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Luke Chapter
Five
I.
Content of the Chapter
The Son of Man the Savior Called the
Disciples and Continued His Work
I. He called the first disciples by the
II. He cleansed the
leper (v.12-16).
III. He healed the
man who was paralyzed (v.17-26).
IV. He called Levi
the tax collector (v.27-32).
V. Concerning the
fasting and the parable of the contradiction between the newness and the
oldness (v.33-39).
II.
Verse by Verse commentary
Luke. 5:1 “So it was, as the
multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the
YLT: “And it came to
pass, in the multitude pressing on him to hear the word of God, that he was
standing beside the
Literal Meaning: “He stood by the
Luke. 5:2 “and saw two boats
standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing
their nets.”
YLT: “and he saw two
boats standing beside the lake, and the fishers, having gone away from them,
were washing the nets,”
Literal Meaning: “were washing their
nets” every time when the fishermen have finished their work, they would wash
the nets and make them smooth for the use of the next time.
Luke. 5:3 “Then He got into one of
the boats, which was Simon's, and asked him to put out a little from the land.
And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat.”
YLT: “and having entered
into one of the boats, that was Simon’s, he asked him to put back a little from
the land, and having sat down, was teaching the multitudes out of the boat.”
Literal Meaning: “one of the boats,
which was Simon’s” before this time, Simon (Peter) was brought to the Lord by
his brother Andrew (John. 1:40-42) and afterward he returned to fish.
“Sat down” It was the common posture for
teachers to teach men at that time (See 4:20).
“He taught the multitudes from the
boat.” There weren’t sails on the boats in the
Luke. 5:4 “When He had stopped
speaking, He said to Simon, ‘Launch out into the deep
and let down your nets for a catch.’”
YLT: “And when he left
off speaking, he said unto Simon, ‘Put back to the deep, and let down your nets
for a draught;’”
Spiritual Meaning: “Launch out into the
deep and let down your nets for a catch.” This symbolizes that one receives to
be dealt with more deeply by the death of the cross and in this way one will
see and experience the fullness of Christ (See v.6).
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) This verse tells us a spiritual principle:
concerning the spiritual pursuit (e.g. prayer, reading the Bible), we have to
make the great effort and then we could gain abundantly.
2) Only when we are in the dept of the spirit we
will gain and experience the presence of the Lord and therefore we will know
more about His fullness.
Luke. 5:5 “But Simon answered and
said to Him, ‘Master, we have toiled all
night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.’”
YLT: “and Simon answering
said to him, ‘Master, through the whole night, having laboured, we have taken
nothing, but at thy saying I will let down the net.’”
Literal
Meaning: “nevertheless at
Your word” he still doubted
about this and reluctantly obeyed the word of the
Lord Jesus with the attitude of having a try.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Men have to depart from their old
experience------“we have toiled all night and caught nothing” and base on the
fresh revelation of the Lord------“nevertheless at Your words” and then we will
see and experience the fullness of Christ.
2) While we are in difficulties, we should also
rely on the word of the Lord and walk by faith and then we will see the Lord
make room for us.
3) If we serve the
Lord by our own wisdom and strength, it will be in vain. The key to serve the
Lord effectively lines in trusting and obeying the word of the Lord.
Luke. 5:6 “And when they had done
this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking.”
YLT: “And having done
this, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes, and their net was breaking,”
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The Lord’s blessing is more than sufficient. His
blessing is so abundant that we do not have enough capacity to hold, however,
we never work in vain.
2) Believers should wash the nets (See v.2) and
mend the nets (Matt. 4:21), lest we could not hold the Lord’s blessing.
Luke. 5:7 “So they signaled to their
partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both
the boats, so that they began to sink.”
YLT: “and they beckoned
to the partners, who [are] in the other boat, having come, to help them; and
they came, and filled both the boats, so that they were sinking.”
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) We gain more fishes by net than by
fishhook------spreading the glad tidings corporately is more effective than
spreading the glad tidings individually. And the most important thing in
spreading the glad tidings corporately is the help to each other among
companions.
2) The Lord does exceeding abundantly above all
that we ask (See Eph. 3:20).
Luke. 5:8 “When Simon Peter saw it,
he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, ‘Depart from me, for I am a
sinful man, O Lord!’”
YLT: “And Simon Peter
having seen, fell down at the knees of Jesus, saying, ‘Depart from me, because
I am a sinful man, O lord;’”
Literal Meaning: “Depart from me, for
I am a sinful man, O Lord!” Peter called Him “master” before he let down the
net (See v.5) and now he knew that He was the Lord because he had saw the sign
and then he corrected himself and called Jesus “O Lord”. Anyone who knows that
Jesus is the Lord must feel that he himself is a sinful man.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Under the enlightenment of God, men will see
their sins, dirtiness and unworthiness (See Is. 6:5).
2) If men see the fullness of Christ, they will
certainly see their own corruption. Therefore it is not the negative dealing
with oneself but the positive knowledge of Christ that helps men to depart from
sins.
3) The more we know the Lord, the more corruptive
we will find that we are. If we fell that we are pretty good, it proves that we
lack in the knowledge of the Lord.
Luke. 5:9 “For he and all who were
with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken;”
YLT: “for astonishment
seized him, and all those with him, at the draught of the fishes that they
took,”
Meaning of Words: “astonished”:
wonder.
Luke. 5:10 “and so also were James
and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to
Simon, ‘Do not be afraid. From now
on you will catch men.’”
YLT: “and in like manner
also James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon; and Jesus
said unto Simon, `Fear not, henceforth thou shalt be catching men;’”
Literal Meaning: “who were partners
with Simon” indicate partakers in business.
Peter had already followed the Lord
Jesus (See John. 1:40-42) and he returned to make a living by fishing. Now the
Lord called them for the second time and asked them to drop their careers and do
the ministry to “catch men”. “Catching men” indicates to bring men into the
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) What men want is to “catch fish”------earthly
wealth, however, what God wants is to “catch men”------those to whom God shows
His grace. Those who follow the Lord have to give up fishes in order to catch
men for the Lord and let themselves first be caught by the Lord.
