Day 20

Luke 5:27–39 (NIV)

²⁷ After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. “Follow me,” Jesus said to him, ²⁸ and Levi got up, left everything and followed him. ²⁹ Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them.

³⁰ But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?” ³¹ Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. ³² I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

³³ They said to him, “John’s disciples often fast and pray, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours go on eating and drinking.” ³⁴ Jesus answered, “Can you make the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? ³⁵ But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; in those days they will fast.” ³⁶ He told them this parable: “No one tears a patch from a new garment and sews it on an old one. If he does, he will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old. ³⁷ And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. ³⁸ No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. ³⁹ And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for he says, ‘The old is better.’ ”

Pray for God to show you something to use from the passage

Read the Passage

Who is in the passage?

What action verbs do you see?

What other words stick out in your mind

Helpful Information

vs 27 tax collector- The occupation described here is that of collecting customs dues on goods arriving in the kingdom of Herod Antipas, and Levi was probably a subordinate official engaged in the actual collection of the tolls for a tax-farmer. Marshall, I. H. (1978). The Gospel of Luke : A commentary on the Greek text. The New international Greek testament commentary. Exeter [Eng.: Paternoster Press.

Many Jews saw having this job as working with the Romans and therefore you were not a Jew. Some tax collector would also collect more than needed for themselves.

vs 33 Although the Old Testament commanded many more feasts than fasts, fasting had become a widespread Jewish practice; Pharisees often fasted twice a week. Although ascetic fasting was forbidden, many people probably did fast for ascetic reasons. Fasting was an important practice to join with prayer or penitence, so it would have been unusual for disciples (prospective rabbis) to have avoided it altogether. A teacher was regarded as responsible for the behavior of his disciples.

Keener, C. S., & InterVarsity Press. (1993). The IVP Bible background commentary : New Testament. Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press.

vs 37 -Wineskins were usually made from sheepskin or goatskin, and the neck area of the animal became the neck of the container. The body portion was skinned, the hair was removed, and the hide was treated to prevent the skin from changing the taste of the contents. Finally, it was sewn together (Josh. 9:4, 13). Over time the skin of such a container would age and become brittle Bock, D. L. (1994). Luke Volume 1: 1:1-9:50. Baker exegetical commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books.

Questions

The Pharisees thought Matthew and his friends didn’t deserve God. Is there anyone you think doesn’t the forgiveness of God?

Think about what Matthew did in inviting them to meet Jesus. Do you give your friends and work associates the chance to see how Jesus has changed your life?

Are you open for God to use new things for God’s salvation to be proclaimed?

Be glad that God has given you forgiveness.

Notes

vs 28 - leaves everything, much the same way as the fishermen disciples in 5:11 to follow must leave everything behind (see Luke 18:22-25 for contrast) Note both the leaving behind and the following are matters that take strong decisions.

vs 29- 30 The banquet way of honoring Jesus, Matthew invites those he knows. It is not the crowd that Pharisees would hang around because these people work with gentiles and would be considered unclean. This banquet also a way to show Matthews friends why he is leaving. A way to introduce them to Jesus. Pharisees cannot accept this.

Vs 31 Jesus' answer shows the division between His view to God and the Pharisee view.

Knowing the need for salvation is the first step to being saved. A doctor cannot help someone unless that person sees that they need help. Jesus implying plenty of people act like they are spiritually well when they are not. Until they see the need for help a doctor (Savior) is not able to help. The Pharisee’s surely see this as an attack on them

vs 33 Luke puts this story next because it shows the difference being shown in vs 27-31 in a greater light.

vs 34 Jesus' answer brings in the idea of a wedding celebration that would often last 7 days. During a wedding celebration no one would fast because this was a time for joy. Jesus is saying the disciples do not fast because this is a wedding celebration (the good news has come Luke 4:18-21) Their will be a time when they fast (eludes to Jesus no longer being with them)

Vs 36 -38 the absurd to prove a point

· imagine tearing new clothes to repair hole in old

· New cloths patch cannot work on old- (old is already shrunk from being wash. when new patch wash as part of the old garment it will shrink and tear the old)

· Can't put new wine into old wineskin (when it ferments it would burst because the wineskin already stretched from the first time wine was placed in it) you will waste the wine

Jesus saying his way (the good news) will not work with the old. This becomes the controversy between Jesus and Pharisee and also the controversy in the church (have to become a Jew to be a Christian) Jesus not rejecting the old. It had its place (and still does in some sense) but it is not the way to salvation. That has changed. There is a new garment to wear.

vs 39- Jesus realizes many will reject him because they are too use to the old way. (the way that had also become corrupted from God's intent) They reject the new because it is new. Goes back to if you think you are well then you will not go to the doctor (vs 31-32)

I must be careful to not reject something just because it is new

I must never see myself as not needing God, to think I have it all figured out

Jesus cared for the people before caring for the traditions vs30