Luke Chapter 5 {The Calling of the Disciples} 5:1``And it came to pass   {means of indicating chronological progression} while the people crowded up against Him {Jesus} and were listening to the Word of God that He Himself took His stand beside the Lake of Gennesaret   {name means 'a harp - it was called the sea of Galilee or the sea of   Tiberias. The lake was 12 by 7 miles (20 by 11 km) and 700 feet   (210 m) below the Mediterranean Sea}. 5:2``He {Jesus} saw/perceived two boats moored by the lake, but the fishermen having disembarked were cleaning their nets. 5:3``And, having gone on board one of the boats . . . the one which was Simon's . . . He requested him to put out a little from the land. Then, having sat down He taught the crowds from the boat. {Note: Jesus came to the earth for many purposes of God. But one was to teach the Word to those who were positive to the teaching of bible doctrine.} 5:4``When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, "Put out into the deep water and lower your nets for a catch." 5:5`` Simon 'had an answer for Him' {apokrinomai}, "Overseer/Supervisor/Master   {epistates - a word to recognize authority at this point}, we worked 'to the point of exhaustion' all night and caught nothing! Nevertheless, at Your utterance {rhema}, I will lower the nets." 5:6``Then, having done this {the lowering of the nets}, they 'shut up'/enclosed {sugkleio} a great many fish. And their nets began to break asunder {diarrhesso}. 5:7``So they gestured to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they were about to sink. 5:8``Now when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart/Go away from me {exerchomai - an order}, for I keep on being a sinful {hamartolos} 'noble man' {aner}, Lord {kurios}!" {Note: kurios is one of the Greek words for authority - one who is in charge of the geographical area where you are, but not the ultimate ruler - that is basileia. It also means Lord and is a word for deity. This is probably the time that Peter understood exactly Who Jesus was. The author Luke is also letting us know here that the Simon here is also the man Jesus will give the name 'Peter'.} 5:9``For Peter and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, 5:10`` and so were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were Simon's business partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid {an order}. From now on you will be catching men/people {anthropos - mankind}." {Note: So here we learn that Peter, James and John were business partners before they became disciples. James and John were the sons of Zebedee (also called the 'sons of Thunder') and elsewhere we will learn their mother is Salome.} 5:11``So, having brought their boats to shore . . . having left everything behind, they 'followed as a student/disciple' {akoloutheo} Him. {Healing a Leper} 5:12``And it came to pass, while He {Jesus} was in one of the towns, there came a man covered with leprosy. Having seen Jesus, he bowed down with his face to the ground and begged Him, "Lord {kurios - most likely indicating this man was a believer}, if {ean} You are willing - maybe You are and maybe You are not willing - You can make me clean." {Note: There are 4 conditional If statements in the Konia Greek. The 3rd Class condition is what we think of a real if statement in English - maybe yes, and maybe no.. It is the 'more probable' future condition. It can be identified by the Greek 'ean' plus the subjunctive case in the Protasis. This man knew Jesus COULD cure him, he was just not sure that He would cure him.) 5:13``So Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing. Be clean." And immediately the leprosy left him. 5:14``Then Jesus ordered the man to tell no one. But "Go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing . . . as Moses commanded . . . for a testimony to them." {Note: Still the time was not right for Jesus to be revealed. But, it was time for the priests to start considering the possibility that Jesus just might be the Messiah.} 5:15`` But the news about Him went abroad even more and great crowds were gathering together to hear Him and to be healed of their illnesses. 5:16``Yet Jesus himself was withdrawing to the desert/'uninhabited areas' and praying. {Healing and Forgiving a Paralytic} 5:17``And it came to pass, on one of those days, while He {Jesus} was continually teaching {didasko}, there were Pharisees   {Pharisaios - a religious political party who believed in the events of   the Old Testament - Saul of Tarsus was the most zealous of these   people before becoming the Apostle Paul} and 'teachers of the law'   {nomodidaskalos - teachers of the Mosaic Law} sitting nearby   {most likely listening in order to criticize}, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. And the power {dunamis} of the Lord was demonstrated there 'to cure them'/'in the way they should have understood'   {iaomai - means to cure or to make them whole - so this could have   a double meaning - to cure the infirmed, but also to 'make whole'   these teachers of the OT if they would believe}. 5:18`` Then, behold {idou - an order - means 'Pay Attention!"}, some men showed up, carrying a paralyzed man on a stretcher. They were trying to bring him in and lay him before Jesus. 