDWELLS EVERY BELIEVER - Ro 8:9+), both to will (THE HOLY SPIRIT INITIATES THIS BY GIVING US THE "WANT TO" SO TO SPEAK BECAUSE OUR FALLEN FLESH DOES NOT "WANT TO" NOT GRUMBLE!) and to work (SPIRIT CONTINUALLY [energeo in present tense] ENERGIZES US TO FOLLOW THROUGH AND NOT GRUMBLE) for His good pleasure (THIS PLEASES OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN AND AS NOTED ALSO GIVES HIM GLORY AS OTHERS AROUND US SEE WE DO NOT GRUMBLE WHEN MOST EVERYONE ELSE WOULD GRUMBLE UNDER THE ADVERSE CIRCUMSTANCE). " (Phil 2:13+, see the NLT version Phil 2:13NLT+). See also the discussion of the Need for the Holy Spirit to obey NT commands or "How to Keep All 1642 Commandments in the New Testament!" At His disciples - Not at Him directly! Why not? Probably cowardice and/or fear. Of course leveling a charge at Jesus' disciples would have been tantamount to making an accusation against their Leader. As the Jesus' ministry progresses and causes the religious leaders more and more anger, their bravado increases so that they brazenly confront Him face to face in the mock trials before His crucifixion. Why do you eat and drink with the tax collectors (telones) and sinners (hamartolos)? - NLT has the somewhat redundant rendering of "disreputable sinners" although it does make the point. Their question was not one of sincere curiosity but was a rhetorical rebuke! In truth, the question was like a "boomerang" which spoke volumes about their proud, hypocritical hearts! As an aside, isn't that what often happens to our critical words? They come back to have more effect on us than on the one we sought to criticize! Better to "Bite our tongues" then be bitten by words from our tongue! "It was an offence for a Jew to eat with Gentiles as even many of the early Jewish Christians felt (Acts 11:3+, Gal 2:11-17+) and publicans and sinners were regarded like Gentiles (1 Cor. 5:11)." (Robertson) As noted above Jewish tax collectors were so despised that their name was virtually synonymous with sinners. The Pharisees had their own (false) definition of sinners as those who did not obey their legalistic Pharisaic interpretations of the law, to which they added many traditions which were like heavy burdens. To speak with these "sinners" would have been bad enough but as noted above to dine with them reflected a level of intimacy that was abhorrent to the religious leaders. David Turner - Fellowship around a table was taken seriously in Jesus’ time, as being an act that implies deeper unity than is currently attributed to it in the West....His participation in table fellowship probably should be viewed as a foretaste of eschatological festivities (Mt 8:11; Mt 22:1–14; Mt 25:1–13; Mt 26:29).(Drr Matthew Cornerstone Bible Commentary) ESV note - Such table fellowship implies welcoming these people into extended interpersonal association, which the Pharisees thought would make a person “unclean.” But just as Jesus would cleanse the leper rather than being made unclean by the leper (Luke 5:13+), so Jesus will bring sinners to repentance (Lk 5:32+) and forgiveness rather than being defiled by association with the sinners. (Borrow ESV Study Bible)
Lucas 5
Vincent says in his discussion of kainos "All the elements of festivity in the heavenly kingdom will be of a new and higher quality. The Open Bible notes that kainos "can be used with reference to something that has not been used before (Mt 9:17). Kainos is also used with the connotation of “remarkable” as a designation of something that is “new” and not known previously (Mk 1:27; Jn 13:34). The same word qualifies something as “new” in the sense of a replacement for something that is old and obsolete—as in the “new covenant” (Heb 8:8). Converts are “new persons” (2Co 5:17+; Ep 4:24). Kainos is used in an eschatological sense to describe the “new” heaven and earth (2Pe 3:13; Rev 21:1). Compare the related noun kainotes translated newness (Freiberg defines it as "depicting something not only recent and different but extraordinary"!) in Ro 6:4-note and Ro 7:6-note. Believers now have a brand new life with a brand new source of power (the Spirit) to live out that life to the full (cp Jesus' desire for all believers - Jn 10:10b)! Beloved in Christ, may this (His) "extraordinary" life be a genuine reality in our day to day experience in Christ. Amen! R. C. Trench distinguishes neos and kainos as follows "Contemplate the new under aspects of time, as that which has recently come into existence, and this is neos... . But contemplate the new, not now under aspects of time, but of quality, the new, as set over against that which