Luke 5:34 Komentář

In this chapter, we have, I. Christ preaching to the people out of Peter's ship, for want of a better pulpit (Luk 5:1-3). II. The recompence he made to Peter for the loan of his boat, in a miraculous draught of fishes, by which he intimated to him and his partners his design to make them, as apostles, fishers of men (Luk 5:4-11). III. His cleansing the leper (Luk 5:12-15). IV. A short account of his private devotion and public ministry (Luk 5:16, Luk 5:17). V. His cure of the man sick of the palsy (Luk 5:18-26). VI. His calling Levi the publican, and conversing with publicans on that occasion (Luk 5:27-32). VII. His justifying his disciples in not fasting so frequently as the disciples of John and the Pharisees did (Luk 5:33-39).

And it came to pass, that as the people pressed upon him,.... As Christ went through Galilee, and preached in the synagogues there, great crowds of people attended on him, and they followed him wherever he went; and so large were their numbers, and so very eager were they to see him, and hear him, that they were even troublesome to him, and bore hard upon him, and were ready to press him down, though they had no ill design upon him, but only to hear the word of God; the scriptures of the Old Testament explained, and the doctrines of the Gospel preached; and which were preached by him, as never were before or since, and in such a manner as were not by the Scribes and Pharisees; and both the matter and manner of his ministry drew a vast concourse of people after him: he stood by the lake of Gennesaret; the same with the sea of Chinnereth, Num 34:11 where the Targums of Onkelos, Jonathan, and the Jerusalem, call it, , "the sea of Geausar" or "Gennesaret": and so it is elsewhere called (a), and is the same which is called the sea of Galilee, and of Tiberias, Joh 6:1 and is, by other writers (b), as here, called the lake of Gennesaret, and said to be sixteen miles long, and six broad. Josephus says (c), it is forty furlongs broad, and an hundred long. The Jews say (d), that "the holy, blessed God created seven seas, but chose none of them all, but the sea of Gennesaret.'' And indeed, it was a place chosen by Christ, and honoured, and made famous by him, by his preaching at it, his miracles upon it, and showing himself there after his resurrection. (a) Targum in Ezek. xxxix. 11. Zohar in Gen. fol. 3. 2. & 17. 2. & in Exod. fol. 52. 4. & 61. 4. (b) Plin. l. 5. c. 15. Solin, c. 48. Ptolom. l. 5. c. 15. (c) De Bello Jud. l. 3. c. 18. (d) Pirke Eliezer, c. 18.

But the days will come,.... And that in a very little time, as they did: when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them: as their master, John, was taken away from them, and now in prison, and therefore it was no wonder they mourned and fasted; signifying, that in a short time he, the bridegroom of his church and people, should be taken away by death: and then they shall fast in those days; mourn, and be humbled, of which fasting was, a sign, for the death of their Lord, and on account of the many afflictions and persecutions they should endure for his sake; See Gill on Mat 9:15.

But as it is, while modestly giving a reason why "the children of the bridegroom are unable to fast during the time the bridegroom is with them," but promising that "they should afterwards fast, when the bridegroom was taken away from them," He neither defended the disciples, (but rather excused them, as if they had not been blamed without some reason), nor rejected the discipline of John, but rather allowed it, referring it to the time of John, although destining it for His own time.

During the entire period that our Lord was in the midst of the world, he compared it with a bridal chamber and himself with the bridegroom. For the bridal guests cannot fast while the bridegroom is with them. …He called his disciples bridal guests because they are members of the church, and ministers of the feast, and heralds who invite those who sit at table.

The children of the Bridegroom also cannot fast, i. e. refuse nourishment to the soul, but live on every word which proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

Or, That fast is not given up whereby the flesh is mortified, and the desires of the body chastened. (For this fast commends us to God.) But we cannot fast who have Christ, and banquet on the flesh and blood of Christ.

(Hom. 30. in Matt.) As if He should say, The present time is one of joy and gladness, sorrow must not then be mixed up with it.

