Luke 5
5
Jesus Chooses His First Disciples
1One day when Jesus was standing by the Sea of Galilee, all the people crowded around him to listen to the word of God. 2At the edge of the water, Jesus saw two boats. They had been left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. 3He got into one of the boats, which belonged to a man named Simon. Jesus asked him to pull out a little way from shore. Then he sat down in the boat and taught the people.
4When Jesus had finished speaking, he turned to Simon and said, “Go out into the deep water and let down the nets so you can catch some fish.”
5Simon answered, “Master, we worked hard all night, but we didn’t catch anything. However, because you say so, I will let down the nets.”
6When they did so, they caught a large number of fish—so many that their nets began to break! 7They quickly signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. They came, and together they filled both boats so full that they nearly sank.
8When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees. “Go away from me, Lord!” he said. “I’m a sinful man!” 9He and his crew were amazed at the number of fish they’d caught, 10and so were his partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee.
Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid, from now on you will fish for people.” 11So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything, and followed him.
Jesus Heals a Man Who Had a Skin Disease
12While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who had a skin disease all over his body. When the man saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, “Lord, you can make me clean, if you are willing.”
13Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Right away the disease left him.
14“Don’t tell anyone,” Jesus ordered him. “But go and show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded, as a witness to the priest and the people that you are clean.”
15But the news about Jesus spread even more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. 16But Jesus often went away to be by himself and pray.
Jesus Forgives and Heals a Man Who Could Not Walk
17One day when Jesus was teaching, some Pharisees and teachers of the law were among those sitting there and listening to him. They’d come from every village in Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem. The power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal the sick. 18Some men brought a man who couldn’t walk. They were carrying him on a mat. 19They tried to take him into the house and set him in front of Jesus, but they couldn’t get in because of the crowd. So they went up onto the roof and made an opening in the tiles. Then they lowered the man on his mat down into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.
20When Jesus saw how much faith they had, he said to the man, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”
21The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began to think, “Who is this person who says such an evil thing? Only God can forgive sins!”
22But Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? 23Which is easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or, ‘Get up and walk’? 24But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man who couldn’t walk, “I tell you, get up, take your mat, and go home.” 25Right away the man stood up in front of them. He picked up his mat and went home praising God. 26Everyone was astounded and gave glory to God. They were filled with wonder and said, “We’ve seen amazing things today!”
Jesus Chooses Levi and Eats With Sinners
27After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at his tax booth. “Follow me,” Jesus told him. 28Levi got up, left everything, and followed him.
29Levi gave a huge banquet for Jesus at his house. A large crowd of tax collectors and others came and ate with them. 30But the Pharisees and their teachers of the law complained to Jesus’ disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”
31Jesus answered them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor; sick people do. 32I haven’t come to call those who are right with God. I’ve come to help sinners turn away from their sins.”
Jesus Is Asked About Fasting
33Some of the people who were there said to Jesus, “John’s disciples often pray and go without eating, and so do the Pharisees’ disciples. But yours go on eating and drinking.”
34Jesus answered, “Would you ask a bridegroom’s friends to fast during his wedding celebration? 35But the time will come when the groom is taken away from them, and in those days, they will go without eating.”
36Then Jesus gave them an illustration. He said, “No one tears a piece out of a new garment to patch an old one. That would ruin the new garment, and the patch wouldn’t match the old one anyway. 37And nobody pours new wine into old wineskins. The new wine would burst the skins, so the wine would spill everywhere, and the wineskins would also be ruined. 38No, new wine has to be poured into new wineskins. 39But after drinking old wine, no one wants the new. They say, ‘The old wine is better.’ ”
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Luke 5
5
Push Out into Deep Water
1-3Once when he was standing on the shore of Lake Gennesaret, the crowd was pushing in on him to better hear the Word of God. He noticed two boats tied up. The fishermen had just left them and were out scrubbing their nets. He climbed into the boat that was Simon’s and asked him to put out a little from the shore. Sitting there, using the boat for a pulpit, he taught the crowd.
