Forgives - Luke 5:17-26

View video clip from the Chosen - episode 6 @ 49:26

I wish we could watch the entire episode

A lot of creative license is used

Matthew - viewed as having Asperger's

Peter - very protective of Jesus

1. Hope Demonstrated

Luke 5:17–19 CSB

17 On one of those days while he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea, and also from Jerusalem. And the Lord’s power to heal was in him. 18 Just then some men came, carrying on a stretcher a man who was paralyzed. They tried to bring him in and set him down before him. 19 Since they could not find a way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on the stretcher through the roof tiles into the middle of the crowd before Jesus.

v. 17 “One of those days” - just a typical, ordinary day

“teaching” - sometimes at the synagogue, sometimes in a private home

“Pharisees and teachers of the law” - scribes, religious lawyers who taught and ruled on scriptural issues. They may have seen Jesus as “in their lane”. Note: not a time of universal education, literacy.

“the Lord’s power to heal was in him” - a beautiful phrase.

In some places such as Nazareth He was hindered from healing because of the people’s lack of faith.

He has the opportunity to heal before the religious leaders who constantly doubted Him

v. 18 “Paralyzed” - the medical term. Even today - very difficult to treat.

v. 19 “Lowered him on the stretcher through the roof tiles” - common home architecture. The roof area was valuable square footage to be used.

2. Forgiveness Granted

Luke 5:20–24 CSB

20 Seeing their faith he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” 21 Then the scribes and the Pharisees began to think to themselves, “Who is this man who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 22 But perceiving their thoughts, Jesus replied to them, “Why are you thinking this in your hearts? 23 Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 24 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he told the paralyzed man, “I tell you: Get up, take your stretcher, and go home.”

v. 20 “forgiven” - “the removal of guilt that comes from sin…caries a sense of pardon”

Who can forgive a sin? The offended party

David in his psalm of repentance: “against thee and thee only have I sinned”.

v. 21 “To blaspheme was to perform an action that violated God’s majesty. Claiming a prerogative that was only God’s would be such a violation.”

Bock, D. L. (1994). Luke (Lk 5:17–26). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

v. 23 “Which is easier to say?” - miracles were the proof of the validity of Jesus’ message.

Was there anything Jesus could have told them that would have convinced them of who He was?

What bothers you about this story? The big question - does it seem odd that Jesus forgave the sins of someone who came to Him merely for healing? Answer: “seeing their faith”

1. This faith in the original setting would have been a faith in Jesus as one come from God who could heal.

Stein, R. H. (1992). Luke (Vol. 24, p. 176). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

(not only that, but faith enough to push through obstacles)

2. Just as Jesus could read the hearts of the scribes & pharisees, he could also read the heart of the paralytic.

3. Praise Offered

Luke 5:25–26 CSB

25 Immediately he got up before them, picked up what he had been lying on, and went home glorifying God. 26 Then everyone was astounded, and they were giving glory to God. And they were filled with awe and said, “We have seen incredible things today.”

v. 25 “went home, glorifying God” - wouldn’t you?

v. 26 “incredible things” - paradoxos: difficult to believe, unusual, remarkable

Applications:

Physical healing without forgiveness of sins means very little

2. Jesus still has the power to heal