(de Qu. Ev. l. ii. q. 18.) Now there are two fasts, one is in tribulation, to propitiate God for our sins; another in joy, when as carnal things delight us less, we feed the more on things spiritual. The Lord therefore being asked why His disciples did not fast, answered as to each fast. And first of the fast of tribulation; for it follows, And he said unto them, Can ye make the children of the bridegroom fast when the bridegroom is with them? (de Con. Ev. ii. c. 27.) Now this which Luke alone mentions, Ye cannot make the children of the bridegroom fast, is understood to refer to those very men who said that they would make the children of the Bridegroom mourn and fast, since they were about to kill the Bridegroom. (de Qu. Ev. ii. qu. 18.) As if He said, Then shall they be desolate, and in sorrow and lamentation, until the joy of consolation shall be restored to them by the Holy Spirit.

As soon as they have received the first answer from Christ, they proceed from one thing to another, with the intent to show that the holy disciples, and Jesus Himself with them, cared very little for the law. Hence it follows, Why do the disciples of John fast, but thine eat, &c. (Lev. 15, prævaricationis.) As if they said, Ye eat with publicans and sinners, whereas the law forbids to have any fellowship with the unclean, but compassion comes in as an excuse for your transgression; why then do ye not fast, as they are wont to do who wish to live according to the law? But holy men indeed fast, that by the mortification of their body they may quell its passions. Christ needed not fasting for the perfecting of virtue, since as God He was free from every yoke of passion. Nor again did His companions need fasting, but being made partakers of His grace without fasting they were strengthened in all holy and godly living. For when Christ fasted for forty days, it was not to mortify His passions, but to manifest to carnal men the rule of abstinence. For the showing forth of our Saviour in this world was nothing else but a great festival, (πανήγυρις) spiritually uniting our nature to Him as His bride, that she who was formerly barren might become fruitful. The children of the Bridegroom then are found to be those who have been called by Him through a new and evangelical discipline, but not the Scribes and Pharisees, who observe only the shadow of the law.

To whom he himself said: Can you make the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? But days will come, and when the bridegroom is taken away from them, then they will fast in those days. The bridegroom is Christ, the bride is the Church. From this holy and spiritual union, the apostles were created. Hence, Mark the evangelist rightly calls them children of the wedding, not only of the bridegroom but also of the bride, wishing it to be understood that through the baptismal regeneration, they were taken into the right of divine generation. They cannot fast or mourn as long as they see the bridegroom in the chamber and know that he is with the bride. But when the wedding is over, and the time of the passion and resurrection arrives, then the children of the bridegroom will fast. However, Luke did not say like the others: Can the children of the bridegroom or the wedding fast or mourn, but can you make the children of the bridegroom fast (Luke 5)? He elegantly hinted that those who were speaking were the ones who would make the children of the bridegroom mourn and fast, since they were the ones who would kill the bridegroom. It is to be noted that this mourning of the absence of the bridegroom is not only now, that is, after the death and resurrection of the same bridegroom, but before his incarnation throughout the whole time of this age. For the early times of the Church, before the birth of the Virgin, had saints who desired the advent of the incarnation of Christ. But these times, since he ascended into heaven, have saints who desire his manifestation to judge the living and the dead. Nor did this desirable mourning of the Church rest somewhat, except as long as he was here with the disciples in the flesh. According to the laws of tropology, it is to be known that as long as the bridegroom is with us, we are in joy, and neither can we fast nor mourn. But when he has departed and fled from us because of sins, then fasting is to be proclaimed, then mourning is to be received.

For as long as the Bridegroom is with us we both rejoice, and can neither fast nor mourn. But when He has gone away through our sins, then a fast must be declared and mourning be enjoined.

The miraculous draught of fishes at the lake of Gennesaret, Luk 5:1-11. Christ heals a leper, Luk 5:12-14. His fame being published abroad, he withdraws to the desert, Luk 5:15, Luk 5:16. He heals a paralytic person, at which the scribes and Pharisees murmur, but the people glorify God, Luk 5:17-26. He calls the publican Levi, who makes a feast for Christ, to which he invites a great number of publicans and others, at which the scribes and Pharisees murmur, and our Lord vindicates his conduct, Luk 5:27-32. The question about fasting answered, Luk 5:33-35. The parable of the new piece of cloth put on the old garment, and the new wine in old bottles, Luk 5:36-39.

MIRACULOUS DRAUGHT OF FISHES--CALL OF PETER, JAMES, AND JOHN. (Luk 5:1-11) taught . . . out of the ship--(See on Mat 13:2).