Scripture
The First Disciples
1One day as Jesus was preaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee,[1] great crowds pressed in on him to listen to the word of God. 2He noticed two empty boats at the water’s edge, for the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. 3Stepping into one of the boats, Jesus asked Simon,[2] its owner, to push it out into the water. So he sat in the boat and taught the crowds from there.
4When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish.”
5“Master,” Simon replied, “we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again.” 6And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear! 7A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking.
8When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, “Oh, Lord, please leave me—I’m such a sinful man.” 9For he was awestruck by the number of fish they had caught, as were the others with him. 10His partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were also amazed.
Jesus replied to Simon, “Don’t be afraid! From now on you’ll be fishing for people!” 11And as soon as they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus.
Jesus Heals a Man with Leprosy
12In one of the villages, Jesus met a man with an advanced case of leprosy. When the man saw Jesus, he bowed with his face to the ground, begging to be healed. “Lord,” he said, “if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean.”
13Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” And instantly the leprosy disappeared. 14Then Jesus instructed him not to tell anyone what had happened. He said, “Go to the priest and let him examine you. Take along the offering required in the law of Moses for those who have been healed of leprosy.[3] This will be a public testimony that you have been cleansed.”
15But despite Jesus’ instructions, the report of his power spread even faster, and vast crowds came to hear him preach and to be healed of their diseases. 16But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.
Jesus Heals a Paralyzed Man
17One day while Jesus was teaching, some Pharisees and teachers of religious law were sitting nearby. (It seemed that these men showed up from every village in all Galilee and Judea, as well as from Jerusalem.) And the Lord’s healing power was strongly with Jesus.
18Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a sleeping mat. They tried to take him inside to Jesus, 19but they couldn’t reach him because of the crowd. So they went up to the roof and took off some tiles. Then they lowered the sick man on his mat down into the crowd, right in front of Jesus. 20Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the man, “Young man, your sins are forgiven.”
21But the Pharisees and teachers of religious law said to themselves, “Who does he think he is? That’s blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!”
22Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you question this in your hearts? 23Is it easier to say ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up and walk’? 24So I will prove to you that the Son of Man[4] has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!”
25And immediately, as everyone watched, the man jumped up, picked up his mat, and went home praising God. 26Everyone was gripped with great wonder and awe, and they praised God, exclaiming, “We have seen amazing things today!”
Jesus Calls Levi (Matthew)
27Later, as Jesus left the town, he saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. 28So Levi got up, left everything, and followed him.
29Later, Levi held a banquet in his home with Jesus as the guest of honor. Many of Levi’s fellow tax collectors and other guests also ate with them. 30But the Pharisees and their teachers of religious law complained bitterly to Jesus’ disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with such scum?[5]”
31Jesus answered them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. 32I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent.”
A Discussion about Fasting
33One day some people said to Jesus, “John the Baptist’s disciples fast and pray regularly, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees. Why are your disciples always eating and drinking?”
34Jesus responded, “Do wedding guests fast while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. 35But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.”
36Then Jesus gave them this illustration: “No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and uses it to patch an old garment. For then the new garment would be ruined, and the new patch wouldn’t even match the old garment.
37“And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the new wine would burst the wineskins, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. 38New wine must be stored in new wineskins. 39But no one who drinks the old wine seems to want the new wine. ‘The old is just fine,’ they say.”
Translation notes (5)
- 5:1 Greek Lake Gennesaret, another name for the Sea of Galilee.
- 5:3 Simon is called “Peter” in 6:14 and thereafter.
- 5:14 See Lev 14:2-32.
- 5:24 “Son of Man” is a title Jesus used for himself.
- 5:30 Greek with tax collectors and sinners?
32I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent.”
The greatest example we have ever seen when it comes to refusing to let favoritism take over is Jesus. He did not care about someone's background, past sins, mistakes, or anything else. He invited outcasts, unpopular, and sinners to follow Him. One of His closest disciples was very unpopular and even despised by many Jewish people.
Luke 5 tells us that as Jesus was beginning His ministry, He saw a tax collector named Levi who was at his booth. Now it is important to know that most Jewish people despised tax collectors. They collected taxes from the Jews for the Roman government. They were also known for often asking for more than was required and keeping the extra money for themselves. Jews did not look fondly on tax collectors. When they saw a tax collector, they would probably spit on them rather than stop by. And yet, Jesus did stop by Matthew’s tax booth. He saw him and offered a life-changing invitation: “Follow me and be my disciple” (verse 27). Instantly, Matthew “got up, left everything, and followed Him” (verse 28). This moment would have shocked those watching this exchange taking place. A Jewish rabbi would never have invited a tax collector to follow him. If this exchange did not shock observers, what happened next would have. Jesus attended a banquet at Matthew's house where other tax collectors were in attendance. No self-respecting Jew would have dared to dine with a room of tax collectors. Yet, this is what Jesus did. The Pharisees and religious leaders who saw this unlikely dinner party occur complained to Jesus' disciples, saying, "Why do you eat with such scum?" (verse 30). Jesus answered their complaints. He said, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent" (verses 31-32). Jesus explained that He came to the least of these, the despised and the outcasts who knew they needed Him.
Instead of showing favoritism, Jesus loved everyone without exception. Matthew is just one example. He loved sinners, those who were sick, and even self-righteous religious leaders. He loved the religious leaders enough to tell them the truth that their self-righteousness was also a sin problem. As His followers, we must follow His lead and love without favoritism. Every person we interact with deserves to experience the love of Christ.
Moving toward action
One of the best ways we can love someone is by introducing them to Jesus. Who can you invite to join you at one of our weekend services? Think of someone you may have difficulty loving or even tend to judge. Invite them today! We cannot wait to worship with you this weekend.
Going Deeper
Luke 5:1-39
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