2) This was the second time that the Lord called
them. The Lord called them for the first time to save them (John. 1:35-42). The
Lord called them for the second time to make them catch men. One is saved first
and then he could catch men.
3) One has to know the fullness of Christ first and
then he may be enstructed by the Lord------to “catch men”; and what one has
been enstructed is the knowledge that he has gained------“fishers of men” (See
Matt. 4:19).
4) Peter asked the Lord to depart from him because
he saw his own dirtiness (See v.8). However, the Lord called him to follow Him.
This shows that those who are truly called by the Lord all fell that they are
unworthy to follow the Lord.
5) When Peter was called to be a fisher of men, he
was doing the daily work as a fisherman. When we are waiting for the specific
guidance of the Lord, we should not be slothful or idle. We should work as
usual and spare no effort and then we will be acceptable to the Lord.
Luke. 5:11 “So when they had brought
their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.”
YLT: “and they, having
brought the boats upon the land, having left all, did follow him.”
Literal Meaning: “followed Him” means
to become His disciples. In the ancient times, the rabbi received disciples and
taught them doctrines. Wherever the rabbi went, his disciples would follow him
and live with him to learn from his words and deeds.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) If men see the full Christ, they will certainly
forsake all and follow Him. The reason why men forsook all and followed the
Lord immediately does not lie in anyone’s advocacy but the attraction of the
glory of the Lord (John. 12:32).
2) Draw me, we will run after Him (Song. 1:4).
3) One has to forsake something to follow the Lord.
Everyone that is unwilling to forsake something for the Lord is unworthy of the
Lord’s disciples. Everyone that is willing to follow the Lord has to pay “the
price as a disciple” for the Lord willingly.
4) A Christian should have absolute attitude to
follow the Lord at any price. But only when the Lord calls us personally could
we follow Him at any price.
5) If the Lord indeed calls us, we won’t keep the
status (boat) and relation (family members) in the past any more.
6) Those who do not know the Lord reject Him and
those who know the Lord are unable to reject Him------if we truly know the
preciousness of the Lord, everything in the world will lose its thriving color.
7) Peter and his partners forsook all and followed
the Lord when they caught the most fishes in their life and were most
successful. We should not wait until we are defeated and frustrated to turn to
the Lord.
Luke. 5:12 “And it happened when He
was in a certain city, that behold, a man who was full of leprosy saw Jesus;
and he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, ‘Lord,
if You are willing, You can make me clean.’”
YLT: “And it came to
pass, in his being in one of the cities, that lo, a man full of leprosy, and
having seen Jesus, having fallen on [his] face, he besought him, saying, `Sir,
if thou mayest will, thou art able to cleanse me;’”
Literal Meaning: “a man who was full
of leprosy” “full of leprosy” is the medical term and it indicates the degree
of the spreading of the disease. Only Luke described this in the four Gospels.
“And he fell on his face” This humble
action shows that he knew the authority of the Lord.
“Lord, if You are willing, You can make me
clean.” This sentence shows that on one hand he knew his corruption and he
needed healing, on the other he knew the power of the Lord who was able to heal
him.
Spiritual Meaning: “a man who was full
of leprosy” According to the cases recorded in the Old Testament of the Bible,
“leperosy” is related to the disobedience of the authority and commandments
(see Num. 12:1-10, 2Kings. 5:9-14), therefore a leper is the type of the
disobedient people, i.e. the people of Israel (Rom. 10:21).
In the Bible, “leprosy” is the type of
men’s unclean sins: 1) Leprosy starts from the inner part, symbolizing that sin
is of men’s nature. 2) Leprosy is difficult to be healed, symbolizing that sin
is difficult to be removed. 3) Leprosy is contagious, symbolizing that sin is
contagious. 4) Leprosy makes men rot and stink to death, symbolizing the
dirtiness of sin and the dreadful and miserable end of sin.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Men’s flesh and nature, full of dirties of sins,
always offend God. We are “lepers” in God’s eyes.
2) The conditions for sinners to be healed are: a)
One has to admit his corruption and helplessness. b) One has to come and
worship the Lord and confess his sins. c) One has to trust in the Lord’s power
of healing. d) One has to implore the Lord.
3) We have to come down from our own thrones and
come to the Lord with humble hearts (“fell on his face and implored Him”) and then we will experience His power.
4) Many times we trust the Lord’s almightiness and
we dare not trust His willingness. Believers should trust both His power and
love.
5) The Lord’s “can” is the matter of His power. The
Lord’s “willingness” is the matter of His will. The Lord’s power is dominated
by His will.
Luke. 5:13 “Then He put out His hand
and touched him, saying, ‘I am willing; be cleansed.’ Immediately the leprosy left him.”
YLT: “and having
stretched forth [his] hand, he touched him, having said, ‘I will; be thou
cleansed;’ and immediately the leprosy went away from him.”
Literal
Meaning: “He put out His hand
and touched him.” Usually, men do not touch lepers lest they may be infected
with uncleanness. However the Lord Jesus acted in a diametrically opposite way
and brought cleanness to the one who was touched.
“I am willing” This sentence shows that not
only the Lord has the power to heal the wicked but also His heart was
“willing”.
Spiritual Meaning: “He put out His hand
and touched him.” The Lord’s touching him was the physical contact. It
symbolizes that the Lord came into the Jews by incarnation. He was the one that
the Jews had heard, had seen with their eyes, contemplated and their hands
handled (1John. 1:1).
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The Lord could use a word to heal the leper
originally, however, He “put out His hand and touched him”. This expresses the
love of the Lord. The Lord is able to sympathize with our infirmities (Heb.
4:15). He likes to feel our feelings and sympathize with us.
2) “Touch” symbolizes the union in the Bible. The
Lord, the heavenly doctor, heals us from our inner parts through the
unification with us.
3) The Lord Jesus not only “can” (See Mark. 9:23)
heal the wicked but also “was willing to” heal the wicked. If He is unwilling
to heal us, His “power” is of no benefit to us. However, He has “the power” and
“the willingness of heart”.
4) The Lord said “I am willing”. Sinners are in the
heart of the Lord. He feels the feelings of sinners and feels sinners’
sufferings as if it were received in person.
