Chapter Text
The Calling of the First Disciples
And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret,
2And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets.
3And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship.
4Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.
5And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.
6And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake.
7And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.
8When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.
9For he was astonished , and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken:
10And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.
11And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.
Jesus Heals a Leper
12And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
13And he put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will: be thou clean. And immediately the leprosy departed from him.
14And he charged him to tell no man: but go, and shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing, according as Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.
15But so much the more went there a fame abroad of him: and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by him of their infirmities.
16And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed.
Jesus Heals a Paralytic
17And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judaea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them.
18And, behold, men brought in a bed a man which was taken with a palsy: and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before him.
19And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus.
20And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.
21And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?
22But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts?
23Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk?
24But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house.
25And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God.
26And they were all amazed, and they glorified God, and were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things to day.
The Calling of Levi
27And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said unto him, Follow me.
28And he left all, rose up, and followed him.
29And Levi made him a great feast in his own house: and there was a great company of publicans and of others that sat down with them.
30But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?
31And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.
32I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
33And they said unto him, Why do the disciples of John fast often, and make prayers, and likewise the disciples of the Pharisees; but thine eat and drink?
34And he said unto them, Can ye make the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them?
35But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.
36And he spake also a parable unto them; No man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old ; if otherwise, then both the new maketh a rent, and the piece that was taken out of the new agreeth not with the old.
37And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish.
38But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved.
39No man also having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better.
Summary
Jesus teaches from Simon Peter's boat on the Lake of Gennesaret and then directs Peter to launch out and cast his nets for a deep-water catch. The miraculous haul of fish overwhelms two boats. Peter falls at Jesus' knees in awe, and Jesus calls him to catch men. They leave everything to follow Him.
Jesus cleanses a leper, and the news of His healing spreads widely. He heals a paralytic lowered through the roof, first forgiving his sins and then healing him. He calls Levi the tax collector and dines at his house with sinners, answering criticism by declaring He came to call sinners to repentance.
Meaning
The miraculous catch of fish served as a sign that convinced Peter of Jesus' divine authority. Peter's response, Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord, reveals the natural human reaction to encountering holiness. Yet Jesus does not depart; instead, He commissions Peter, transforming a fisherman's failure into a calling.
The healing of the paralytic links physical healing and spiritual forgiveness as complementary expressions of Jesus' authority. The Pharisees rightly recognized that only God can forgive sins but wrongly refused to accept that God stood before them in the flesh.
Background
The Lake of Gennesaret is another name for the Sea of Galilee. Professional fishermen on the lake typically fished at night when fish came closer to the surface. Peter's remark that they had toiled all night and caught nothing makes the subsequent miracle all the more striking.
Levi, also called Matthew, hosted a great feast at his house, indicating he was a man of means. Tax collectors often became wealthy through overcharging, which explains both their prosperity and their social stigma.
Chapter Outline
- vv. 1-11The miraculous catch and call of the first disciples
- vv. 12-16Cleansing of the leper
- vv. 17-26Healing and forgiveness of the paralytic
- vv. 27-32The call of Levi and feast with sinners
- vv. 33-39Question of fasting and the parables of newness
Key Verses
“And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.”— 5:10
Christ's call to Peter establishes the apostolic mission and becomes the defining metaphor for evangelism throughout church history.
“But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house.”— 5:24
Jesus directly claims divine authority to forgive sins, validating the claim with a visible miracle—a foundational christological declaration.
“They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.”— 5:31
This proverb encapsulates the heart of Christ's mission to the marginalized and frames the gospel as healing for the spiritually wounded.
“I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”— 5:32
One of the clearest mission statements of Jesus in the Synoptic Gospels, defining the scope and purpose of His incarnation.
People & Places
People
- Jesus — The Lord, teaching, calling disciples, healing the leper and paralytic, and answering the Pharisees.
- Simon Peter — Galilean fisherman called to become a fisher of men after the miraculous catch.
- James and John — Sons of Zebedee and partners with Simon, who likewise forsake all to follow Jesus.
- Zebedee — Father of James and John, named as the patriarch of the fishing partnership.
- Levi — A tax collector (publican) called from his receipt of custom to follow Jesus, later known as Matthew.
- Moses — Referenced as the lawgiver whose commands governed the leper's ritual cleansing.
- John (the Baptist) — Mentioned in connection with his disciples' practice of frequent fasting.
- Pharisees and scribes — Religious leaders who observe, question, and murmur against Jesus' words and company.
Places
- Lake of Gennesaret — Another name for the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus taught from Simon's boat and called the first disciples.
- Galilee — Northern region of Israel from which crowds and Pharisees gathered to hear Jesus.
- Judaea — Southern region whose religious teachers travelled north to scrutinize Jesus' ministry.
- Jerusalem — The holy city, source of the most prominent doctors of the law who came to observe Jesus.
- Levi's house — Site of the great feast where Jesus dined with publicans and sinners, prompting Pharisaic complaint.
Prophecy & Fulfillment
The leper's cleansing in verses 12–14 fulfills the Messianic expectation of Isaiah 35:5–6 and 53:4, where the Servant bears infirmities and brings restoration. By instructing the cleansed man to present the Mosaic offering (v. 14), Jesus honors Levitical law (Leviticus 14) while signaling that the prophesied healer has come. His self-designation as 'Son of man' with authority to forgive sins (v. 24) draws on Daniel 7:13–14, claiming the divine prerogatives of the eschatological figure. The bridegroom imagery (vv. 34–35) foreshadows His passion and echoes prophetic marriage motifs from Isaiah and Hosea.
Devotional
Luke 5 invites us to consider what we cling to and what we are willing to leave behind. Peter, James, John, and Levi all 'forsook all' at Christ's word—not because their old lives were worthless, but because His call was worth more.
Notice too how Jesus moves toward the unclean: a leper, a paralytic, a tax collector. He is not embarrassed by our brokenness; He is drawn to it. The sick need a physician, and honest acknowledgment of need is the doorway to grace.
Where is Christ asking you today to launch out into deeper water, trusting His word against your own experience?
Literary Style
Synoptic gospel narrative weaving together call stories, miracle accounts, and pronouncement stories (chreiai) that climax in memorable sayings of Jesus. The chapter closes with two brief parables employing everyday imagery—garments and wineskins—to illustrate the incompatibility of old religious forms with the inbreaking kingdom.