4When he finished teaching, he said to Simon, “Push out into deep water and let your nets out for a catch.”
5-7Simon said, “Master, we’ve been fishing hard all night and haven’t caught even a minnow. But if you say so, I’ll let out the nets.” It was no sooner said than done—a huge haul of fish, straining the nets past capacity. They waved to their partners in the other boat to come help them. They filled both boats, nearly swamping them with the catch.
8-10a Simon Peter, when he saw it, fell to his knees before Jesus. “Master, leave. I’m a sinner and can’t handle this holiness. Leave me to myself.” When they pulled in that catch of fish, awe overwhelmed Simon and everyone with him. It was the same with James and John, Zebedee’s sons, coworkers with Simon.
10b-11 Jesus said to Simon, “There is nothing to fear. From now on you’ll be fishing for men and women.” They pulled their boats up on the beach, left them, nets and all, and followed him.
Invitation to a Changed Life
12One day in one of the villages there was a man covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus he fell down before him in prayer and said, “If you want to, you can cleanse me.”
13Jesus put out his hand, touched him, and said, “I want to. Be clean.” Then and there his skin was smooth, the leprosy gone.
14-16Jesus instructed him, “Don’t talk about this all over town. Just quietly present your healed self to the priest, along with the offering ordered by Moses. Your cleansed and obedient life, not your words, will bear witness to what I have done.” But the man couldn’t keep it to himself, and the word got out. Soon a large crowd of people had gathered to listen and be healed of their sicknesses. As often as possible Jesus withdrew to out-of-the-way places for prayer.
17One day as he was teaching, Pharisees and religion teachers were sitting around. They had come from nearly every village in Galilee and Judea, even as far away as Jerusalem, to be there. The healing power of God was on him.
18-20Some men arrived carrying a paraplegic on a stretcher. They were looking for a way to get into the house and set him before Jesus. When they couldn’t find a way in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof, removed some tiles, and let him down in the middle of everyone, right in front of Jesus. Impressed by their bold belief, he said, “Friend, I forgive your sins.”
21That set the religion scholars and Pharisees buzzing. “Who does he think he is? That’s blasphemous talk! God and only God can forgive sins.”
22-26Jesus knew exactly what they were thinking and said, “Why all this gossipy whispering? Which is simpler: to say ‘I forgive your sins,’ or to say ‘Get up and start walking’? Well, just so it’s clear that I’m the Son of Man and authorized to do either, or both. . . .” He now spoke directly to the paraplegic: “Get up. Take your bedroll and go home.” Without a moment’s hesitation, he did it—got up, took his blanket, and left for home, giving glory to God all the way. The people rubbed their eyes, stunned—and then also gave glory to God. Awestruck, they said, “We’ve never seen anything like that!”
27-28After this he went out and saw a man named Levi at his work collecting taxes. Jesus said, “Come along with me.” And he did—walked away from everything and went with him.
29-30Levi gave a large dinner at his home for Jesus. Everybody was there, tax men and other disreputable characters as guests at the dinner. The Pharisees and their religion scholars came to his disciples greatly offended. “What is he doing eating and drinking with misfits and ‘sinners’?”
31-32Jesus heard about it and spoke up, “Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? I’m here inviting outsiders, not insiders—an invitation to a changed life, changed inside and out.”
33They asked him, “John’s disciples are well-known for keeping fasts and saying prayers. Also the Pharisees. But you seem to spend most of your time at parties. Why?”
34-35Jesus said, “When you’re celebrating a wedding, you don’t skimp on the cake and wine. You feast. Later you may need to exercise moderation, but this isn’t the time. As long as the bride and groom are with you, you have a good time. When the groom is gone, the fasting can begin. No one throws cold water on a friendly bonfire. This is Kingdom Come!
36-39“No one cuts up a fine silk scarf to patch old work clothes; you want fabrics that match. And you don’t put wine in old, cracked bottles; you get strong, clean bottles for your fresh vintage wine. And no one who has ever tasted fine aged wine prefers unaged wine.”
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THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved. Used by permission of NavPress. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.