Luke 5: How to Receive a Miracle

The key to understanding the overall concept of the fifth chapter of Luke can be found in the final verses. Every account of the life of Jesus in this chapter confirms the principle Jesus gives in those scriptures. Today, let’s start at the end of the chapter.

Tax collectors were prone to taking bribes to line their pockets. When Jesus is found at Matthew’s house, dining with a group of tax collectors, the Pharisees object to His hanging out with “sinful” people.

Jesus gives a great retort; only the sick need a physician, meaning that those who are aware of their sin need help and teaching to overcome it. Unable to argue with that point, the religious leaders attacked Him on a different point:

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.”

And Jesus said to them, “Can you make wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days.” (Luke 5:33-35)

The Pharisees had many traditions, over 600 of them, which were based on Moses’ teachings and the first five books of the Bible. There were many prescribed times when they fasted and still do, one is the Fast of Esther in March. Since everyone else fasted, why didn’t the disciples of Jesus do this during the typical times?

Jesus tells them that someone special is among them. Israel is often referred to as the “bride.” He declares that the “bridegroom” is here, and fasting will occur later. Christians have been grafted into the family of Abraham, so we are part of that “bride.” Jesus gives a parable with a bit more detail about why they were not fasting.

He also told them a parable: “No one tears a piece from a new garment and puts it on an old garment. If he does, he will tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old.

“And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine desires new, for he says, ‘The old is good.’” (Luke 5:36-38 ESV)

Both examples of new cloth and new wine have one thing in common: Something that is old and inflexible cannot contain that which is new and changing. The final verse shows why:

And no one after drinking old wine desires new, for he says, ‘The old is good.’” (Luke 5:39 ESV)

Aged wine tastes better than fresh wine, just as traditions are comfortable and change is often seen as scary. Man tends to stick to what is “tried and true.” Every event in this chapter shows us that to receive a miracle, you must be willing to embrace the new! If you have this attitude, you may miss the “new” things God does because you have become inflexible like an old wineskin. What exactly is the “new wineskin?” We have a free class to explain that in depth, but for now, we know that we must be willing to listen to God through the Holy Spirit and do whatever He tells us, as long as it lines up with scripture.

To receive a miracle, we must not only operate in a new wineskin, but we must first take the steps that Peter took at the beginning of this chapter:

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. (Luke 5:3 ESV)

After a long night of work, Peter sat down and listened to what Jesus had to say. The first step is to take time to hear what God has to say. The very first message we should receive is the Gospel. This is when we discover that Jesus is the Son of God.

How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? (Romans 10:14 ESV)

We must hear a message about Jesus to understand who He is. When we hear about Him and are willing to accept Him as Lord, just as Peter did after hearing Him speak with authority, our lives will be forever changed.

And when He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”

And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at Your word, I will let down the nets.” And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking.” They signaled 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. (Luke 5:4-7 ESV)

Peter “toiled” all through the night, meaning that he worked hard. Then Peter heard from Jesus and addressed Him as “Master.” This is the Greek word epistatēs (ep-is-tat'-ace), meaning any sort of superintendent or overseer. This is how many Christians view Jesus. He is just another director, way up there in Heaven. We are down here, just toiling away, doing our best. Then Jesus asked Peter to do something… and everything changed. Jesus asked Peter to try something new.

In John’s account of Peter’s return to Jesus’ good graces after He rose from the grave, Peter is fishing again at night. It is the first thing in the morning when Jesus appears on the shore. (John 21) Night fishing was the tradition, the usual way of doing things. We must be willing to be flexible and embrace the new things from God if we are going to receive the miraculous in our lives.

When Peter obeyed Jesus, despite some misgivings, they brought in so many fish that it nearly sank the boat. Peter immediately recognized that this was not an ordinary Rabbi; this was someone who was working in the power of God.

But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon.

And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Him. (Luke 5:8-11 ESV)

After Peter obeys God and does the new thing, following Jesus’ instructions, Peter falls at His feet calling Him, “Lord.” Being on your knees indicates submission to another person. The Greek word kyrios (koo'-ree-os), translated “lord,” is supreme in authority, controller; by implication, Master as a respectful title: — God. It is also used as a title of honor, expressing respect and reverence, with which servants greet their master: the owner, one who has control of the person, the master.

After accepting Jesus as our Lord, we must be willing to listen to Him, even when it is a “new thing” He is telling us to do. As long as it lines up with God’s Word and who God is, then we must be willing to obey our Lord. Jesus showed us this is the right way to look at our relationship when He taught His disciples how to pray. He gave this example:

Pray then like this: “Our Father in Heaven, hallowed (honored, revered) be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread… (Matthew 6:9-11 ESV)

He is our owner, we are His willing servants; thus, we should submit our will to His will. When we do this, as our Owner, He supplies our daily needs. Jesus is God, and we must submit to Him just as we submit to the Father.

Until you are willing to obey Jesus, you will “toil” in life. You can work hard, you can even give tithes and offerings, supporting Jesus as Peter did by using his boat to help Jesus, but until we are willing to submit to Him and allow Him to control our life, the windows of Heaven will not open allowing a blessing that we cannot contain to pour out.

