Year of the Bible

Friday, April 9, 2021

Luke 5

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Commentary on the Gospel According to St. Luke, Chapter 5:

Jesus is already attracting crowds! He teaches people from a boat on Lake Gennesaret (also called the Sea of Galilee or Sea of Tiberias), cures a man with leprosy (vs. 13), teaches and heals large crowds in a city (vs. 15), and cures a paralyzed man (vs. 24). At the same time, Jesus is calling some people to not merely listen, but to follow him in his itinerant ministry--a practice of having “disciples,” common to Jewish teachers of the first century (vs. 11, 27). This good news of the Kingdom arriving in Jesus’ words and actions attracts questions. Members of the Pharisee movement and scholars of the Torah Law question the heart of the matter, “Who can forgive sins but God only?” to claim the authority to forgive sins otherwise is blaspheming (vs. 21). A human with divine authority--something new is happening! (vs. 36-39)

The Gospel According to St. Luke, Chapter 5:

Jesus Calls the First Disciples

1 While the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret. 2 And he saw two boats by the lake; but the ﬁshermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. 3 Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. 4 And when he had ceased speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” 5 And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” 6 And when they had done this, they enclosed a great shoal of ﬁsh; and as their nets were breaking, 7 they beckoned 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. 8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” 9 For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the catch of ﬁsh which they had taken; 10 and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; henceforth you will be catching men.” 11 And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.

Jesus Cleanses a Leper

12 While he was in one of the cities, there came a man full of leprosy; and when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” 13 And he stretched out his hand, and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him. 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 Moses commanded, for a proof to the people.” 15 But so much the more the report went abroad concerning him; and great multitudes gathered to hear and to be healed of their inﬁrmities. 16 But he withdrew to the wilderness and prayed.

Jesus Heals a Paralytic

17 On one of those days, as he was teaching, there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem; and the power of the Lord was with him to heal. 18 And behold, men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they sought to bring him in and lay him before Jesus; 19 but ﬁnding no way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into their midst before Jesus. 20 And when he saw their faith he said, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” 21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, “Who is this that speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God only?” 22 When Jesus perceived their questionings, he answered them, “Why do you question in your hearts? 23 Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? 24 But that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the man who was paralyzed—“I say to you, rise, take up your bed and go home.” 25 And immediately he rose before them, and took up that on which he lay, and went home, glorifying God. 26 And amazement seized them all, and they gloriﬁed God and were ﬁlled with awe, saying, “We have seen strange things today.”

Jesus Calls Levi

27 After this he went out, and saw a tax collector, named Levi, sitting at the tax ofﬁce; and he said to him, “Follow me.” 28 And he left everything, and rose and followed him.
29 And Levi made him a great feast in his house; and there was a large company of tax collectors and others sitting at table with them. 30 And the Pharisees and their scribes murmured against his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax col lectors and sinners?” 31 And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

The Question about Fasting

33 And they said to him, “The disciples of John fast often and offer prayers, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours eat and drink.” 34 And Jesus said to them, “Can you make wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? 35 The days will come, when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days.” 36 He told them a parable also: “No one tears a piece from a new garment and puts it upon an old garment; if he does, he will tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old. 37 And no one puts new wine into old wine skins; if he does, the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. 38 But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. 39 And no one after drinking old wine desires new; for he says, ‘The old is good.’ ”

*Daily Lectio Divina Question:

"Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets." (v5) How does this complaint of Peter resonate with something in my own life that I am in most need of surrendering and opening up to our Lord? Lord, what do you want to do with _______ to bear you abundant fruit?

Biblical Commentary provided by the Catholic Biblical School of Michigan, an adult faith formation apostolate. cbsmich.org/join

Revised Standard Version; Second Catholic Edition. (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2006).
Permission to use the RSV-2CE given for Bishop's Year of the Bible by Ignatius Press. Many thanks to Ignatius for this.
If you're looking for a good Catholic edition of the Bible, look no further.

Lucas 5

1 Estaba Jesús junto al lago de Genesaret
y la multitud se agolpaba a su alrededor
para oír la palabra de Dios.
2 Y vio dos barcas que estaban a la
orilla del lago; los pescadores habían bajado
de ellas y estaban lavando las redes.

