What Sick People Need

Hello everyone, 

I will continue my exegisis of Luke 5, today, looking at Luke 5:27-32 and the calling of Levi. Shortly after the miraculous healing of the paralytic, Jesus sees a tax collector, named Levi, sitting in his tax booth.  We have established how hated tax collectors were.  Their connection to Rome and the ease with which they could get away with corruption, made them hated among the Jewish people.  But Jesus did not look at them that way.  He not only called one of them to follow him, but then he went and partied with them. Darrell Bock points out that Jesus goes out of the way to reach out to the rejected. (Bock, 493) Bock also points out that Jesus chose Levi knowing that it would create a controversy, as it challenges the cultural norm.  Certainly the Pharisees were not going to see this man as a potential object of God’s mercy. (Bock, 493) 

Levi chooses to leave his vocation behind and follow Jesus, then gathers all of his friends, most of whom were other tax collectors. He takes his call to follow seriously and begins outreach, immediately.  He has a big party and invites all of his friends, using his home and his money to introduce them to Jesus.  

The Pharisees and teachers, having, perhaps, witnessed the healing of the paralytic, are still around to, now, see Jesus eat with the tax collectors. The Pharisees complain to Jesus’ disciples, asking why Jesus would hang out with such a crowd. It is unlikely that they would actually attend such a gathering. Their complaint is not just associating with the sinners, but fellowshipping with them as well. In the view of the Pharisee, Jesus is reclining at the table with those with whom he should respectfully decline fellowship. (Bock, 496-497)

They do not address the question to Jesus, but he responds to it anyway.  Jesus makes a statement that seems obvious.  Healthy people don’t need doctors.  Sick people do.  He is making a comparison.  Pharisees and teachers of the law do not see their need for Jesus, a spiritual doctor.  They assume that they are healthy, and have no need of repentance. They are not seeking Jesus, and in fact have been looking for reasons to criticize Jesus. On the other side are those that are identified as 'sinners.' Jesus is giving them his attention, as they do recognize their need for him.  

Jesus finishes the thought in verse 32 by saying, " I have not come to call the righteous to repentance, but the sinners.” Jesus wasn't just hanging out with 'sinners.'  He was calling them to repentance.  Truth be told, however, he was constantly calling the Pharisees and teachers of the law to repentance as well.  He called them to repent of their self-righteous attitude and their legalistic interpretation of the law.  In their pride they didn't see it.  The 'sinners' weren't the only sinners there that day. 

Tom 

Son of Man

 Hello everyone.

Today, I'm to stay in Luke 5:17-26, the story of Jesus healing the paralytic, because I want to look at one thing that Jesus says.  Jesus says in verse 24, "But so that you can know that while on the Earth, the Son of Man has the authority to forgive sins.." and then heals the man. Darrell Bock states that this is the first of twenty-five that this title is used for Jesus in the Gospel of Luke. (Bock, 486.) So it obvious that Jesus refers to himself by this title quite ofte in the Gospels. But what does it mean? And what it mean to his audience at the time?

Now, I am going to lay out some Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic on you. I will admit that I am not an expert on any of these languages. While I am confident in my handling of the Greek, I am less so, in handling the other two. But, in spite of my limitations, I think that we can still learn something good from a little look at these languages.

In the Greek the title is Ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου (Ho huios tou anthropou). The Son of Man. This phrase is used numerous time in the Old Testament, so you can be sure that Jesus' audience was familiar with it. Most of the uses of the phrase come out of Ezekiel, where God calls Ezekiel בן–אדם (Ben-Adam) Son of Man. It is likely, though, that Jesus was making reference it use in Daniel 7: 13-14. This section of Daniel was written in Aramaic and uses the phrase בר אנש (Bar Anash) Son of Man. Now, according to A Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament, Bar means 'Son' and Anash means 'mankind.' Jesus is essentially calling himself, The Son of Humanity.

Now, while Luke wrote this in Greek, most Bible scholars agree that Jesus and his contemporaries typically spoke in Aramiaic, not Hebrew. So when Jesus called himself, The Son of Man, he probably said, 'Bar Anash', not 'Ben-Adam.' His audience likely immediately caught this reference to Daniel 7:13-14. So what does Daniel 7 say?

Daniel 7:13-14. “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.