5) The Lord not only said that He was willing, He
but also put out His hand and touched Him, showing His complete willingness. If
a man has not received the salvation of the Lord, it is not due to the
unwillingness of the Lord. It is that he, who is of little faith, is unwilling
to come to the Lord.
6) “Be cleansed” The word of the Lord is with
authority. Once the word is spoken by the Lord, it will take effect.
7) Most of works of the Lord are done by His words.
If we want to work with the Lord, at first we have to have His words.
Luke. 5:14 “And He charged him to
tell no one, ‘But go and show yourself to
the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as a testimony to them,
just as Moses commanded.’”
YLT: “And he charged him
to tell no one, `But, having gone away, shew thyself to the priest, and bring
near for thy cleansing according as Moses directed, for a testimony to them;’”
The
Background: according to the law
of the Old Testament, when a leper was healed, he would be looked by the
priest. After the priest had pronounced him clean, he would be able to make an
offering to the Lord. After he had made an offering to the Lord and borne
witness before the folk, this would become a fact which was unable to be
overthrown (Lev. 14:2-20).
Literal
Meaning: “He charged him to
tell no one” Because the Lord knew what was in men (John. 2:25) and He did not
want men to follow Him with evil motives.
“But go and show yourself to the priest…,
and make an offering for your cleansing, just as Moses commanded” Because that
time was a transitional period and they had not entered into the time of grace
(the Lord had not been crucified to fulfill the redemption). Therefore the
Jewish believers still walked according to the regulations of the law of the
Old Testament.
“As a testimony to them” It proves that the
leper was completely healed and he was able to contact with others normally.
Spiritual Meaning: “make an offering
for your cleansing” The gift was the type of Christ. He Himself is the proof
for a sinner to be acceptable to God (See Heb. 9:9, 14, 24-28).
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) A heavenly man does not like to show off (“He
charged him to tell no one”) and likes to cover himself.
2) The Lord did not disregard the righteousness of
the law at all (Matt. 3:15). Believers should not disregard to give just and
lawful testimony before men (“as a testimony to them”) in excuse of being of
spirit.
3) After we were saved, we have to continually
offer Christ and manifest Christ as to please God.
4) After an infamous sinner has been saved, if he
did not show his testimony of repentance before all, his testimony is of no
effect.
Luke. 5:15 “However, the report went
around concerning Him all the more; and great multitudes came together to hear,
and to be healed by Him of their infirmities.”
YLT: “but the more was
the report going abroad concerning him, and great multitudes were coming
together to hear, and to be healed by him of their infirmities,”
Meaning of Words: “went around”:
spread; “come together”: accompany, travel together.
Luke. 5:16 “So He Himself often
withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.”
YLT: “and he was
withdrawing himself in the desert places and was praying.”
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) When many people gathered together to hear the
word of the Lord and hoped to be healed by Him, the Lord withdrew into the
wilderness and prayed. This shows that the Lord’s life was well-balanced: on
one hand He lived before men to help others and on the other He lived before
God with prayer.
2) In our life, on one hand we should also learn to
take care of others and serve others and on the other we should pray frequently
and have communion with the Lord.
Luke. 5:17 “Now it happened on a
certain day, as He was teaching, that there were Pharisees and teachers of the
law sitting by, who had come out of every town of
YLT: “And it came to
pass, on one of the days, that he was teaching, and there were sitting by
Pharisees and teachers of the Law, who were come out of every
The
Background: “Pharisees and
teachers of the law” “the Pharisees” were of the strictest sect in Judaism.
They boasted that they lived a holy life, feared God and had the abundant
knowledge of the Bible. “Teachers of the law” was another name of the scribes
(See v.21) and they were those who had the authority to explain the Bible and
teach men according to the Bible. Most of the scribes were the Pharisees,
however, not all the scribes were the Pharisees.
Luke. 5:18 “Then behold, men brought
on a bed a man who was paralyzed, whom they sought to bring in and lay before
Him.”
YLT: “And lo, men bearing
upon a couch a man, who hath been struck with palsy, and they were seeking to
bring him in, and to place before him,”
Meaning of Words: “bring”: carry, bear
and move.
Literal
Meaning: “a man who was
paralyzed” indicates a man whose four limbs were paralyzed and therefore he
could not walk freely.
Spiritual Meaning: “a man who was
paralyzed” knew how to walk and he was unable to walk. Therefore this
symbolizes men’s state in religion that “they are unable to do what they hope
to do”.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) We should always pray for weak believers (“a man
who was paralyzed”) and bring them to the Lord through intercessions.
Intercessions of faith will be assuredly answered by Him.
2) What men value is the healing of body and what
the Lord values is the healing of soul. We should look at souls more than
bodies and look at the things that are eternal more than the things that are
temporal (2Cor. 4:16-18).
3) When preaching glad tidings, we may use various
kinds of vehicles (such as taxis and private cars) to bring friends who would
like to hear the glad tidings to the Lord (they brought a man who was
paralyzed) so that they could enjoy the benefit of the glad tidings.
4) Men are taught to do that what is good in
religion. The religion is full of doctrines and it lacks the motive power to
put them into practice (what the paralytic one stands for). In religion
everything is paralytic and everyone is unable to walk because religion lacks
life and energy.
Luke. 5:19 “And when they could not
find how they might bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the
housetop and let him down with his bed through the tiling into the midst before
Jesus.”
YLT: “and not having
found by what way they may bring him in because of the multitude, having gone
up on the house-top, through the tiles they let him down, with the little
couch, into the midst before Jesus,”
Meaning of Words: “bed”: stretcher,
mattress;
The
Background: “they went up on the
housetop and let him down with his bed through the tiling into the midst before
Jesus.” This is the typical
Palestinian house. Its housetop was flat,
and men could climb it up there from the outside stairs. Mats braided by
branches sustained the flat in rows on the wooden beams. And there was a thick
layer of clay covering upon the flat and the layer of clay was rolled over by
stone wheels. Such kind of housetop could be uncovered easily.
Spiritual Meaning: “bed” is used to
have rest for the man who was paralyzed and it symbolizes rest. This shows that
people in religion only have the appearance of rest but lack the reality of
rest.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) When a man feels that he needs the Lord Jesus
and draws near to the Lord, he may be blocked by those who seem to be close to
the Lord. However, we shall not be frustrated because of men’s obstruction and
we should have the determination which surpasses obstacles and rises above all
difficulties.