3 Entonces, subiendo a una de las barcas,
que era de Simón, le rogó que la apartase
un poco de tierra. Y, sentado, enseñaba
a la multitud desde la barca.
4 Cuando terminó de hablar, le dijo
a Simón:
–Guía mar adentro, y echad vuestras
redes para la pesca.
5 Simón le contestó:
–Maestro, hemos estado bregando
durante toda la noche y no hemos pescado
nada; pero sobre tu palabra echaré
las redes.
6 Lo hicieron y recogieron gran cantidad
de peces. Tantos, que las redes se
rompían. 7 Entonces hicieron señas a los
compañeros que estaban en la otra barca,
para que vinieran y les ayudasen.
Vinieron, y llenaron las dos barcas, de
modo que casi se hundían. 8 Cuando lo
vio Simón Pedro, se arrojó a los pies de
Jesús, diciendo:
–Apártate de mí, Señor, que soy un
hombre pecador.
9 Pues el asombro se había apoderado
de él y de cuantos estaban con él, por
la gran cantidad de peces que habían
pescado. 10 Lo mismo sucedía a Santiago
y a Juan, hijos de Zebedeo, que eran
compañeros de Simón. Entonces Jesús
le dijo a Simón:
–No temas; desde ahora serán hombres
los que pescarás.
11 Y ellos, sacando las barcas a tierra,
dejadas todas las cosas, le siguieron.
12 Cuando estaba en una de las ciudades,
un hombre cubierto de lepra, al
ver a Jesús, se postró en tierra y le suplicó
diciendo:
–Señor, si quieres, puedes limpiarme.
13 Y extendiendo Jesús la mano le
tocó diciendo:
–Quiero, queda limpio.
Y al instante desapareció de él la lepra.
14 Y él le mandó que no lo dijese a
nadie; pero añadió:
–Anda, preséntate al sacerdote, y
lleva la ofrenda por tu curación, como
ordenó Moisés, para que les sirva de testimonio.
15 Se extendía su fama cada vez más,
y concurrían numerosas muchedumbres
para oírle y para ser curados de sus
enfermedades. 16 Pero él se retiraba a lugares
apartados y hacía oración.

17 Estaba Jesús un día enseñando. Y estaban
sentados algunos fariseos y doctores
de la Ley, que habían venido de todas las
aldeas de Galilea, de Judea y de Jerusalén. Y
la fuerza del Señor le impulsaba a curar.
18 Entonces, unos hombres, que
traían en una camilla a un paralítico, intentaban
meterlo dentro y colocarlo delante
de él. 19 Y como no encontraban
por dónde introducirlo a causa del gentío,
subieron al terrado, y por entre las
tejas lo descolgaron en la camilla hasta
ponerlo en medio, delante de Jesús. 20 Al
ver Jesús la fe de ellos, dijo:
–Hombre, tus pecados te son perdonados.
21 Entonces los escribas y fariseos
empezaron a pensar: «¿Quién es éste
que dice blasfemias? ¿Quién puede perdonar
pecados sino sólo Dios?»
22 Pero conociendo Jesús sus pensamientos,
les dijo:
–¿Qué estáis pensando en vuestros
corazones? 23 ¿Qué es más fácil, decir:
«Tus pecados te son perdonados», o
decir: «Levántate, y anda»? 24 Pues para
que sepáis que el Hijo del Hombre tiene
potestad en la tierra para perdonar los
pecados –se dirigió al paralítico–, a ti te
digo: levántate, toma tu camilla y marcha
a tu casa.
25 Y al instante se levantó en presencia
de ellos, tomó la camilla en que yacía
y se fue a su casa glorificando a Dios.
26 El asombro se apoderó de todos y
glorificaban a Dios. Y llenos de temor
decían:
–Hoy hemos visto cosas maravillosas.
27 Después de esto, salió y vio a un
publicano, llamado Leví, sentado al telonio,
y le dijo:
–Sígueme.
28 Y, dejadas todas las cosas, se levantó
y le siguió.
29 Y Leví preparó en su casa un gran
banquete para él. Había un gran número
de publicanos y de otros que le acompañaban
a la mesa. 30 Y los fariseos y sus
escribas empezaron a murmurar y a decir
a los discípulos de Jesús:
–¿Por qué coméis y bebéis con publicanos
y pecadores?
31 Y respondiendo Jesús les dijo:
–No tienen necesidad de médico los
sanos, sino los enfermos. 32 No he venido
a llamar a los justos, sino a los pecadores
a la penitencia.
33 Pero ellos le dijeron:
–¿Por qué los discípulos de Juan
ayunan con frecuencia y hacen oraciones,
y lo mismo los de los fariseos; y en
cambio, los tuyos comen y beben?
34 Jesús les respondió:
–¿Acaso podéis hacer ayunar a los
amigos del esposo, mientras el esposo
está con ellos? 35 Ya vendrán los días en
que les será arrebatado el esposo; entonces,
en aquellos días, ayunarán.
36 Y les decía también una parábola:
–Nadie pone a un vestido viejo un
remiendo cortado de un vestido nuevo,
porque entonces, además de romper el
nuevo, el remiendo del vestido nuevo
no le iría bien al viejo. 37 Tampoco echa
nadie vino nuevo en odres viejos; porque
entonces el vino nuevo reventará
los odres, y se derramará, y los odres se
perderán. 38 El vino nuevo debe echarse
en odres nuevos. 39 Y ninguno acostumbrado
a beber vino añejo quiere del
nuevo, porque dice: «El añejo es mejor».

Pregunta de Lectio Divina del día de hoy

"Maestro, hemos estado bregando durante toda la noche y no hemos pescado nada; pero sobre tu palabra echaré las redes." (v5) ¿De qué manera, esta queja de Pedro resuena en algo en mi propia vida en lo que tengo la mayor necesidad de rendirme y abrirme a nuestro Señor? Señor, qué quieres hacer con _______ para darte fruto abundante?

La Biblia de Navarra

Permiso para usar esta versión de la primera edición de la Biblia de Navarra

para el Año de la Biblia del Obispo

dado por Ediciones Universidad de Navarra, S.A. (EUNSA).