Jesus Does the Unthinkable!

Introduction

“This is too good to be true!”

Have you ever said that? Have you ever had that feeling in your gut? Have you ever had the moment where you were skeptical yet hopeful yet excited yet cautious?

It’s a mix of emotions yet what an exciting time when we weed through the emotions and our reasoning and common sense kicks in and we realize that what seemed too good to be true really was true!

I remember a great day where that happened to me…it was in April of 2015 when Ashley and I were trying to find her a job around Cache.

We were sitting at the table in the our little dining nook when she emerges from the bathroom with a pregnancy test that was positive!

Seeing how we had just been married the month before, I was like “No way… No Way!!!” “Surely it’s a false positive… (No such thing).”

Even at 30 (or nearly 30) we were both naive about these kinds of things…and then through the skepticism and mixed emotions reason returned and the “this is too good to be true” became “this is really happening…I am going to be a Father!”

There are often too few moments like that in our lives, yet when we experience them, they are profound!

As we continue in our Lessons from Luke Series I want to look this morning at three “Too good to be true” moments where Jesus does the Unthinkable!

Luke 5:12–32 ESV

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 Jesus 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 them.” 15 But now even more the report about him went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities. 16 But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray. 17 On one of those days, as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there, 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, some men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they were seeking 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 the 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 who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 22 When Jesus perceived their thoughts, 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, pick up your bed and go home.” 25 And immediately he rose up before them and picked up what he had been lying on and went home, glorifying God. 26 And amazement seized them all, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, “We have seen extraordinary things today.” 27 After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth. And he said to him, “Follow me.” 28 And leaving everything, he 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 reclining at table with them. 30 And the Pharisees and their scribes grumbled at his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors 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.”

1) Jesus Touches the Untouchables! (v. 12-16)

Luke 5:12–16 ESV

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 Jesus 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 them.” 15 But now even more the report about him went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities. 16 But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.

What an incredible moment as Jesus advances His ministry!

Here is a man who has heard about Jesus.

He has heard about the many people who have been healed by Jesus.

He has undoubtedly heard about the power of Jesus in their lives.

In his hearing, the reality of Jesus has pierced much more than his ears…it sank deep into his heart.

When the opportunity arose, this man fell on his face and cried out to him from within his need and declared, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.”

This is not a question. He does not say, “Lord if you are willing, would you?”

He makes a statement of faith and declaration out a heart of full belief!

In this moment Jesus does the unthinkable…He touches the untouchable!

This man was a leper. He was one who was unclean physically through disease, and the jews considered him stricken by God because of his sin and so he was unclean spiritually as well.

In fact, anyone who touched him would also be considered unclean.

In this moment, Jesus could have spoken (Lk. 4:39) yet with divine intentionality He stretched out His hand and touched him and said, “I will; be clean.”

Immediately the leprosy left him.

Jesus then charges the man to go and show himself to the priest, making an offering for his cleansing for a proof to the priests.

Jesus is wanting the priests to know that something divine and significant is happening in their midst because Jesus touches the untouchables.

Friends, there is no one who Jesus cannot touch and make whole, physically, emotionally, or spiritually.

There are many in our spheres of influence who are broken. There are many in our community who some would consider “untouchable” or beyond the reach of Christ.

Before you came to Jesus, you were unclean and an untouchable.

I am grateful for Bro. Seth’s reminder last week in my absence that all we truly need is Jesus. It is foundational to who we are.

We are only His by His grace alone!

We are also only transformed and made new by His grace alone!

When Jesus touches our lives, He does this incredible work of grace that cleanses us and transforms us!

I love what Thomas Shreiner says about this text, “The cleanness of Jesus is so powerful that it purifies those who are defiled; it’s as if his power radiates to the one he touches, transforming him.” and, “It is his desire to touch and transform the one who is unclean, showing his compassion and love.”

When we who are the defiled untouchables realize that Jesus is our only hope and we come to Him saying, “Lord, if you will you can make me clean,” He reaches into our hearts, touches our lives, and says, “I will; be clean. Now go and bear witness to this new life that comes by my power.”

All of us were once the spiritually defiled untouchables until Jesus did the unthinkable and touched our lives the power of His blood making us clean.

Aren’t you glad that Jesus touches the untouchables?

2) Jesus Forgives and Restores! (v. 17-26)

Luke 5:17–26 ESV

17 On one of those days, as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there, 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, some men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they were seeking 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 the 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 who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 22 When Jesus perceived their thoughts, 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, pick up your bed and go home.” 25 And immediately he rose up before them and picked up what he had been lying on and went home, glorifying God. 26 And amazement seized them all, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, “We have seen extraordinary things today.”

