[5:1] On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, [2] and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. [3] Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon's, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. [4] And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch." [5] And Simon answered, "Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets." [6] And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. [7] They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. [8] But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord." [9] For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, [10] and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men." [11] And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.
(Luke 5:1-11 ESV)
5:1-11 The call of the disciples (cf. Mt. 4:18-22; Mk. 1:16-20). Mark's briefer account of the call of Jesus' first disciples concentrates on the basic fact that the right response to the message of the kingdom of God is instant obedience to the summons to follow Jesus. Luke's longer account suggests that the call took place only after Jesus had won the friendship of Simon and shown his power to him. Simon, as an experienced fisherman, knew that there was little likelihood of a catch, since the best fishing was done by night in the deep water. (During the daytime they fished in the shallow water.) Nevertheless, he was already sufficiently impressed by Jesus to obey his command. When the full revelation of Jesus' power came to him, he was overcome by a deep sense of fear and unworthiness in the presence of somebody who demonstrated heavenly power and was thus shown to be a holy person. Simon was not necessarily especially sinful, but he felt the sense of fear which anybody ought to have in the presence of the divine (cf. Jdg. 13:21-22). Jesus, however, told him not to be afraid (cf. 1:13, 30) and gave him a call to discipleship in words that were suggested by Simon's present occupation. All the attention is focused on Simon as the leader of the Twelve: we are left to infer Andrew's presence from v 6.
Notes. 1 Gennesaret (Chinnereth in the OT) is another name for Galilee, and refers specifically to the area just south of Capernaum (cf. 6:53).
3 For Jesus, teaching by the sea and using a boat as a kind of pulpit see Mk. 4:1-2.
11 Theories that the great catch of fish was intended to provide provision for the dependants of the disciples or that it symbolizes the catch of people whom they would take (cf. Jn. 21:1-14) are speculative.
Luke 4:16–5:16 The Beginning. Jesus began his ministry by preaching in his hometown of Nazareth. Soon thereafter he was preaching in many places, healing many people, and calling disciples to work with him.
Luke 5:1–11 Jesus Calls the First Disciples. Jesus calls common fishermen to leave everything and become his disciples as fishers of men (cf. v. 10). Jesus precedes the call by demonstrating his authority through the miraculous catch of fish.
Luke 5:4–5 let down your nets. … Master, we toiled all night and took nothing. Simon's reply to Jesus' command should not be seen as one of disrespect, in light of his addressing him as "Master" (cf. 8:24, 45; 9:33, 49; 17:13), and then immediately adding, But at your word I will let down the nets.
Luke 5:6–7 A large number of fish is dramatized by their nets … breaking and their signaling to their partners … to come and help them. That both ships began to sink further emphasizes the great catch of fish. Jesus' miracle demonstrates that he is Lord of the sea and all that is in it.
Luke 5:8–9 Simon's reaction is appropriate for times when God himself appears to someone (cf. Isa. 6:1–8; Ezek. 1:28): he fell down at Jesus' knees (in the midst of the fish!), asking the Lord to depart from him, lest he be judged as a sinful man. Peter was astonished by the miracle as a demonstration of the presence of God, which was the first step in understanding who Jesus is. At this point Peter simply understands that God works through Jesus, though he will come to a much deeper understanding, as this unfolds only over a period of time (see Mark 8:29). But it is only after the resurrection that Peter and the disciples fully understand who Jesus is (cf. Luke 24:31, 36–43, 52).
Luke 5:10 Do not be afraid. See 1:13. Catching men builds on the analogy of catching fish. It means bringing people into the kingdom of God, and into relationship with Jesus.
[12] While he was in one of the cities, there came a man full of leprosy. And when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, "Lord, if you will, you can make me clean." [13] And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, "I will; be clean." And immediately the leprosy left him. [14] And he charged him to tell no one, but "go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as Moses commanded, for a proof to them." [15] But now even more the report about him went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities. [16] But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.
(Luke 5:12-16 ESV)
5:12-6:11 The beginning of controversy with the Pharisees
Luke relates five incidents in all, of which (apart from the first) various actions by Jesus and his disciples led to criticism from the Pharisees and showed how the new way of the kingdom of God contrasted with the Pharisaic emphasis on strict keeping of the law.
5:12-16 The healing of a leper (see Mt. 8:1-4; Mk. 1:40-45). The first story stands in contrast with the following narratives, for it illustrates how Jesus normally stood by the OT law. The word leprosy covered a variety of skin diseases, not all of them infectious. If people who had previously been certified as lepers claimed to be cured, they had to go through the proper form of discharge from the priests before being allowed to move freely again in society (Lv. 14:1-32), and so Jesus instructed this man to obey the law. The story illustrates how Jesus performed cures in response to faith—the idea is clearly present, though the word is not used—and it shows how his reputation was growing, both as a teacher and as a healer.
Luke 5:12–16 Jesus Cleanses a Leper. Luke may have placed this account here due to the similarity between the events described in vv. 8 and 12.
Luke 5:12 leprosy. See note on Matt. 8:2–3. This term (Gk. lepra) included a variety of serious skin diseases and was not limited to what is today called "leprosy" (Hansen's disease). fell on his face. A position of reverence (cf. Luke 17:16). if you will, you can make me clean. The miracle reveals Jesus' authority to cure the ritual uncleanness of the leper. (Cf. 5:17–26 regarding Jesus' authority to forgive the "spiritual uncleanness" of sin.)
Luke 5:13 be clean. Only a single word (Gk. katharisthēti) is required to effect the miracle. Jesus is not made unclean by touching the leper. Instead, the leper is cleansed by Jesus' touch.
Luke 5:14 tell no one. See note on Matt. 8:4. go … to the priest (cf. Luke 17:14), as Moses commanded. The rationale for this instruction is found in Lev. 14:2–32. This was to serve as a proof to them, i.e., the people (and probably the priests as well). As a result of Jesus' healing, the (former) leper is brought back into full participation and fellowship in the Jewish community according to the provisions of the Mosaic law.
Luke 5:15 now even more. Jesus' fame spreads (see 4:37). to hear him and to be healed. Luke places Jesus' preaching ministry before his healing ministry (cf. 6:18).
Luke 5:16 But he would withdraw … and pray. The Greek construction indicates a continual practice and could also be translated "was regularly withdrawing and praying" (Gk. imperfect verb plus two present participles); see Introduction: Key Themes. The increasing crowds, the unceasing demands on Jesus' time, and the fact that no one else could duplicate his ministry did not deter Jesus from spending extensive times in prayer.
No comments:
Post a Comment