2) If we want to receive the grace of the Lord, we
shall not fear hardships but pursue so that we will be remembered by the Lord.
3) They surpassed the encirclement of the crowd and
let down the
bed on which the paralytic was lying
from the flat, indicating that they had transcended the large crowd around the
Lord------men’s organization, natural thoughts, traditional explanations for
the Holy Scriptures, rigid doings in ministry and etc.------in order to seek
the Lord and walked in the way “above”, namely, the transcending way and the
heavenly way. Therefore, they would surely obtain the grace.
4) Our prayer should break through the roof and reach
the throne in the heavens. Many believers’ prayers seem to be dispensable and
can not pass through the roof. It is no wander that such prayers have no
effect.
Luke. 5:20 “When He saw their faith,
He said to him, ‘Man, your sins are forgiven
you.’”
YLT: “and he having seen
their faith, said to him, ‘Man, thy sins have been forgiven thee.’”
Literal
Meaning: “their
faith”, it referred to the
faith of those who carried the paralytic and these may include the faith of the
paralytic himself. It also indicates that the faith of intercession was rather
efficacious.
“Your sins are forgiven you.” ---- It was the outward symptom that the
paralytic could not walk, but the sins in him were actually the real cause of
disease. The Lord here pointed out the matter of sins and exposed the real
cause of men’s disease with a single remark.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) “He saw their faith”. It shows that faith is visible.
2) “Their faith”, the faith of those
who brought the man who was
paralyzed was on one hand the
“corporate faith”
and on the other the “practical faith”.
3) When we are confronted with difficulties, it is
the exact time that our faith is demanded. The living faith can be seen by the
Lord and be praised by Him.
4) Sin is men’s essential difficulty. Although one who is bound
by sins has the will to do right, he has no strength to perform
right (See Rom. 7:18). Therefore the removal of sins is the very condition
for men to be healed.
5) Not all the disease is the consequence of sins (John. 9: 1-3), but it has such
possibility. Therefore when we are sick, we should come to
the Lord and ask Him whether we have done something against Him.
6) They prayed for
“being healed”, but the Lord’s answer was “forgiving the sins” as well as
“healing the disease” (See v.25). Although the Lord has not directly answered
our prayer, He knows what we really need.
7) The Lord firstly
forgave his sins and healed his disease afterwards. If we seek our disease to
be healed, we shall deal with our sins first (See
Luke. 5:21 “And the scribes and the
Pharisees began to reason, saying, ‘Who is this who speaks
blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?’”
YLT: “And the scribes and
the Pharisees began to reason, saying, ‘Who is this that doth speak evil words?
who is able to forgive sins, except God only?’”
Literal
Meaning: “Who is this who
speaks blasphemies?” The Jews held that nobody had the power of forgiving sins except God Himself.
“Blasphemies” means that someone speaks beyond his own role and usurps God’s unique
authority of forgiving sins.
Spiritual
Meaning: “the scribes and the
Pharisees” They stand for those who have knowledge and status in
the circle of religion. They only condemn others but they are ignorant that they themselves are in sins.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) We shall hear in humble and meek spirit. If a man hears in the spirit of resisting, opposing and carping at others, even though he hears the sermon of the Lord Jesus, he will still benefit nothing and suffer losses.
2) The scribes could not receive the words of the Lord for the sake of the old
conceptions in their hearts. Every time we come to the Lord, only if we empty
ourselves could we receive the new words of the Lord (See
1:53).
Luke. 5:22 “But when Jesus perceived
their thoughts, He answered and said to them, ‘Why
are you reasoning in your hearts?”
YLT: “And Jesus having
known their reasonings, answering, said unto them, `What reason ye in your
hearts?”
Literal
Meaning: “when Jesus
perceived their thoughts” The Lord is the one who searches reins and hearts (Rev. 2:23) and He
knows men’s thoughts in their hearts.
“Why are you reasoning in your hearts?”
means that “it should not be so that they are reasoning”. In the eyes of the
Lord, they should not hold the thoughts of unbelief and criticism towards the
Lord.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The spiritual discerns all things (1Cor.2:15). May the Lord grant the
spiritual insight.
2) The Lord does not look down upon our thoughts and therefore we should
ask the Lord to keep our thoughts
be acceptable to Him (Ps. 19:14).
Luke. 5:23 “Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, ‘Rise up and walk'?”
YLT: “which is easier to
say, Thy sins have been forgiven thee? or to say, Arise, and walk?”
Literal Meaning: the Lord here did not say that, “which is more
difficult?” because there is nothing too hard for Him (Jer. 32:17). “Forgiveness of sins” refers to the matter of
authority. “Rising up and walking” speaks of the
matter of power. The authority and power are both of Him (Rev. 12:10).
In the sight of men, “your sins are
forgiven you” was only a word out of mouth and nobody could see the effect of
this word. However, the effect of asking one to rise up and walk could be seen at once. Therefore the former
seems easier than the latter.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Men look at the outward result------“rising up
and walking”. The Lord looks at the spiritual reality------“your sins are
forgiven you”. We have to seek spiritual reality first and then seek the
outward result so that we will avoid the artificiality and hypocrisy. Moreover,
we shall also prove the inside reality by outward result, otherwise it will be
empty word only.
2) Rising up and walking are the matter of power,
and forgiveness of sins is a matter of authority. The authority is empty
without power. The power is lawless without authority.
3) Men’s difficulty is not how to “say” but
according to what to “say”. Words without spiritual authority will have no
spiritual power.
Luke. 5:24 “But that you may know
that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins’--He
said to the man who was paralyzed, ‘I say to you, arise, take
up your bed, and go to your house.’”
YLT: “`And that ye may
know that the Son of Man hath authority upon the earth to forgive sins (he said
to the one struck with palsy) I say to thee, Arise, and having taken up thy
little couch, be going on to thy house.’”
Literal Meaning: “but that you may
know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins” It means that the
Lord used the visible thing to let them understand the invisible thing.