Once again we see Jesus do the unthinkable… He open declares to man that His sins are forgiven. If the previous passage didn’t make that clear, this passage leaves no doubts!

You are probably familiar with this story. We love to tell it and herald the friends the brought their friend to Jesus. They are vital in the story, but they are not the focus of the story. Jesus is…Jesus always is!

Here is what is cool about this passage, Luke doesn’t tell us where this is, but Matthew does…it is back in Capernaum.

If you will recall, Nazareth had rejected Jesus, but Capernaum had embraced Jesus and was ready to the headquarters of Jesus Ministries, Inc., but Jesus told them He had to keep with God’s purpose and share the Gospel with other towns. Matthew tells us that Jesus circled back to Capernaum (as He would do often), and this is the setting of this event.

That last time we saw Jesus in Capernaum, He was pulling an all nighter and healing all who came to Him. This time, however, He was teaching them. Text doesn’t explicitly say this, but we can assume that most of the infirmaries of the town had been healed previously, but there was at least still one more.

The friends knew their friend who was lame needed Jesus and only Jesus could help him.

In this account, while Pharisees and scribes, far and wide had come, even some from Jerusalem (HQ), seeking to learn more about Jesus and what He was up to, Jesus does the unthinkable: Observing their faith and desperation for Him, of His own authority, Jesus does what only God can do: declares a man to be forgiven of sin!

This sends the Pharisees and scribes into outrage. They begin to murmur, “Who does He think He is?”

Jesus perceives there hearts and answers their questions, “But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins…I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home.” And immediately he rose up.

Only God can do that…Only God can forgive and restore and He does it by Jesus only…Only Jesus can forgive offenses and restore a person back to fullness.

This miracle wasn’t about the outer transformation, it was about the inner transformation. Jesus highlights that the outer transformation was a showing of His power over the inner transformation!

How awesome and amazing is Jesus as He does the unthinkable: He forgives and restores! Only He can do this.

May we forever and always cling to Jesus only as He touches the untouchables and make us a forgiven people who are being restored to walk in fellowship with Him!

3) Jesus Calls Sinners to Repentance! (v. 27-32)

Luke 5:27–32 ESV

27 After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth. And he said to him, “Follow me.” 28 And leaving everything, he 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 reclining at table with them. 30 And the Pharisees and their scribes grumbled at his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors 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.”

I love this calling of Levi (a.k.a. Matthew) the tax collector. You want to talk about one who was considered socially unacceptable, a social untouchable…here is a tax collector. Here is one considered to be a collaborator with Rome…A traitor to the Jewish people.

Furthermore, it was custom for disciples to seek out Rabbi’s and ask for their approval to be their disciples, yet Jesus reverses the course here.

Jesus approaches Levi and says to Him, “Follow me.” He extends the invitation for this tax collector of Capernaum to leave his old life and to start a new life as Jesus’ disciple. This man who would never have a Rabbi. This man who would never be accepted to follow a man of God was called by God in the flesh to follow Him.

Jesus does the unthinkable: He calls sinners to follow Him! What an amazing expression of the grace of God! Jesus does for this man what he could never do for himself!

Once again, the Pharisees and scribes want to know of Jesus, “What are you doing?” Their implication is that this is madness. No one in their right mind would do this, but Jesus shows them that it is they who are not of right mind.

He says to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”

Jesus does the unthinkable…He calls sinners to repentance. The jews taught that you had to earn God’s favor through the Torah. Jesus declares that God’s attention is upon any and all who would turn to Him!

He wants to save people. He wants all people to turn to Him. He wants all people to answer His call to follow Him!

No matter who you are. No matter what you’ve done. No matter what affiliations you’ve made for yourself. Jesus out of the goodness of His grace calls to you “Follow me.”

The only proper response we can have to let go of everything and embrace Jesus only!

Closing

I am so glad that Jesus does the unthinkable!

He touches the untouchables.

He forgives and restores.

He calls to us as sinners to repent and follow Him.

Aren’t you glad this morning for the mercies of God? Aren’t you grateful that there is no one outside of His touch? Aren’t you amazed at His amazing grace to love us out of our darkness and into His glorious light?

You may be here today and think “this is too good to be true.” Friend, It’s not. Jesus is graciously calling to you. He wants to touch your life. Through the power of His blood shed for you on the cross, He wants to forgive you and restore you to who He has truly made you to be. He wants to meet you in your brokenness and give you new life in Himself.

Jesus did the unthinkable in these passages and He’ll do it in your life as well.