5:19``And, having not discovered a way to carry him in . . . because of the crowd . . . they went up on the roof and let him down with his stretcher through the roof tiles in the middle {of the crowd} before Jesus. 5:20`` When He {Jesus} saw their faith {pistis} He {Jesus} said, "Man {anthropos}, your sins are being forgiven {aphiemi} you {soi}." {Note: Remember only God can forgive sin - and the Jewish scholars are watching!} 5:21``Then the experts in the law and the Pharisees began to think to themselves, "Who is this man who is speaking blasphemies {blasphemia}? Who has the power to forgive sins but God alone?" 5:22``Then Jesus 'having accurately come to know' {epiginosko} their hostile/questioning thoughts {dialogismos}, had an answer {apokrinomai} for them, "Why do you question in your hearts/'right lobes'/'mentality of the soul'? 5:23`` Which is easier to say {eukopoteros lego}, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'? 5:24``But, for the purpose that you may know/understand that the 'Son of Man'   {title for humanity of Jesus as the Messiah} has the authority {exousia} on earth to forgive sins" - He {Jesus} said to the paralyzed man - "I 'say to'/command you, get up, take your stretcher and go home." 5:25``And Immediately {parachrema}, having stood up before them, took up what he had been lying on, and went home . . . having glorified/praised God. 5:26`` Then they were seized with astonishment, and they kept on praising/glorifying God and were filled with awe/respect/fear {phobos}, saying, "We have seen incredible {paradoxos} things today." {The Calling of Levi and Eating with Sinners} 5:27``And after these things, He {Jesus} went out and saw a 'tax collector'/publican {telones} named Levi sitting at the tax booth {telonion}. And He {Jesus} said to him {Levi}, "Follow Me as a student/disciple {akoloutheo - an order}." 5:28`` So, leaving everything behind {kataleipo} and rising up, he {Levi} followed Him as a student/disciple. 5:29`` Then Levi gave a great banquet for Him {Jesus} in his house. And there was a large crowd of tax collectors and 'others of the same kind' {allos} sitting at the table with them. 5:30``But their Pharisees and their experts in the law 'went to grumbling in a low undertone' {gogguzo}, against his disciples/students {mathetes}, saying, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners {hamartolos}?" 5:31``And Jesus 'had an answer for them' {apokrinomai}, "Those who are well/'sound of body' {hugiaino} have no need of a physician . . . but, in contrast {alla} those who are sick {need the physician}. 5:32`` I {Jesus} have absolutely not {ouk} come to call the righteous {dikaios} . . . but sinners to 'change their minds'/repentance   {metanoia - is the more emotional Greek word for change of   minds}." {The Superiority of the New} 5:33`` Then they said to Him, "John's disciples frequently fast and pray, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but Yours {His disciples} continue to eat and drink." 5:34-35`` So Jesus said to them, "You cannot make the "bridegroom's friends" fast   {idiom: literally the children (huios) of the bridal chamber (numphon)   these are the friends of the groom who take care of the wedding   details} while the bridegroom is with them . . . can you? 5:35`` The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days." {Note: In the day this was written, the wedding rites were different from today. The groom's family would arrange the marriage details with the family of the bride. On the day of the marriage, the groom's friends would be inside the groom's house eating and drinking. The friends of the bride would have to wait outside. The groom goes and gets the bride from her home and takes her back to his house. Then the bride's friends can come in also and they all party! Jesus is the bridegroom and the Church Age believers will be the Bride of Christ. Old Testament believers are the 'friends of the bridegroom'.} {First Illustration} 5:36`` He {Jesus} also told them a parable   {parabole - uses true illustrations from nature to also make a   spiritual point}: "No one tears a piece from a new garment   {the New Covenant - Walking in the More Excellent Way of Christ} and sews it on an old garment   {the Old Covenant - the Mosaic Law -   being distorted under the arrogance of some}. If he does, he will have torn the new   {meaning trying to distort the Mosaic Law - such as 'working for   salvation' would tear the Prototype Way demonstrated to us by   Jesus Christ}, and the piece from the new will not match the old. {Second Illustration} 5:37``And no one puts new wine   {the Higher Laws of Church Age Doctrine} into old wineskins {Mosaic Law}. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins and will be spilled, and the old wineskins will be destroyed. 5:38`` But, in contrast, {alla} new wine must be put into fresh wineskins   {the new 'mystery' Walking in the More Excellent Way of Christ}. 5:39``And no one drinking old wine   {legalism - thinking 'morality', or 'keeping the commandments of the   Mosaic Law' or 'because I am of Abraham' . . . } wants the new { the More Excellent Way of Christ} . . . for he says, 'The old is good enough.'"