“The
Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”, “the Son of Man”: the Lord Jesus, who called Himself the Son of Man, which
carried two meanings: a) He has the perfect humanity. b) He is the Messiah
that was predicted by Daniel the prophet (See Dan.7:13-14).
That the Lord forgave the paralytic was the matter
between Him and the person involved (the paralytic).
However the Lord here meant to show His authority of forgiving sins through the more difficult thing in men’s eyes------the paralytic’s being healed.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Men’s diseases are usually caused by disease in
their spirit. Many people get ill for they have sinned against God. Therefore
the problem of sins should be solved first and then the disease will be healed.
2) The man who was paralyzed was healed because his
sins were forgiven. And the sins are forgiven because of faith (v.20) instead
of works. It indicates that religion which stresses on works has no good before
God.
Luke. 5:25 “Immediately he rose up
before them, took up what he had been lying on, and departed to his own house,
glorifying God.”
YLT: “And presently
having risen before them, having taken up [that] on which he was lying, he went
away to his house, glorifying God,”
Literal
Meaning: “immediately he rose
up before them” That he rose up showed that he had been healed. His being
healed also proved that his sins were forgiven. Obviously, the
Lord Jesus has the authority to forgive sins (Acts. 5:31).
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The most important principle of the glad tidings is that remission of
sins is first and then the rising up and walking. It is not sinners come to the
Lord but the sinners walk out from the Lord. The Old Testament is to work and then live, and the New Testament is
to live and then work. The former is works and the latter is grace.
2) The man was
carried by others before and now arose and walked by himself. When we serve the
young believers in the assembly, we should serve them until they are able to
walk by themselves.
3) All that are
saved by the Lord have the power of controlling their desire (bed) and they
will have the experience of reigning in life instead of being slaves of flesh
(Rom. 5: 17).
4) It was the bed
that “held” him, and now he “carried” the bed. The Lord’s salvation of life
enables those who believe have the power out of them to do what they can not do
before.
5) The Lord asked
the paralytic to rise up and walk. Obviously, the Lord’s word is reliable. If
the seen is dependable, the unseen is dependable too.
6) The spiritual
thing on one hand seemed to be invisible by men’s eyes and be hard to touch by
men’s hands. However, it seems to be real in those who believe.
7) They had never
seen such things, for they had never seen God. If we often see God in our life,
we will always see what we have never seen.
Luke. 5:26 “And they were all amazed,
and they glorified God and were filled with fear, saying, ‘We have seen strange things today!’”
YLT: “and astonishment
took all, and they were glorifying God, and were filled with fear, saying ‘We
saw strange things to-day.’”
Meaning of Words: “were amazed”: fear
and astonish.
Luke. 5:27 “After these things He
went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax office. And He
said to him, ‘Follow Me.”
YLT: “And after these
things he went forth, and beheld a tax-gatherer, by name Levi, sitting at the
tax-office, and said to him, ‘Be following me;’”
Literal Meaning: “named Levi” He was also called Matthew (See
Matt. 9:9) and he used to collect
taxes for the Roman Government. The tax collectors as Matthew at that time on one
hand pressed their neighbors and on the other embezzled levies. Therefore the Jews loathed them
extremely and regarded them as sinners.
“Sitting at the tax office” “tax office” referred to the office in the street
where the taxes
were collected. Tax collectors usually sat
there and waited men to pay taxes.
“Follow
Me”. The Lord did not say “trust
me”, but “follow me”, for “trusting
the Lord” is included in following the Lord. Christian’s life is a life that follows the Lord.
Spiritual Meaning: “Sitting at the tax office” it symbolizes the time when he is committing sins or doing iniquities.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) It is not that we look for the Lord, but the
Lord comes to look for us. The Lord’s calling enables us to forsake sins and
follow Him.
2) The Lord even came to call a tax collector “who
was sitting at the tax office” ------the sinner who was committing sins,
indicating that the grace out of the fullness of Christ was not restricted by
men’s states.
3) If a man has not heard the Lord’s calling, he
cannot follow the Lord. The moment the Lord’s calling comes, men will obey
certainly. Levi did neither reason for himself and nor said that the account
had not been settled, but followed the Lord immediately. It was inconceivable
in the eyes of unbelievers.
4) If the Lord draws us, we will run after Him
(Song. 1:4).
5) The Lord asks us not only to trust Him but also
to follow Him. Following the Lord is to keep the will of God in the way of the
cross. Those who believe the Lord only but not follow the Lord do no good for
God.
6) Christians’ life is to “follow the Lord”.
Following the Lord is to partake in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of
the Lord (Rev. 1:9).
7) Levi gave up his leisurely career but found his
reliance. He gave up the respectable income but found honor. He gave up
comfortable security but received unexpected experience.
Luke. 5:28 “So he left all, rose up,
and followed Him.”
YLT: “and he, having left
all, having arisen, did follow him.”
Literal Meaning: this is the second
time in this chapter that Luke recorded the cases that “one forsook all and
followed the Lord” (See v.11). In the former time, Peter and others forsook all
because they saw the marvelous work. However, here Levi only heard the calling
of the Lord and left all and followed the Lord. This shows that his “leaving
all” was even greater than that of Peter and others.
Luke. 5:29 “Then Levi gave Him a
great feast in his own house. And there were a great number of tax collectors
and others who sat down with them.”
YLT: “And Levi made a
great entertainment to him in his house, and there was a great multitude of
tax-gatherers and others who were with them reclining (at meat),”
Literal Meaning: “Levi gave Him a
great feast” It shows that when Levi began to follow the Lord, he followed Him
openly instead of secretly.
“Who sat down with them” “sat down” shows that they
ate and were merry. To have dinner with others is the indication of friendship.
This
feast was held by Levi, through which he showed his homage towards the Lord. However other guests that he could invite at that time, except
for the
Lord and His disciples, were all sinners and tax collectors who used to keep in touch with him and were
also despised by the Jews.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The Lord is so close to us that we can sit with
Him together and share joy with each other (Song.1:12).
2) After we have believed the Lord, we should also
invite our relatives and friends to share our joy from the Lord with them.
3) Levi followed the Lord first (See v.28), and
then his friends and workmates “sat down with them”. As long as the one who has
believed the Lord has testimony in life, those who are around him will also be
influenced.
