Luke 5:31 Kommentar

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.

And Jesus answering, said unto them,.... Knowing that they aimed at him; though, according to this evangelist, they only mentioned his disciples, however, he takes up the cause, and vindicates both himself and them, by observing to them the following proverb; they that are whole need not a physician, but they that are sick: suggesting hereby, that as such who are in good health, who are free from all diseases, wounds, bruises, and putrefying sores, stand in no need of the advice and assistance of a physician, or surgeon, but such who have either distempers or sores on their bodies; so they, the Scribes and Pharisees, who, in their own opinion, were free from the disease of sin, original and actual, and touching the righteousness of the law, were blameless, stood not in any need of him, the physician, who came to cure the maladies of the souls, as well as of the bodies of men; but such persons, who not only are sick with sin, but sick of it, who are sensible of it, and desire healing: and therefore this was the reason of his conduct, why he conversed with sinners, and not with the Scribes and Pharisees; his business, as a physician, lying among the one, and not the other; See Gill on Mat 9:12. See Gill on Mar 2:17.

Or what medical man, anxious to heal a sick person, would prescribe in accordance with the patient's whims, and not according to the requisite medicine? But that the Lord came as the physician of the sick, He does Himself declare saying, "They that are whole need not a physician, but they that are sick; I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." How then shall the sick be strengthened, or how shall sinners come to repentance? Is it by persevering in the very same courses? or, on the contrary, is it by undergoing a great change and reversal of their former mode of living, by which they have brought upon themselves no slight amount of sickness, and many sins? But ignorance, the mother of all these, is driven out by knowledge. Wherefore the Lord used to impart knowledge to His disciples, by which also it was His practice to heal those who were suffering, and to keep back sinners from sin. He therefore did not address them in accordance with their pristine notions, nor did He reply to them in harmony with the opinion of His questioners, but according to the doctrine leading to salvation, without hypocrisy or respect of person.

He had nowhere read of Christ's being foretold as the light, and hope, and expectation of the Gentiles! He, however, rather spoke of the Jews in a favourable light, when he said, "The whole needed not a physician, but they that are sick." For since by "those that are sick" he meant that the heathens and publicans should be understood, whom he was choosing, he affirmed of the Jews that they were "whole" for whom he said that a physician was not necessary.

He will love the flesh which is, so very closely and in so many ways, His neighbour-(He will love it), although infirm, since His strength is made perfect in weakness; although disordered, since "they that are whole need not the physician, but they that are sick; " although not honourable, since "we bestow more abundant honour upon the less honourable members; " although ruined, since He says, "I am come to save that which was lost; " although sinful, since He says, "I desire rather the salvation of the sinner than his death; " although condemned, for says He, "I shall wound, and also heal.

Or, He means that the sound and righteous need no physician, i. e. the angels, but the corrupt and sinners, i. e. ourselves do; since we catch the disease of sin, which is not in heaven.

(ubi sup.) But our Lord refutes all their charges, showing, that so far from its being a fault to mix with sinners, it is but a part of His merciful design, as it follows, And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; in which He reminds them of their common infirmities, and shows them that they are of the number of the sick, but adds, He is the Physician.

But for what reason do the Pharisees blame the Savior for eating with sinners? Because it was the law to distinguish between the holy and the profane, that is, holy things were not to be brought into contact with things profane. They made the accusation therefore as if they were vindicating the law. Yet it really was envy against the Lord and readiness to find fault. But he shows them that he is present now, not as a judge but as a physician. He performs a proper function of the physician's office, being in the company of those in need to be healed. But no sooner had they received an explanation of their first accusation than they bring forward another, finding fault because his disciples did not fast. They wished to use this charge as an opportunity to accuse Christ.

And Jesus, answering, said to them: Those who are well do not need a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. He castigates the scribes and Pharisees, who, considering themselves just, avoided the company of sinners. For he calls himself a physician who, by a marvelous method of healing, was wounded for our iniquities, and by his bruises we are healed (Isa. LIII). He calls those healthy and righteous who, ignorant of God's righteousness and wanting to establish their own, are not subject to the righteousness of God, who, presuming from the law, do not seek the grace of the Gospel. On the other hand, he calls sick and sinners those who, defeated by the consciousness of their own frailty, and seeing that they cannot be justified by the law, submit themselves to Christ's grace by repenting. Here it is shown at the same time that publicans have come to Jesus performing repentance, not remaining in their former sins, as the Pharisees and scribes murmured: and Jesus himself also deigned to go to the feasts of sinners to have the opportunity of teaching and offering spiritual food to his hosts. Finally, while it is frequently described that he went to banquets, nothing else is reported except what he did there, what he taught, so that both the humility of the Lord in going to sinners and the power of his teaching in the conversion of penitents might be shown.

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).