Healing the Paralytic

Stop inviting your friends to church...

Several years ago, I was listening to a leader of a large youth ministry. He made that statement to the Christian kids in his youth group.

Of course, the students, and our, natural response is WHAT!?!

“I thought that’s what we’ve been told to do for years? Isn’t that part of what it means to be a Christian - to invite your friends to church?”

He continued

Stop inviting your friends to church...

…bring them

His whole point is that an invitation is a take it or leave it proposition. But bringing someone, is telling them, “I’m going to church Sunday or I’m going to youth group, will you come with me?” and then picking them up (in your car or your parent’s car) and bringing them with you.

This pastor was being a bit hyperbolic, but as we’re going to see today, he was also biblical.

If you have your bibles, open them to Luke 5. In this passage, we’re going to reflect on the actions of some men as they literally brought their friend to Jesus - and then Jesus’ surprising response.

As we jump into this passage, let me tell you the overall point right off the bat:

The point of the passage: Jesus has authority to forgive sins (meet our true and deepest need) as demonstrated by his power to heal because He is God.

So, in the passage before, we see some men who bring their friend to Jesus because of...

The perceived mission: healing.

Luke 5:18 ESV

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,

These men wanted to bring their friend to Jesus - we presume that it was for his healing. The text doesn’t actually tell us why they brought him - we simply infer that it was because they wanted Jesus to heal him.

Part of the reason we can make this inference is that:

Jesus had recently healed a leper (Luke 5:12-15)

Jesus was gaining a reputation

Luke foreshadows a healing - Luke 5:17b “...And the power of the Lord was with him to heal.”

do we truly see the mission that is before us? Do we understand the true spiritual need of our family members and friends?

In addition to having a mission - to get their friend healed, ...

They experienced real obstacles.

Luke 5:18–19 ESV

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, 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.

Let’s consider some of their obstacles:

The Personal obstacle: transporting their friend - it almost goes without saying but these men had to overcome their friend’s weight. Now, he may not have weighed a lot, but if you’ve ever lifted someone who can’t help you, you get to carry all of their weight, they can seem very heavy. Now, they may have had a cart of some sort, but eventually, they had to get him to the roof.

The Public Obstacle: the large crowd - Luke doesn’t tell us how many people were there, but we can imagine a large crowd that filled part of a house and then spilled out into the street. Trying to move through this crowd would have meant interrupting people’s ability to listen

The Physical Obstacle: the roof - this seems like an odd one to us, but imagine a flat middle-eastern roof. Somehow, they were able to disassemble some portion of it to get their friend down through the roof.

This month as we continue asking the question “Who’s your one?”, we get to consider the mission that God had placed before us to make disciples. We also have to face the reality that there will be obstacles.

When we look at the obstacles in front of us around accomplishing the mission before us - what are they?

Personal Obstacles:

Fear

Politeness - not wanting to risk offending? - Is temporarily offending your friend worth more than the eternal destiny of their soul?

Lack of knowledge - I don’t know how to share my faith… There are several resources in the Book Nook that you can use to help:

Evangelism as Exiles

Several books on belief and sharing your faith.

Everyday Evangelism Cards

Public Obstacles:

cultural pressure

cultural opinions

friend groups

Physical Obstacles:

These are not exhaustive but let’s reflect on a few.

transportation - maybe you don’t have a means of bringing someone or going to meet them. Students, this might be something your parents can assist with.

opportunities - these could be opportunities for interaction or conversation - being in a different workplace, having different friend groups, etc. (story of picnic - inviting neighbors and church friends - creating an opportunity)

proximity - As you may know, Vern and Gabriel are leading a class called “The Engagement Project” - no this is not about getting ready for marriage. One of the things this class reflects on in where God has us - where we live, where we work, where we attend school, etc. One premise is that God has placed us in proximity to people for a reason - lives next to you, across the street, behind you, etc?

Are we willing to do what it takes to get through them?

So, these men had a mission to see their friend healed and then overcame several personal, public and physical obstacles to get him to Jesus with the expectation that Jesus would heal him.