4) It is easy for a tax collector to bring other
tax collectors unto the Lord. Likewise, it is also easy for a sinner to bring
other sinners unto the Lord. When preaching the gospel, we should firstly start
from our friends and partners.
5) Many people followed the Lord with pain and unavoidably
and many followed the Lord in tears and with sign. However, Levi not only
followed the Lord willingly but also “gave Him a great feast” joyfully.
Luke. 5:30 “And their scribes and the
Pharisees complained against His disciples, saying, ‘Why
do You eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?’”
YLT: “and the scribes and
the Pharisees among them were murmuring at his disciples, saying, ‘Wherefore
with tax-gatherers and sinners do ye eat and drink?’”
Literal
Meaning: “Why do You eat and
drink with tax collectors and sinners?” “Sinners” were the special appellation
used by the Pharisees to call those who lived a life that was against the
rituals and regulations of the Pharisees. “The Pharisees”, with their traditional and religious
conceptions, held that God treated men with His righteousness so that all
those who were of God had to keep themselves clean and should not contact with sinners. However, the actions of the Lord Jesus were opposite to their
religious conceptions.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) The Pharisees measured the Lord with traditional
religious conceptions and could not keep up with the Lord’s actions. If we
always adhere obstinately to old conceptions of the Bible, we can not keep up
with the Lord’s new guidance.
2) Though men are unrighteous themselves, they like
God to treat others with righteousness. Men blame God to show grace to men for
they do not know God’s grace. Therefore the attitude of grace is criticized and
blamed by men.
3) “He ate and drunk with tax collectors and sinners”,
it indicated on one hand how humble the Lord was, and on the other how full His
salvation was! We are all sinners who have been bestowed grace.
4) Though the Lord contacted with sinners, the
Bible told us that He was separated from sinners (Heb. 7:26). Only He who has
been separated from sins is able to draw near to sinners.
Luke. 5:31 “Jesus answered and said
to them, ‘Those who are well have no
need of a physician, but those who are sick.”
YLT: “And Jesus answering
said unto them, ‘They who are well have no need of a physician, but they that
are ill:”
Literal Meaning: “Those who are well
have no need of a physician” In this sentence He did not agree that the
Pharisees were “well”, but He said that they did not think that they were sick.
The Lord reveals that He Himself is a
physician, showing that He treats
the world with an attitude of a physician to sick person
rather than that of a judge to sinners. In other words, He treats the world according to compassion and grace instead of righteousness
(Rom. 9:15).
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The Lord is our physician and He shall restore
our life to normal.
2) Unless the sick person admits that he is sick,
he will not receive the help of a physician. Unless a sinner confesses that he
is a sinner, he will not receive the Lord’s salvation. Those who think they are
“healthy” and “righteous” may not partake in the Lord’s salvation contrarily.
3) The common difficulty of the world lies in the
ignorance of their own conditions rather than the knowledge of the
Lord------those who do not know themselves believe that it is not essential
that whether they have the Lord or not. And those who know themselves hold that
the Lord is very precious.
4) If a man wants to be Christians, he shall
firstly confess he is a sick person and then may help others as a nurse.
5) In the sight of God, there is no difference
between those who have pious appearance but are full of selfishness and
jealousness inside as well as sinners and tax collectors.
6) The way that God saves men is to bring in the
law at first which makes men know that they themselves are sick (sinners) and
then bring in grace (the physician, i.e. the Lord Jesus) who makes men be
healed.
Luke. 5:32 “I have not come to call
the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.’”
YLT: “I came not to call
righteous men, but sinners, to reformation.’”
Literal
Meaning: “I have not come to
call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” In this sentence the Lord did
not agree that the Pharisees were “righteous” but that they held that they were
righteous. In fact, there is not a righteous one in the world, not even one
(Rom. 3:10). Therefore, if one sticks to the traditional conceptions of
religion and thinks himself righteous, he will lose the chance to obtain grace,
for God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble (1Pet. 5:5).
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Those who are self-righteous have never realized
that they need salvation, so such men can never be called by God, for it is
vain.
2) God has chosen, and the things which are not, to
bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His
presence (1Cor. 1:28-29).
3) There is a “purpose” that the Lord Jesus came to
the world to be a man. Therefore He did not speak or act casually. All His life
and deeds in His life are for the purpose to call sinners to repentance.
Luke. 5:33 “Then they said to Him, ‘Why do the disciples of John fast often and make prayers,
and likewise those of the Pharisees, but Yours eat and drink?’”
YLT: “And they said unto
him, ‘Wherefore do the disciples of John fast often, and make supplications in
like manner also those of the Pharisees but thine do eat and drink?’”
Literal Meaning: “fast often and make
prayers” This shows that they regarded “fasting and prayer” as the behavior
that the pious should do. The Pharisees showed off their fasting and prayers to
others (Matt. 6:5, 16).
Spiritual Meaning: “the disciples of
John” symbolize junior religionists.
“The Pharisees” symbolize senior religionists.
Religion means “teaching according to certain
principles”. It intended to teach men to fear God, but turned out to be a mere
formality and even disregarded God and His son. The fasting is one of the
letters and laws that the religious believers keep.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The fasting used to be a manifestation of true
piety and true repentance. However, if it turns to be a regulation, it will
lose its real meaning. The fasting itself is not the aim and it should only be
done under proper conditions.
2) Both those who keep the regulations and do the
letters (“the disciples of the Pharisees”) and those who do not enjoy the
Lord’s grace completely (“the disciples of John”) need fast. Those who depart
from Christ cannot be satisfied in their hearts.
Luke. 5:34 “And He said to them, ‘Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while the
bridegroom is with them?”
YLT: “And he said unto
them, ‘Are ye able to make the sons of the bride-chamber in the bridegroom
being with them to fast?”
The
Background: in the
Spiritual Meaning: “the bridegroom”
indicates the Lord Himself.
“The friends” indicate His disciples.
“Is
with them”, it indicated the time when the Lord was with His disciples in the flesh.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Only those who walk with the Lord (the friends
of the bridegroom) can often enjoy the rich feast. There will be abundant
enjoyment in the Lord’s presence. Once the presence of the Lord is lost, the
spirit will suffer hunger.
