Luke 5

Luke 5 is the fifth chapter of the Gospel of Luke in the New Testament of the Christian Bible, traditionally attributed to Luke the Evangelist, a companion of Paul the Apostle on his missionary journeys. The chapter relates the recruitment of Jesus' first disciples and continues to describe Jesus' teaching and healing ministry. Early criticism from the Jewish religious authorities is encountered as the chapter progresses.

The original text was written in Koine Greek. This chapter is divided into 39 verses.

Jesus encounters a leper who falls on his face, beseeching him directly, "Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean" (verse 12b). Jesus touches him an unusual gesture, as lepers were quarantined according to the Jewish Law (Leviticus 13 14) and heals him: "be thou clean". Healing occurs in an instant. Jesus asks him to present himself to the priest. This will provide an official confirmation of the healing and, along with an offering, comply with the Law, "just as Moses commanded" (verse 14).

Jesus is now followed by many who listen to him and want to be healed. Luke comments that he often retreated into the wilderness to pray. Jesus' habit of spending time in prayer is mentioned several times in Luke: 3:21, here, 6:12, 9:18, 9:29, and 22:41.

Jesus is teaching in a house with Pharisees and teachers of the Law in attendance. Luke points out that the members of the religious authorities come from Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. There is a paralyzed man and his friends bring him to Jesus, by lowering him from above through the roof of the house. When Jesus sees the faith of his friends, he declares that his sins are forgiven. In the eyes of the religious authorities, Jesus' act of forgiveness represents blasphemy. He knows their thoughts and challenges them: which is easier, to forgive sins or to heal? (Anybody can say he forgives sins.) Jesus then commands the man to get up, take his mat, and go home. Jesus' instantaneous healing proves his authority to forgive sins. The people praise God, but with the seemingly silent presence of the religious authorities Luke has started to set the stage for the growing conflict. This story is also related in Mark 2. In John 5, Jesus also heals a paralyzed man (at the pool of Bethesda), which brings him into conflict with the religious authorities, because the healing takes place on the Sabbath.

Jesus calls on Levi, a tax collector, to follow him. Levi does so immediately. Later he arranges for a big feast for Jesus with other tax collectors are in attendance. Pharisees and some teachers of the law complain that Jesus is feasting with tax collectors and other outcasts. Tax collectors are despised as they collaborate with the Romans and tend to enrich themselves. Jesus' answer is that people who are healthy do not need a doctor, he has come to help those who need to repent. This event is also related in Mark 2:13 17 (NKJV) and in Matthew 9:9 13 (NKJV) (where the tax collector is called Matthew).

Criticism arises about the conduct of Jesus' disciples, their lack of fasting and praying in contrast to the disciples of John the Baptist and those of the Pharisees, they eat and drink instead. In reply, Jesus likens himself to a bridegroom and his disciples to guests of the wedding feast. Now, while he is still with them, is the time to celebrate, but he also, for the first time in his ministry, points to his death. Fasting will be appropriate when he has departed: in Acts 13:2 3 (NKJV) "we are told that they did fast".

The response to the criticism about fasting is immediately followed by a double parable. Jesus compares "old" and "new": firstly, a new patch of garment is not fit for an old garment, and secondly, new wine is not fit for old wineskins. The reasons are clear: tearing a new piece of clothing to fix an old clothing would destroy the new one and may not fit, and using old wineskins that have already been stretched by use may not accommodate new wine that will expand the old wineskin beyond its limits during fermentation: they burst and all is lost. The parable is also recounted in and , but only Luke uses the term παραβολὴν, (parabolēn, a parable) in his account. A traditional interpretation of the double parable is that Jesus' new teaching cannot be accommodated by the old patterns of thought: His ministry differs from the Jewish tradition. This interpretation of the incompatibility of the "New" and the "Old" may date back to Marcion and has also been used as an argument by later reformers within the Church.

And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately desires new; for he says, 'The old is better'. Jesus proceeds to declare that old wine is usually preferred to new wine"the old [wine] is better"a comment not found in the other two synoptic gospels.