Luke 5:8

And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret, In our exposition of Matthew 4:18, we have shown, as it appears to us, that this was quite a different occasion from that, and consequently that the calling of the disciples there and here recorded were different callings. This one, as we take it, was neither their first call, recorded in John 1:35; nor their second, recorded in Matthew 4:18; but their third and last before their appointment to the apostleship. These calls are to be viewed as progressive stages in their preparation for the great work before them, and something similar is observable in the providential p...

Luke 5:8._Depart from me, O Lord. _Although men are earnest in seeking the presence of God, yet, as soon as God appears, they must be struck with terror, and almost rendered lifeless by dread and alarm, until he administers consolation. They have the best reason for calling earnestly on God, because they cannot avoid feeling that they are miserable, while he is absent from them: and, on the other hand, his presence is appalling, because they begin to feel that they are nothing, and that they are overpowered by an immense mass of evils. In this manner, Peter views Christ with reverence in the miracle, and yet is so overawed by his majesty, that he does all he can to avoid his presence. Nor was this the case with Peter alone: for we learn, from the context, that _astonishment had overpowered all who were with him. _Hence we see, that it is natural to all men to tremble at the presen

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 un...

Verse Luke 5:8. _DEPART FROM ME; FOR I AM A SINFUL MAN_] εξελθε απ εμου, _Go out from_ me, i.e. from my boat. Peter was fully convinced that this draught of fish was a miraculous one; and that God himself had particularly interfered in this matter, whose presence and power he reverenced in the person of Jesus. But as he felt himself a _sinner_, he was afraid the Divine purity of Christ could not possibly endure him; therefore he wished for a separation from that power, which he was afraid might break forth and consume him. It seems to have been a received _maxim_ among the Jews, that whoever had seen a particular manifestation of God should speedily die. Hence _Jacob_ seemed astonished that _his life_ should have _been_ _preserved_, when _he had seen God face to face_, Genes...

WHEN SIMON PETER SAW IT - Saw the great amount of fishes; the remarkable success of letting down the net. HE FELL DOWN AT JESUS’ KNEES - This was a common posture of “supplication.” He had no doubt now of the power and knowledge of Jesus. In amazement, wonder, and gratitude, and not doubting that he was in the presence of some divine being, he prostrated himself to the earth, trembling and afraid. So should sinful people “always” throw themselves at the feet of Jesus at the proofs of his power; so should they humble themselves before him at the manifestations of his goodness. DEPART FROM ME - This is an expression of Peter’s humility, and of his consciousness of his unworthiness. It was not from want of love to Jesus; it did not show that he would not be pleased with his favor and presence; but it was the result of being convinced that Jesus was a messenger fr

EXPOSITION When St. Luke compiled his Gospel, many of the circumstances connected with the early relations of the leaders of Christianity with their Founder were so well known, and had been so often repeated, that it seemed unnecessary to rehearse them afresh; hence to us the seeming abruptness of the introduction of Simon (Peter), James, and John in the scene now about to be related. In the preceding, the healing of Simon's wife's mother of a great fever is related without any explanation, as though Simon Peter's connection with the Lord was a fact too well known to require any comment or explanation. The association of Jesus and these chosen men seems to have commenced as follows: Simon (Peter) and his brother Andrew (sons of Jona), John and James (the sons of Zebedee and Salome), belonged to fisher families dwelling on the banks of the Lake of Gennesaret. They seemed to have been fas...

WHEN SIMON PETER SAW IT,.... The multitude of fish that was taken, and both vessels filled with them, and the danger they were in of sinking, HE FELL DOWN AT JESUS' KNEES. The Arabic and Persic versions read, "at" his "feet": he fell on his knees before him, and threw himself prostrate at his feet, as a worshipper of him, and a supplicant unto him: SAYING, DEPART FROM ME, FOR I AM A SINFUL MAN, O LORD; this he said, not as though the presence of Christ was burdensome, or disagreeable to him; but as one amazed at the greatness of the miracle wrought, and struck with the sense of the power of Christ, put forth therein; and with the greatness of his majesty so near him; and as conscious to himself of his own vileness and unworthiness to be in his presence; and so the Persic version adds, and which may serve as a comment, "and am not worthy that thou shouldst be with me": he had much the s...

Luke 5:1. _And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret, and saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets._ Before folding them up, as if they intended to do no more with them just then, as they had been working all night in vain. Luke 5:3. _And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land._ It is very difficult to speak effectively when the people come too close to the speaker; and, sometimes, a little inconvenience like that may interfere with the flow of the speaker's thoughts and words. Even the Saviour seems to have felt that he needed a little breathing space between himself an

SINFUL SIN (_ See Scofield) - (Romans 3:23). _...

CHAPTER 5 _ 1. The Miraculous Drought of Fishes. (Luke 5:1)_ 2. The Leper Healed. (Luke 5:12) 3. The Paralytic Healed. (Luke 5:17) 4. The Call of Matthew and the Feast (Luke 5:27) 5. The Scribes and Pharisees Answered (Luke 5:30) 6. The Parable of the Garment and the Bottle. (Luke 5:36 .) Luke 5:1 Two miraculous draughts of fishes are found in the Gospels. The one he