2) The Lord is our bridegroom and He keeps fresh
all the time. The moment we meet Him, we will be filled with sweetness,
freshness and joy.
3) The life and actions of those who follow the
Lord should be guided by the Lord Himself and His presence only instead of the
driving of the knowledge or reasons.
4) The spiritual life of the saints in the New
Testament is neither abstinence nor penance, but it is characterized by the joy
in the Holy Spirit (See Rom. 14:17).
Luke. 5:35 “But the days will come
when the bridegroom will be taken away from them; then they will fast in those
days.’”
YLT: “but days will come,
and, when the bridegroom may be taken away from them, then they shall fast in
those days.’”
Literal
Meaning: “the bridegroom will
be taken away from them” be taken away”: be taken away by men forcedly;
Spiritual
Meaning: “But the days will come”, it showed that the day of His crucifixion
was impending.
“The bridegroom will be taken away
from them” When the Lord departed out
of this world to the Father (See
John. 13:1),
He would leave His disciples.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) In order to be yokefellows with the Lord,
believers sometimes need to fast and pray.
2) To those who wait for the second coming of the
Lord the bridegroom, waiting with fasting is the proper exercise.
Luke. 5:36 “Then He spoke a parable
to them: ‘No one puts a piece from a
new garment on an old one; otherwise the new makes a tear, and also the piece
that was taken out of the new does not match the old.”
YLT: “And he spake also a
simile unto them ‘No one a patch of new clothing doth put on old clothing, and
if otherwise, the new also doth make a rent, and with the old the patch doth
not agree, that [is] from the new.”
Meaning of Words: “new” new sample,
new product (the newness of the texture).
Literal
Meaning: “No one puts a piece
from a new garment on an old one.” If the cloth that was taken from a new
garment was “put on an old one”, after the cloth is washed and dried up, the
piece of the new garment will pull away the garment and the tear is worse and
irreparable because the new cloth has not been shrunk and it will shrink.
Spiritual Meaning: “Putting a piece
from a new garment” “a new garment” symbolizes the great redemption that the
Lord Jesus has finished for the world by coming into the world. “Putting a
piece” means that one is unwilling to receive it wholly and he receives it
partly, especially the Lord’s teachings concerning the morality and he imitates
the good behavior of the Lord.
“Putting…on an old one” “an old
one” symbolizes the works done by our old natural life and it is always full of
flaws and holes. “Putting” shows that we perceive that our works are
incomplete. Therefore we want to repair and improve our works through imitating
the example of the life of the Lord Jesus, however, we are unwilling to receive
the complete salvation of the Lord Jesus on the cross. “Otherwise the new makes a tear” It indicates that we misunderstand the
salvation of the Lord and debase the value of the salvation.
“Also the piece that was taken out of
the new does not match the old” It indicates that
if we are only willing to receive the teachings and example from the Lord Jesus
instead of His salvation, it is of no effect because these two do no match.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Nobody could use God’s grace to make up the weak
points of our old deeds.
2) We should not mix grace and the law together.
Once they are mixed together, grace loses its sweetness and the law loses its
fearfulness. It becomes neither grace nor the Law.
3) In Christianity, the New Testament is not used
to make up the Old Testament, but to replace the Old Testament. Keeping the law
of the Old Testament may contrarily corrupt the faith of the New Testament.
4) In the New Testament, there is not any
regulation about the outside deeds, for we believers need only completely
follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit in us. We should serve the Lord in the
newness of spirit instead of the oldness of letters (
5) If we want to be acceptable to God, we shall
receive the great redemption that has been done by Christ and put on Christ as
our garment of righteousness instead of imitating the works and deeds of Christ
on earth.
6) The garment that the Lord has made for the
assembly is new and His work is “the new creation”. He had completely ended all
the things of the old creation. Therefore we should not bring natural things
and works of the world into the assembly.
7) The Lord never uses the new grace to make up and
maintain the old patch. When our works fall into the state of oldness, we do
not need to do the repairing work and we should ask the Lord to give us the new
cloth additionally.
Luke. 5:37 “And no one puts new wine
into old wineskins; or else the new wine will burst the wineskins and be
spilled, and the wineskins will be ruined.”
YLT: “`And no one doth
put new wine into old skins, and if otherwise, the new wine will burst the
skins, and itself will be poured out, and the skins will be destroyed;”
Meaning of Words: “new”: fresh, young
(the newness of time).
Literal Meaning: “wineskins” were
sheepskins used by the Jews to carry drink.
“Old wineskins” were sheepskins that
lack stretchability because of the oldness.
“New wine” has strong power of
fermentation. The old wineskins cannot bear the force produced by the
fermentation of wine and therefore the old wineskins could be ruined easily.
Spiritual
Meaning: “And no one puts
new wine into old wineskins.” The “new wine” symbolizes the risen and fresh
life of Christ that makes men joyful, be exalted and powerful. The “old
wineskins” symbolize the old men of us as well as the religious ways. “Putting
new wine into old wineskins” means that one only receives Christ into his
thoughts, will and feeling of old men (soul). Religionists research Christ with
their natural intelligence, treat Christ with natural emotion and decide to
serve the Lord with their natural will. That is to say, they receive Christ
totally with their natural men.
“Or else the new
wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled, and the wineskins will be
ruined.” Christ can not be fully understood by our mind. Many times, our
emotion may be broken down in some so-called spiritual things because of
exceeding excitement. In addition, those who follow the Lord with their will
shall be immediately offended by persecutions and tribulations (See Matt.
13:21).
Enlightenment in the
Word:
1) The “a new garment” (v. 36) refers to the
outward conversation. The “new wine” speaks of the inner life. Garment is shown
outwardly and wine is fermented inside. The former is conversation and the
latter is life. The life given by the gospel in the New Testament to men is the
new wine and the conversation given to men is the new cloth.
2) The “wineskins” symbolize the individual
Christian as well as the corporate Christians------the assembly. Men’s
organization is the “old wineskins”. If it is used to put the “new wine”, it
will be broken sooner or later and the wine will be spilt and the presence of
Christ will also be lost.