So, who is the Ancient of Days? Obviously this is a reference to God, because of His eternal nature.  Do you notice what the Ancient of Days gives the Son of Man (the Bar Anash)? He gives him 1) authority, 2) glory, 3) soveriegn power and 4) an everlasting dominion that will not pass away.  So when Jesus calls himself The Son of Man, he is saying a lot more that 'I am a human being.'  He is telling his audience that he, the Bar Anash, has authority and sovereign power. Power, even to forgive sins. The learned Pharisees and teachers of the law had to catch the significance of how Jesus just referred to himself, but since the paralyzed man got up and walked away, what could they do?  Jesus had just displayed incredible power, and witnesses of the miracle glorified God because of it. Jesus was looking like the Son of Man, the Bar Anash, that he was claiming to be.  The witnesses had a choice to make.  Were they going to buy into it or not? We, of course, have the same decision to make.  Will we believe in this Son of Man, who has all authority and power, and therefore give him glory?

Tom 

    Bock, Darrell. Luke: Volume 1 - 1:1-9:50. Grand Rapids, Michigan, Baker Academic. 1994. 

The Paralytic

Hey everyone.

Today, I contine looking at Jesus, the Savior, in Luke 5:17-26.  This is the story of Jesus healing the paralytic.  Jesus drew crowds, and people were coming from far away to hear his teaching and to see him perform miracles. Verse 17 says that they had come from all over Galilee, but also from Judea and Jerusalem for this.  People were crowded around just like they had been by the lake, when he called Peter and the others.  The men carrying the paralytic could not get to Jesus because of the crowd.  We also see that Jesus had come to the attention of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law. They are present for this miracle. 

The four mat-carriers recognized that they needed to get their friend in front of Jesus. The word ἐνώπιον is used here.  It means, ‘in front of, before, in the sight of, in the presence of.”  They recognized that the best thing for their friend was to get him in the presence of Jesus. (A thought: What do we do for our friends who are in need? The best thing we can do is to get them in the presence of Jesus.  Like the song, "My Jesus, He will fix it.” Jesus can fix it. But, how do we do that? Jesus is no longer here as a physical presence.  Instead, he lives in us as the Holy Spirit.  The best thing that we can do for our friends is to reflect Jesus, and in this way, to bring them in His presence.)

The mat-carriers displayed remarkable faith.  Unable to get their friend in front of Jesus, they go up onto the roof, break through the roof and lower him down to Jesus.  Their faith leads them to considerable action.  Jesus recognizes the faith of the four friends. The faith is exhibited by the friends, but the recipient of the two-fold blessing that comes is the paralytic. Jesus gives him even more than he could have hoped for.  Not only does he heal him, but also forgives him of his sin. 

Jesus forgives the man of his sins as he lays paralyzed on the mat.  He has not performed the miracle yet.  I would assume that Jesus knew that the Pharisees would respond exactly the way that they did, and this sets Jesus up for the miracle. Of course, what the Pharisees say would be true, if they were talking to anyone else.  No one has the power to forgive sin, except God alone.  What they did not understand, (and ultimately refused to recognize,) was that they were dealing with God, here. 

Blasphemy is a charge that was taken very seriously, and it was indeed the charge against Jesus that led to his crucifixion. Darrell Bock defines blasphemy this way: “an overt defilement of the divine name, that is, abusive speech or action directed toward God.” (Bock, 483.) Someone claiming to be God or to have God’s power, would be blasphemy, unless that person actually is God. Blasphemy carried with it a death sentence. 

Jesus’ claim to have the authority to forgive sin is a bold one, but one that he backs up with a demonstration of his power.  He knows that the Pharisees and teachers of the law are questioning his claim to forgive the man’s sins, so he asks them what would be easier to say, “Which is easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven’, or ‘Get up and walk’? Only one of these things could be proven at that particular moment.  No one could actually witness the forgiveness taking place, but they would be able to witness a paralyzed man getting up and walking away. Jesus, to prove his authority, even to forgive sins, heals the man right in front of them.  

Jesus’ action will force his audience to decide about him one way or the other.  Either he is from God or he isn’t.  Either he is God or he isn’t.  Claiming to have the power to forgive sin, a claim that only God can make, then backing it up with an impossible healing, makes a pretty good case. 

Here we are talking about Jesus' authority again.  He has shown that he has the authority over demons and disease. Now, we see that he even carries an authority that belongs only to God, the authority to forgive sins.  

The man is healed.  What does the healing mean? The healing must be from God, and therefore Jesus must be from God. That is the logic that follows.  The fact that the paralyzed man immediately obeyed, got up, picked up his mat and went home, lends credence to the idea that this Jesus might actually be able to forgive sins, too. 

The crowd is amazed by what they have just seen. Luke says ἔκστασις ἔλαβεν(ekstasis elaben). In my own translation, I translated this as ‘they were utterly amazed.’  But, it could be translated as "ecstasy takes hold of them."  People were blown away by what they had just witnessed. And then they glorified God. In Luke 5, we see  Jesus’ perform incredible  miracles that lead to profound amazement in the people and to God’s glory.   

