Everything New
Often the setting out of the bible into chapters and verses seems a bit arbitrary. Sometimes it can be helpful where there is some thought about structure. Luke was careful about what he placed where. His fifth chapter follows the introduction of Jesus into people’s view and scrutiny. At the end of the fourth chapter Jesus sets out his mission as explaining the Kingdom of God, what it will look like.
At the end of chapter 5 he tells a parable. These become familiar as a means of expressing what the Kingdom of God is about when talking to the crowds who became intrigued by what he was saying and doing.
The truth of the Kingdom of God expressed by the parable is that everything needs to be new. It was no point keeping an old framework and dropping the new into it. It wouldn’t be able to contain it. It is not an add on, life as normal plus.
The encounters in chapter 5 explain this.
Peter realises that Jesus can do better at what he thought he was good at doing himself. This can be extrapolated to the basics we need for life, the example here being provision of food. Jesus wants to be involved in these aspects so that toil can be removed from work in the Kingdom of God.
The leper represents all those who are excluded. Jesus opens a way to bring anyone into the Kingdom of God who wants to be there. Although the law gives helpful guidance on how to live, even for dealing with contagious diseases, ultimately it actually excludes and separates people. Jesus goes beyond it, bringing healing and access for all.
The paralysed man represents the paralysis of religion. By forgiveness of sins, Jesus not only enables the man to be active but to walk in a new way that does not need religious adherence.
Jesus then calls Levi (better known as Matthew) to follow him. Levi was a tax man. He represented the financial system that was used to operate within society and make it function. The Kingdom of God has different foundations for life.
The differences become noticeable. Whereas the religious people would be particular about who they ate with, Jesus enjoys dining with ‘tax collectors and sinners’, even when the religious were doing religious stuff like fasting and praying. Jesus was living differently even to John the Baptist and his disciples. John represented the finish of the way of life described in the Old Testament.
The reference to the bridegroom echoes throughout the bible. The Kingdom of God is described as a wedding, and in particular the wedding feast.
What a turn around in a couple of chapters. At the beginning of chapter 4 Jesus is fasting, and by the end of chapter 5 they have more food (assuming fish was on the menu) than they could manage and all were invited.
Background
Luke chapter 5 verses 27 to 39 - After that he (Jesus) went out and noticed a tax collector named Levi sitting in the tax booth, and he said to him, "Follow Me." And he left everything behind, and got up and began to follow him. And Levi gave a big reception for him in his house; and there was a great crowd of tax collectors and other people who were reclining at the table with them. The Pharisees and their scribes began grumbling at his disciples, saying, "Why do you eat and drink with the tax collectors and sinners?" And Jesus answered and said to them, "It is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick. "I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance." And they said to him, "The disciples of John often fast and offer prayers, the disciples of the Pharisees also do the same, but yours eat and drink." And Jesus said to them, "You cannot make the attendants of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them, can you? "But the days will come; and when the bridegroom is taken away from them, then they will fast in those days." And he was also telling them a parable: "No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and puts it on an old garment; otherwise he will both tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old. "And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled out, and the skins will be ruined. "But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. "And no one, after drinking old wine wishes for new; for he says, 'The old is good enough.' "
At the end of the fourth chapter Jesus sets out his mission as explaining the Kingdom of God, what it will look like (verse 43).
At the end of chapter 5 he tells a parable (verses 36 to 39).
Peter realises that Jesus can do better at what he thought he was good at doing himself (Luke chapter 5 verses 4 to 10).
The leper represents all those who are excluded (Luke chapter 5 verses 12 to 15).
The paralysed man represents the paralysis of religion (Luke chapter 5 verses 17 to 26).
Jesus then calls Levi (better known as Matthew) to follow him (Luke chapter 5 verses 27 to 28).
The differences become noticeable. Whereas the religious people would be particular about who they ate with, Jesus enjoys dining with ‘tax collectors and sinners’, even when the religious were doing religious stuff like fasting and praying. Jesus was living differently even to John the Baptist and his disciples (Luke chapter 5 verses 29 to 35). John represented the finish of the way of life described in the Old Testament (Matthew chapter 11 verse 11).
The reference to the bridegroom echoes throughout the bible (Isaiah chapter 61 verse 10; 62 verse 5; Matthew chapter 25 verses 1 to 13; John chapter 2 verses 1 to 11;Revelation chapter 18 verse 23; 21 verse 2). The Kingdom of God is described as a wedding, and in particular the wedding feast.
At the beginning of chapter 4 Jesus is fasting, and by the end of chapter 5 they have more food (assuming fish was on the menu (verse 9)) than they could manage and all were invited.