Luke continues this chapter with the account where Jesus heals a leper, again demonstrating how embracing the new things God will do brings miracles into our lives:

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.”

And Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him. 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 them.” (Luke 5:12-15 ESV)

The Lord stated that the “traditions” of Israel had made the word of God of no effect (Mark 7:13). According to Israel’s traditions, only the Messiah could heal someone with leprosy. As Jesus mentioned in the fourth chapter of Luke, there were many lepers in Israel, but Elisha only healed a Syrian who didn’t have that belief about leprosy. This man came to Jesus, willing to accept that something new could happen.

Jesus also had to accept new instructions from God. Leprosy was very contagious and transmitted through touch. In the Old Testament, God forbade anyone to touch a leper, which is why Elisha told the infected man to go and dip himself in the Jordan River seven times instead of touching him. Jesus had to obey what He was hearing from God and go against tradition by touching the leper to heal him. This was an act of faith and obedience to God.

Jesus told the man to follow the instructions of Moses and give a testimony to the religious leaders about the healing. It should have been proof that a possible Messiah had been born and that change was coming… if they were willing to listen! They believed only the Messiah could heal a leper, so God gave them proof.

After this, the Pharisees were questioning Jesus, and the power of the Holy Spirit was active. Word spread that people were getting healed. A persistent group of men dug through the roof so they could lower a paralyzed man into the presence of Jesus. Once again, Jesus didn’t do what was expected: He did something brand new!

And when He saw their faith, He said, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.”

And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (Luke 5:20-21 ESV)

Israel had to make sacrifices each year so that God would forgive their sins. Declaring someone’s sins were forgiven outside of this was unheard of.

When Jesus perceived their thoughts, He answered them, “Why do you question in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? 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, pick up your bed and go home.” And immediately he rose up before them and picked up what he had been lying on and went home, glorifying God. (Luke 5:22-25 ESV)

When introducing a new teaching, prophets gave signs to prove that what they said came from God. That is exactly what Jesus did: He performed a great miracle to demonstrate that He could forgive sins.

And having said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit! [Now having received the Holy Spirit, and being led and directed by Him] if you forgive the sins of anyone, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of anyone, they are retained.” (John 20:22-23 AMPC)

When we receive the Holy Spirit and follow His guidance, God will inform us whether someone has truly turned from sin or if they intend to keep from sinning. Just as we saw with Jesus and the paralyzed man, sometimes sin can allow attacks to come upon our health. If the Holy Spirit reveals the sin that is keeping someone bound and they are willing to turn from it, He can heal them, and their sins will be forgiven. Anyone who is guided by the Holy Spirit can declare sins to be forgiven.

This was not good news for the Pharisees. Up until this time, the only way to be forgiven of your sins was at the Temple, which they controlled. The religious leaders turned selling animals meant for sacrifice to worship God into a profit-making business, which mainly took unfair advantage of travelers without animals and poor locals who had no animals or could only afford small doves. Money changers charged an extra fee to handle currency exchanges for travelers with different currencies. Jesus showed us how God feels about charging for that which is connected to His church:

And having made a lash (a whip) of cords, He drove them all out of the temple [enclosure]—both the sheep and the oxen—spilling and scattering the brokers’ money and upsetting and tossing around their trays (their stands).

Then to those who sold the doves He said, “Take these things away (out of here)! Make not My Father’s house a house of merchandise (a marketplace, a sales shop)!” (John 2:15-16 AMPC) (Matthew 21:12-17; Mark 11:15-19; Luke 19:45-48)

This is one of the only times we see the Lord raise His hand against someone. He literally chased people selling things out of the Temple. This makes it clear that it is not acceptable to buy or sell anything in connection with God’s church.

The Pharisees were profiting from the sale of the items used for worship and wouldn’t receive kickbacks if the stuff couldn’t be sold there. It would make it less convenient to worship God with sacrifices and offerings if you had to search out livestock elsewhere. For this reason, the correction from Jesus seemed like an attack on the religious leaders, and even on worshiping God. Following this, they began to look for opportunities to attack Jesus, such as when He dined with tax collectors.

Are you willing to stop supporting those who are selling things in the church, even if it is difficult? How many churches have a bookstore or coffee shop in the church where we worship God? Churches have to pay Christian Copyright Licensing International (CCLI) every time a copyrighted song is sung. During COVID, many services were shut down on YouTube because the songs they were singing were under copyright. What do you think Jesus would say about having to pay someone to sing a song about His love for us or how great God is? Do you think David insisted on being paid every time one of his songs was sung?

Are your church leaders like the Pharisees: do they like the status quo? Are they willing to accept a new teaching based on scripture? Jesus kicking out those selling things in the Temple is mentioned in each one of the Gospels. It is the only time you see Him physically attacking people. Our religious leaders have let the spirit of mammon back into God’s church, just as the Pharisees did in Jesus’ day. Will they remove the things that are charged for from your church?

To receive a miracle, we must let go of traditional ways of thinking that are not supported in scripture. We must be willing to receive new revelations and new teachings, as long as they line up with the Word of God. If you are willing to be a new wineskin, start the free course: Removing Attacks. Many have been healed and set free by applying these teachings to their lives!

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Luke 5: How to Receive a MiracleOnline Christian Church

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