Tom 

The Outcast

Hello everyone,

Some time after the miraculous catch of fish that I discussed in my previous post, Jesus comes across a man with leprosy.  Leprosy led to a person being ostracized by the community, due to the contagiousness of the disease, plus the disease was associated with ritual uncleanness. People had more than one reason to avoid a leper. Jesus did not allow either reason to keep him from showing this man compassion. 

The man fell down in front of Jesus and began begging Jesus to heal him.  He displays both humility and faith. He first humbled himself before Jesus, bowing down in front of Jesus. But, we also see the man’s faith by what he says to Jesus.  Leprosy did not have a cure, but he believed that Jesus could make him ‘clean.’  This statement implies healing, but also deals with the ritual uncleanness that kept the man outside of normal society.  

The man used the word ἐὰν θέλῃς, (ean thelays) which means ‘if you want’ or 'if you are willing.’  The man was placing this all in Jesus’ hands.  If Jesus desired for the man to be clean, he would be.  The good news for the man was that Jesus was willing.  And so he was healed. 

Jesus, always compassionate, even reaches out and touches man in order to heal him.  He didn't have to do that, but he did it anyway. The ostracized leper had to appreciate the touch of another human being. Darrell Bock points out the approachable nature of Jesus here. (Bock, 474)  Even the outcast can come to Jesus and be welcomed and even healed. 

Then, Jesus commanded this former leper to not tell anyone about the healing, but instead to go and show himself to the priest, to be declared ‘clean.’ According to Bock, the ritual to be declared ‘clean’ was an eight-day process that involved offering sacrifices.  (Bock, 476.) Jesus instructed the man to go see the priests in keeping with the law of Moses.  In reality, there was no need for this, since Jesus had made the man clean.  He was clean.  However, we see Jesus, with this action, upholding the law.  

It is likely that Jesus told the man to remain silent about the healing to prevent undue popular excitement over Jesus' miraculous work. (Bock, 476)  It didn’t work.  News about Jesus and his miraculous healing power spread rapidly and large crowds of people would gather to hear him teach and to be healed.  Obviously, Jesus is not in Jerusalem here, he is in Galilee.  Later, after his death and resurrection, were these people open to the message of the Gospel, due to what Jesus had done here?  Was he planting seed for his future church?

This section ends in verse 16, mentioning that Jesus would often go away to desolate places to pray. Jesus talked to the crowds and offered them healing, but there were times when he needed to get away from them and be alone with God.  He sought out solitary places in order to pray.  Solitude and time alone with God as necessary.

Tom 

    Darrell Bock, Luke, Volume 1 - 1:1-9:50, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Baker Academic, 1994. 

The Catch and The Call

Hello everyone,

We are now ready to jump into Luke 5. We will look at Luke 5:1-11. This section of Scripture includes the miraculous catch of fish and the call of Simon Peter to follow Jesus. 

Jesus in now becoming very popular and people were crowding around him and pressing upon him in an attempt to hear him speak.  Jesus gets into a nearby boat and sets out a short distance from the shore.  He sits in the boat and begins to teach the crowds. That boat happened to belong to Simon Peter.  Jesus and Simon were at least acquaintances by this point, as Jesus has been to his house to heal his mother-in-law. 

It appears that Jesus is looking for a way to get away from the crowd that is pressing in on him so that he can effectively teach.  It’s a great idea, as the crowd has to remain on the shore and listen to the message.  

Darrell Bock puts out the idea that Jesus goes out of his way to include Simon Peter in this plan. (Bock, 454) It’s possible. After he finishes teaching the crowds, Jesus initiates a miracle.  He, a carpenter and teacher, directs the fishermen on where to fish. Peter and the others had been working hard all night and had very little to show for it.  When Jesus directs Peter to go back out into the deep water and put out his nets again, Peter is respectful, calling Jesus ‘Master.’ And he does do as Jesus requests.  However, Peter does seem a little skeptical.  Peter, not Jesus, is the expert on fishing.  Jesus’ request would be more back-breaking labor at the wrong time of day. So Peter is exhibiting some faith here. Otherwise, he would have refused. 

According to Bock there is debate as to the nature of this miracle.  (Bock, 457) Did Jesus have miraculous knowledge of where the fish were? Did Jesus, through his own will power, summon the fish into the nets?  I would not take a side in the debate, because I don’t think it matters.  Either way, it is a great miracle. The catch is so enormous that the nets begin to break.  They call over the other boat for help, and soon both are so full of fish that they begin to sink. 

