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That You May Know The Certainty
Lesson 6: Jesus’s Galilean Ministry, Part 2 (Luke 5:12-6:11)
As Jesus began His Galilean ministry, we have seen Him perform miracles yet be rejected by the people of His hometown. From there, Luke focused on Jesus’s work in Capernaum and some miracles and healings that took place there. Then, we saw Jesus call people to follow Him and be trained to fish for people. Now, we will see Jesus continue His ministry in Galilee.
Jesus Heals A Leper And Paralytic (Luke 5:12-26)
5:12-16. While in an undisclosed town, a leper fell facedown before Jesus and begged that Jesus would make him clean. Leprosy was a skin disease that would make one unclean and unable to live among the people of the town (Leviticus 13:40-46). Jesus had compassion for this man (Mark 1:41), reached, and touched Him, healing the man. Note that touching a leper ordinarily made one unclean (Leviticus 22:3-7), but that Jesus had immediately healed him. Jesus ordered that the man comply with the Law of Moses by showing himself to a priest and offering what was required (Leviticus 14). Jesus also instructed him not to tell the news, though the man did not obey (Mark 1:45). News about Jesus spread so there were large crowds who came to hear and be healed. So, Jesus would often go into secluded places to pray.
5:17-26. When Jesus was in Capernaum (Mark 2:1), many people gathered to hear and see Jesus, including Pharisees and teachers of the Law of Moses (seemingly to scrutinize and prosecute Him). The Lord’s power to heal was in Him. Then, some men were carrying their paralyzed companion on a stretcher and tried to get to Jesus but could not because of the crowd (Mark 2:2). Not giving up, they went on the roof, dug through it, and lowered the man to Jesus (Mark 2:4). Jesus saw their faith and told the paralyzed man that his sins were forgiven. The scribes and Pharisees concluded Jesus was guilty of blasphemy since only God can forgive sins. But, Jesus challenged them to consider whether it was easier to forgive or to heal. Both were possible for God! He then healed the man and the man got up and did exactly as Jesus said, glorifying God. Everyone was amazed and gave glory to God!
Levi Is Called (Luke 5:27-32)
5:27-32. Jesus went out and saw Levi (a tax collector, also called Matthew, Matthew 9:9) at the tax office and called Levi to follow Him. Levi had likely learned about Jesus before this. Levi (similar to Luke 5:1-11) recognized this great opportunity and left everything behind to follow Jesus (though likely a wealthy man). Levi then hosted a banquet for Jesus. As a former tax collector, Levi had a houseful of tax collectors and sinners (Matthew 9:10) who reclined at the table with Jesus and His followers. Somehow, the Pharisees and scribes found out and complained to Jesus’s followers (disciples) about them eating and drinking with those sinful people (as the Pharisees and scribes would not have interacted with them). However, Jesus’s reply demonstrated that just as the sick need a doctor, it is the sinners (not the righteous) who need to be called to repentance. The Pharisees and scribes thought they were righteous and looked down on others (Luke 18:9-14).
A Question About Fasting (Luke 5:33-39)
5:33-39. The disciples of John approached Jesus to ask Him about fasting, as both they and the Pharisees were fasting (Matthew 9:14; Mark 2:18). Both evidently had a regular practice of fasting (Luke 18:12). If Luke’s account is chronological, they had just seen Jesus and His disciples feasting and questioned this difference in practice (though Jesus was not against the practice of fasting, Luke 4:2; Matthew 6:16-18). Jesus said that just like guests of a wedding don’t fast during the joyous time the groom is with them, His disciples did not fast while He was there. Instead, the time for fasting would come when He would be taken away (i.e. when He was crucified). Then, Jesus taught a parable (using something they knew to teach a spiritual lesson). He said people do not take a patch from a new unshrunk garment to repair an old shrunken one or both garments would be ruined (Matthew 9:16). Then, no one puts new wine that would expand as it ferments into old leather wineskins that were inflexible or the skins and the wine would be lost (Matthew 9:17). His application is that people must not seek to understand Jesus’s teachings and ways inside of the Old Law and Jewish traditions. Rather, Jesus was preparing people for His new law in His kingdom.
Jesus Is Lord Of The Sabbath (Luke 6:1-11)
6:1-5. As Jesus and His disciples were traveling, His disciples were plucking heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands to separate the grain from the chaff, and eating them (Matthew 12:1-8; Mark 2:23-28). This action was permissible under the Law (Deuteronomy 23:24-25). However, the Pharisees took issue with Jesus’s disciples doing this on the Sabbath. God had forbidden work being done on the Sabbath (Exodus 20:8-11; 31:12-17) but the Jews had put many traditions in place beyond these. In reality, Jesus’s disciples were violating Jewish tradition and were not doing any real work that would violate God’s law. Jesus then demonstrated the hypocrisy of the Pharisees through the example of David and his men eating the showbread at the Tabernacle when he was fleeing from King Saul (1 Samuel 21:1-6). Though this was an actual violation of God’s law (Leviticus 24:5-9), the Pharisees did not condemn David but did condemn Jesus’s disciples who were only violating Jewish tradition! Then, Jesus indicated He is Lord of the Sabbath (who both instituted the Sabbath and who could change it)!
6:6-11. While Jesus was teaching in the synagogue on the Sabbath, there was a man present with a shriveled right hand. The Pharisees and scribes were now closely observing so they could scrutinize and accuse Him. Jesus knew their motives when they asked whether it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath (Matthew 12:10). Jesus demonstrated a person will either do good or evil on the Sabbath (Matthew 12:11-12). Then, He healed the man, telling Him to stretch out his hand so that it was fully restored! Although the Pharisees and scribes could not deny what had been done nor answer what He said, they were filled with senseless rage and started discussing what they would do with Jesus, even plotting with the Herodians to kill Him (Mark 3:6).
Conclusion
Many people have now been healed by Jesus. He had demonstrated that He even had the authority on earth to forgive sins as God living in the flesh. Now, the Pharisees and scribes were active in conversations about killing Him.
