Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Luke
Book: Luke
Chapter: 5
Overview:
The miraculous draught of fishes,
Peter,
James, and
John
called.
(1-11) A leper cleansed.
(12-16) A paralytic cured.
(17-26) Levi called,
Christ's answer to the
Pharisees.
(27-39)
1-11 When
Christ had done preaching, he told
Peter to apply to
the business of his
Calling. Time spent
On Week days in public
exercises of religion, need be but little hinderance in time,
and may be great furtherance to us in temper of mind, as to our
worldly business. With what cheerfulness may we go about the
duties of our
Calling, when we have been with
God, and thus have
our worldly employments sanctified to us
By the
Word and
Prayer!
Though they had taken nothing, yet
Christ told them to let down
their nets again. We must not abruptly quit our callings because
we have not the success in them we desire. We are likely to
speed
Well, when we follow the guidance of
Christ's
Word. The
draught of fishes was
By a
Miracle. We must all, like
Peter, own
ourselves to be sinful men, therefore
Jesus Christ might justly
depart from us. But we must beseech him that he would not
depart; for woe unto us if the
Saviour depart from sinners!
Rather let us entreat him to come and
Dwell in our hearts
By
Faith, that he may transform and cleanse them. These fishermen
forsook all, and followed
Jesus, when their
Calling prospered.
When riches increase, and we are tempted to set our hearts upon
them, then to quit them for
Christ is thankworthy.
12-16 This
Man is said to be full of
Leprosy; he had that
distemper in a high degree, which represents our natural
pollution
By Sin; we are full of that
Leprosy; from the
Crown of
the head to the sole of the foot there is
No soundness in us.
Strong confidence and
Deep Humility are united in the words of
this leper. And if any sinner, from a
Deep sense of vileness,
says, I know the
Lord can cleanse, but will he look upon such a
one as me? will he apply his own precious
Blood for my cleansing
and healing? Yes, he will. Speak not as doubting, but as humbly
referring the matter to
Christ. And being saved from the guilt
and power of our sins, let us spread abroad
Christ's fame, and
bring others to hear him and to be healed.
17-26 How many are there in our assemblies, where the
Gospel is
preached, who do not sit under the
Word, but sit
By! It is to
them as a
Tale that is told them, not as a message that is sent
to them. Observe the duties taught and recommended to us
By the
history of the paralytic. In applying to
Christ, we must be very
pressing and urgent; that is an evidence of
Faith, and is very
pleasing to
Christ, and prevailing with him. Give us,
Lord, the
same kind of
Faith with respect to thy ability and willingness
to heal our souls. Give us to desire the
Pardon of
Sin more than
any earthly blessing, or
Life itself. Enable us to believe thy
power to forgive sins; then will our souls cheerfully arise and
go where thou pleasest.
27-39 It was a wonder of
Christ's
Grace, that he would
Call a
Publican to be his
Disciple and follower. It was a wonder of his
Grace, that the
Call was made
So effectual. It was a wonder of
his
Grace, that he came to
Call sinners to
Repentance, and to
assure them of
Pardon. It was a wonder of his
Grace, that he
So
patiently bore the contradiction of sinners against himself and
his disciples. It was a wonder of his
Grace, that he fixed the
services of his disciples according to their strength and
standing. The
Lord trains up his people gradually for the trials
allotted them; we should copy his
Example in dealing with the
weak in
Faith, or the tempted believer.