Bock, in describing this miracle, uses the word guidance alot.  Jesus has guided the fishermen to the right spot for fishing.  He knows their job, even better than they do.  He understands their needs, and our needs, even better than we do.  He is one who will guide us through the difficult times. Bock says, “Even in the chaos and strain that following God often means, there will be opportunity if one depends on Him.” (Bock, 458)  Certainly listening to Jesus on this particular day paid off well for Peter and his associates.  Listening and obeying Jesus will pay off for us too, even when we don't understand it. 

Simon Peter responds immediately to the miracle, recognizing his own unworthiness.  Bock says, “In the presence of God’s agent, the chaos becomes secondary to sorting out where he stands with the one who has made himself known." (Bock, 458) Bock is right.  Peter is so blown away by what he had just witnessed, that he falls down in front of Jesus, understanding himself to be in the presence of God’s greatness. Peter recognizes that he is a sinner and completely unworthy.  The truth is that it is those kinds of confessions that lead us to being accepted by God.  We must recognize our own unworthiness. 

Peter also correctly identifies Jesus as Lord. He had called him Ἐπιστάτα (Epistata) or master before. Now he calls him Κύριε, (Kyriay) or Lord. Bock states that the word Ἐπιστάτα can be used in the place of rabbi, or teacher, by that rabbi’s disciples. (456).  So Peter is upping the game a little bit, here.  Jesus is no longer just his teacher, now, he is his lord. 

Peter’s response ultimately leads to a call to service.  Peter’s humility is what God is looking for.  That kind of openness can allow Jesus to transform us.  And Peter is not the only one who is amazed by the catch.  Everyone else is too.  He is also not the only one that Jesus calls to follow that day.  Luke specifically identifies James and John here.  They are identified as Peter business partners. They are also amazed and they also follow.

In his call to follow, Jesus uses what has just happened and turns it around.  They would no longer catch fish that would in turn die, and be eaten.  Now they would catch people, who would in turn come to know God and live. The boats return to shore and these new disciples leave it all behind to follow Jesus.

Tom

The Authority and the Compassion

 Hey everyone.

In this post, we will wrap up Luke 4.  If you remember Jesus has just shown his authority and power in the synagogue, casting out a demon and commanding him to be quiet.  From the synagogue, Jesus goes to house where Simon's mother-in-law lives, where we see him showing more of this power and authoroty. 

Simon's mother-in-law was sick with a fever, and the text tells us that Jesus went to see about her.  We see Jesus’ compassion, checking in on someone who is ill.  It is impossible to know the depth of their relationship.  This is early in his ministry, and we don’t know how close Jesus and Peter have become at this point.  She may be little more than an acquaintance, a friend of a friend. 

Again, in the last section of scripture, we see that Jesus has authority over demons.  This time we Jesus exercising his authority over fevers: perhaps a virus or a bacteria, something unknown to medicine at the time.  Jesus has power over those things.  He rebukes the fever and it comes out of her.  She responds to the healing that she gets up and starts serving them.  No lingering effects of the fever.  She makes an immediate and full recovery.  

Luke uses the same word Ἐπετίμησεν (epetimasen), to describe Jesus treatment of the demon and the fever.  It translates as rebuke.  He rebuked demons and fevers. Word gets around about Jesus, and suddenly everyone in need of some kind of healing comes to the house and Jesus heals them. Jesus did nothing like this in Nazareth because they so completely rejected him. Luke specifically mentions that Jesus lays his hands on each one.  He takes the time to address each person and meet their needs. Demons continue to identify Jesus as the son of God, and Jesus continues to stop their testimony. He does not want it. In Jesus we see clearly a man of tremendous authority, but his authority is matched by his compassion.  He genuinely cares about people.  (Having all authority and great compassion is a terrific combination for a Savior.)

The next day, Jesus gets up early in the morning to go off to a secluded place . Mark mentions that Jesus goes off alone to pray. (Mark 1:35)  Luke omits that detail, simply stating that he went off to a secluded place.  Jesus seeks some time alone for his own walk with his Father.  We would do well to imitate this pattern of seclusion and prayer, walking with God.  Jesus does not get this alone time for very long, as the people diligently search for him.  When they do, they beg him to stay there with him, a stark contrast from his hometown.  He leaves them however, stating that he had been sent to preach the good news all over Judea. His words are, “It is necessary for me to proclaim the good news of the kingdom.” His kingdom is “good news." An awesome savior of authority and compassion wants eachof us to be a part of it, and that is indeed good news. 

Tom