Luke. 5:38 “But new wine must be put
into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”
YLT: “but new wine into
new skins is to be put, and both are preserved together;”
Meaning of Words: “new wineskins”: the
wineskins that have not been used before.
Spiritual Meaning: “New wineskins”
symbolizes new men. It means that we obtain the spirit that is born from above
and the renewing soul (Tit. 3:5, Eph. 4:23-24, Col. 3:10,
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The Liberal Christians receive Christ as “a
piece from a new garment” (v.36). The fundamental Christians receive Christ as
the “new garment”. The real Christians receive Christ as the “new wine”,
however, the wine is usually put in “the old wineskins” (v.37). Only the normal
Christians use the “new wineskins” to put the “new wine”.
2) The Holy Spirit in us (the new wine) will get
rid of the old conversation, deeds and habits (old wineskins). One should have
the new life and new walking and new habits so that he can be a Christian.
Luke. 5:39 “And no one, having drunk
old wine, immediately desires new; for he says, ‘The
old is better.’”
YLT: “and no one having
drunk old [wine], doth immediately wish new, for he saith, The old is better.’”
Literal Meaning: “for he says, ‘The
old is better’” Wines improve with age and the old wine is better than the new
wine and this is the principle of the world. However, the Lord here reminded us
that the spiritual principle is totally different from this and we should turn
over a new leaf (See Eph. 4:20-24;
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The old conceptions always become our veils that
will block us from having the renewal of revelation (See 2Cor. 3:15-18).
2) It is dangerous in spiritual things to stick to
convention. Therefore we should not recall the past spiritual experiences all
along because these old experiences would block men from receiving new grace.
III.
Outlines of the Spiritual Lessons
The Requirements to “Catch Men” (v.10)
I. One has to know
that Jesus is the Lord and he himself is a sinner (v.8).
II. One has to let
down the net at the Lord’s words (v.5).
III. One has to
cooperate with partners (v.7).
IV. One has to
forsake all and follow the Lord (v.11).
Men’s
I. Men’s original
states:
A. Men toiled and were
unsatisfied------we have toiled all night and caught nothing (v.5).
B. Men were unclean completely------a
man who was full of leprosy (v.12).
C. Men were paralyzed and unable to
walk------a man who was paralyzed (v.18).
D. Men were fully steeped in the daze of
the world------Levi was sitting at the tax office (v.27).
II. The results
after they have met the Lord:
A. They saw the fullness of the Lord and
they themselves are sinners (v.8).
B. Their dirtiness of sins was cleansed
by the Lord (v.13).
C. They were called to be delivered from
sin by the Lord------the bed (v.24-25).
D. They were called to be delivered from
the world by the Lord------the tax office (v.27-28).
E. They rose up and followed the Lord
(v.11, 28).
F. They ate and be merry, sitting with
the Lord (v.29-30).
An Example of Prayer (v.12-13)
I. A prayer of the
knowledge of the Lord------he “saw Him”.
II. A humble
prayer------he “fell on his face”.
III. An urgent
prayer------he “implored Him”.
IV. An obedient
prayer------“If you are willing…”
V. A prayer with the
great faith------“you can”.
VI. A prayer with
the single-minded purpose------“you can make me clean.”
VII. A prayer of
great effect------“immediately the leprosy left him”.
Four Kinds of Men Who Heard the Word of the
Lord
I. Those who looked
on coldly and murmured in their hearts------the scribes and the Pharisees
(v.17, 21).
II. Those who were
concerned about others and had faith in the Lord------those who carried the man
who was paralyzed (v.18-20).
III. Those who were
forgiven by the Lord and had experienced the mighty power of the Lord’s
life------the man who was paralyzed (v.24-25).
IV. Those who
witnessed the grace of the Lord and glorified God------all the people (v.26).
The Features of Tax Collector Levi
I. He was in
sins-----he was sitting at the tax office------he met the Lord (v.27).
II. He immediately
repented the moment he heard the word of the Lord------so he rose up and
followed Him (v.28).
III. Once he had
repented, he received the Lord------Levi gave Jesus a great feast (v.29a).
IV. He invited his
friends and workmates to hear the glad tidings------there were a great number
of tax collectors and others who sat together with them (v.29b).
The Heart of the Lord and the Hearts of the
Scribes and the Pharisees
I. The Lord
sympathized with the sufferings of the paralytic------the scribes and the
Pharisees did not care for the sufferings of the paralytic, but condemned that
the Lord spoke blasphemies (v.17-26).
II. The Lord felt
the need of sinners------ the Pharisees and the scribes did not care for the
need of sinners, but condemned that the Lord sat with sinners (v.27-32).
III. The Lord was willing to have enjoyment with His
disciples together------the Pharisees did not care for the fact of the
bridegroom’s presence, but condemned that the Lord’s disciples did not fast
(v.33-35).
The Service of the Bondservant the Savior
Was Going to Deliver Men from Religion
I. Who delivered men
from the incapability of religion (v.17-26):
A. Religion can not help the man who was
paralyzed------who has no power to walk in the way of life.
B. Religion respects God apparently, but does not
know the Son of God actually.
C. Only by believing the Lord can one’s sins be
forgiven and can he obtain the power of life.
II. Who delivered
men from the self-righteousness of religion (v.27-32):
A. Religion can only condemn others------despise
the tax collectors and sinners.
B. Religious believers can not understand the
merciful bowel of the Lord.
C. Only through confessing his disease (sins) can
one be healed by the Lord (the remission of sins).
III. Who delivered
men from the traditional conceptions of religion (v.33-35):
A. Religion makes one afflict his soul.
B. Religious believers can not understand the joy
in the presence of the Lord.
C. Only through the new idea and new works (the new
garment and the new wineskins) can one enjoy the salvation in the New Testament
(the new wine).
The Old Religion is
Unworthy of the New Christ
I. He is the
bridegroom. While He is with them, there is no need of the fasting of religion
(v.33-35).
II. He is the new
garment and we should not unite Him to the religion that is like the old
garment (v.36).
III. He is the new wine and the new wine
should be put in the new wineskins (v.37-39).
──
Caleb Huang《Christian Digest Bible
Commentary Series》
Translated by Sharon Ren