A Study In Luke - Day 4

Day 4 - Luke 5:17-26

 17 One day while Jesus was teaching, some Pharisees and teachers of religious law were sitting nearby. (It seemed that these men showed up from every village in all Galilee and Judea, as well as from Jerusalem.) And the Lord’s healing power was strongly with Jesus.
18 Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a sleeping mat. They tried to take him inside to Jesus, 19 but they couldn’t reach him because of the crowd. So they went up to the roof and took off some tiles. Then they lowered the sick man on his mat down into the crowd, right in front of Jesus. 20 Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the man, “Young man, your sins are forgiven.”

21 But the Pharisees and teachers of religious law said to themselves, “Who does he think he is? That’s blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!”

22 Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you question this in your hearts? 23 Is it easier to say ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up and walk’? 24 So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!”

25 And immediately, as everyone watched, the man jumped up, picked up his mat, and went home praising God. 26 Everyone was gripped with great wonder and awe, and they praised God, exclaiming, “We have seen amazing things today!

It’s funny that everyone wants to hear what happens when something is popular. Whether it is for critical reasons, curiosity, or support, something popular draws a crowd. Jesus is popular at this point in his ministry, so the room is full of supporters, haters, gossipers, and those who just like to see something new.

However, this means some people who should be there for healing might not make it. Luckily, this man who needed healing had some friends who were willing to carry him to see Jesus. Not only were they willing to take him to see Jesus, but they were willing to go the extra mile to get their friend right to Jesus. They had to bore a hole into the thatch on the top of the roof to get him in. 

But when they did, the see that Jesus was willing to forgive the man and to heal the man as well. 

This did not sit well with the haters who were there. They were upset with what he had done, thinking he was taking authority that was only God’s to take. (Of course, they didn’t understand who Jesus really was!)

It is interesting that this is one of the only places where the author states that “Jesus knew what they were thinking. . .” Normally, Jesus overhears, however, it is not unreasonable to think Jesus might know their thoughts and their hearts. So we move forward simply knowing that Jesus knew what was in their hearts. 

He then immediately healed the young man and they watched him pick up his mat and leave. In some ways, his healing was a confirmation that Jesus did have the ability to forgive sins, as both of those abilities are from God. 

At the end of this very eventful day, the people were deeply impacted and full of awe and wonder. Seeing Jesus heal and forgive meant that they were now living in a new reality that threatened everything they knew to be true. 

When you are confronted with that kind of interaction, you have to believe, or you have to try and stop it, which is exactly what the Jews did with Jesus. 

1. Have you ever had a day that was full of awe and wonder? What happened? And how did you see God work? 
2. What side of the argument do you think you would have found yourself if you had been there that day? 
3. Do you think you have any friends who would tear open a roof to get you closer to the Healer?