has seen service, the outworn, the effete or marred through age, and this is kainos. (New - Trench's Synonyms of the New Testament) In sum, Kainos signifies qualitatively new in contrast to neos which indicates temporally new or new with respect to age. Vine adds that kainos "denotes “new,” of that which is unaccustomed or unused, not “new” in time, recent (Greek = "neos"), but “new” as to form or quality, of different nature from what is contrasted as old. Vincent on kainos "All the elements of festivity in the heavenly kingdom will be of a new and higher quality. The Open Bible notes that kainos "can be used with reference to something that has not been used before (Mt 9:17). Kainos is also used with the connotation of “remarkable” as a designation of something that is “new” and not known previously (Mk 1:27; Jn 13:34). The same word qualifies something as “new” in the sense of a replacement for something that is old and obsolete—as in the “new covenant” (Heb 8:8). Converts are “new persons” (2Co 5:17-note; Ep 4:24). Kainos is used in an eschatological sense to describe the “new” heaven and earth (2Pe 3:13; Rev 21:1). (The Open Bible : New King James Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers) Kainos - 36v - fresh(3), new(37), new things(1), things new(1). Matt. 9:17; Matt. 13:52; Matt. 26:29; Matt. 27:60; Mk. 1:27; Mk. 2:21; Mk. 2:22; Mk. 14:25; Mk. 16:17; Lk. 5:36; Lk. 5:38; Lk. 22:20; Jn. 13:34; Jn. 19:41; Acts 17:19; Acts 17:21; 1 Co. 11:25; 2 Co. 3:6; 2 Co. 5:17; Gal. 6:15; Eph. 2:15; Eph. 4:24; Heb. 8:8; Heb. 8:13; Heb. 9:15; 2 Pet. 3:13; 1 Jn. 2:7; 1 Jn. 2:8; 2 Jn. 1:5; Rev. 2:17; Rev. 3:12; Rev. 5:9; Rev. 14:3; Rev. 21:1; Rev. 21:2; Rev. 21:5 John Courson applies this section to the modern church - When people try to put something of a new moving of the Lord into an old structure, they end up not only quenching the wine of the Spirit, but blowing apart the structure in the process. This applies to people individually as well as to churches corporately, for here's what happens: When people are touched by the Lord and filled with the Spirit, the new wine of joy and vitality begins to bubble within them. But they will often discover that, as happened with Jesus following His own baptism, they will be driven into the wilderness, into a battle, into hard times. And it is at this point that, unwilling to face the difficulty or challenge, the temptation or trial, they burst, give up, and go back to the predictability of their previous ways where they can go to church occasionally, put a dollar in the offering, and play the game. Does this mean we are doomed to become hardened old wineskins that cannot contain the new work of the Lord at any given time? I don't think so. You see, the Greek word translated "new" in relation to wine is neos. But the word translated "new" in relation to wineskins is kainos and literally means "renewed." In Bible days, wineskins were relatively expensive, so when they began to get hard, he who didn't have money for a new one would soak the old one in water until the elasticity and the flexibility returned. I find the analogy interesting because the Scriptures are likened unto water (John 15:3; Ephesians 5:26). How do we stay flexible, usable, and contemporary in whatever the Lord might be doing both corporately and personally? We soak ourselves not in traditionalism or denominationalism, but in the Word. If we make the Word the priority of our life, the emphasis of our ministry, it will have a softening, renewing effect on us. But when the Bible no longer has predominance or priority in the life of a church or an individual and is instead replaced by programs, traditions, or denominational expectations, rigidity is sure to follow. The entire Bible can be read aloud in seventy-one hours—or twelve minutes a day for a year. Most of us spend more time than that simply brushing our teeth or combing our hair. The question is not whether we have time to read the Word. The question is, do we choose to do it? There is only one place a believer cannot stay. He cannot stay put. That is, he is either growing and expanding in his walk, or he is shrinking and weakening in his walk. Your faith is either more radical today than it was last year, or it is less so. If we are determined together to soak in the Word, we will experience a continuing renewing—new discoveries, new understanding, constant softening. And the Lord will be able to pour new wine into our vessels. (See Jon Courson's Application Commentary:) Luke 5:39 "And no one, after drinking old wine wishes for new; for he says, 'The old is good enough.'"