Transition:

So imagine the scene.

a crowded room spilling out into the street

on the roof

dust and debris falling on people

a man lowered through the ceiling

what will Jesus do? Will he heal the man? Will he be angry? will he ignore it and keep on teaching?

Luke 5:20 ESV

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

what?

that’s not what they wanted - was it?

Is that why they schlepped their friend all the way there? Is that why they worked around the crowd and destroyed a ceiling?

We eventually learn that...

Jesus accomplished the true mission: forgiveness.

Jesus clearly sees the need. He clearly sees the faith of the man’s friends. He understands what needs to be done, but he is after a bigger mission.

Thabiti Anyabwile:

“The act of letting their friend down through the roof was an unusual demonstration of faith. ... Jesus says nothing about the man's legs or paralysis. He focused on the man's soul. He forgives the man sins. Listen, you can be paralyzed, unable to get around without your friends, lying motionless on your sick bed, and yet still be full of sin!”

He continues...

“In his holiness Christ does not chase away the person. Nor does the savior crush the sinner. The Lord of love does not hate the sinner. Instead, our Holy Lord forgives at the center. Forgiveness is one of the holiest acts of all.”

Jesus creates a beautiful teaching moment by addressing the real need of the man - his sin problem.

There are times in our prayer lives when we will pray and fast and plead that God would work in someone’s life. We’ve seen in scripture that He can. We hope and wonder why he doesn’t.

Healing Tanya or Teresa

Fixing a financial problem

Reconciling a conflict between friends or family members.

We assume that the thing we want most is the thing God wants most - while failing to realize God is at work in a myriad of ways. He has a bigger mission. He has not forgotten or forsaken. He is working in that person’s life and in our lives.

But consider this too - how often do we look for something other than what is truly needed?

We want world peace and assume that getting there is by endorsing every whim of society.

We want happiness assuming that it comes from getting the things we want.

We want to address crime problems with out fixing people’s hearts.

We have to recognize that the underlying problem in the world is sin! Humanity’s rebellion against a holy God. We don’t need self-actualization or inner peace - we need to repent of our sin and yield to God.

So Jesus doesn’t immediately address the man’s paralysis - but addresses his sin problem - the real problem. In addressing the man’s sin problem, Luke communicates that the ...

Religious leaders objected.

They scoffed at Jesus claiming to forgive sins - that’s something only God can do.

Luke 5:21 ESV

And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

They are not wrong in their objections. God alone is the one who forgives sin. God alone is the One who is offended by our sinful rebellion.

Mike McKinley comments:

“The Pharisees and teachers of the law understand the implications of Jesus statement. They know that only God can forgive sins, and so Jesus’ words to the paralyzed man essentially amount to blasphemy (Luke 5:21). And they're thinking, Jesus has claimed to exercise a privilege that belongs to God alone. In a sense they are correct: God is the only one who can forgive sin. But if, as Luke has already shown us, Jesus is the divine son of God in human flesh, that he doesn't deed have "authority on earth to forgive sense" (V 24).”

If Jesus is not God then he truly is blaspheming.

Our culture has its own religious leaders. I’m not talking solely about Rabbi’s, Cleric, Imams, pastors, or Priests. I’m also talking about the secular-humanistic religious leaders that expect everyone to go along with and believe all of the things they put forth.

We have to recognize that in our mission, people will object - they will scoff at our addressing people’s sin problems. They will object that Jesus being the ONLY way is to narrow-minded. We must persist - because our mission and message does not come from us, it comes from Jesus.

Jesus didn’t get into an argument with them and he certainly didn’t back down.

We see finally that...

Jesus proves He has authority to forgive sins by healing the man.

These religious leaders must have been talking quietly or or thinking to themselves.

Luke 5:22–25 ESV

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.

Bock:

“Logic tells us that it is easier to say one’s sins are forgiven, since that cannot be seen; but in fact that is more difficult, since on must have the authority to do that. Then Jesus links the two issues together. He acts so that the audience can know the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins.”

If you’re on the fence about who Jesus is and what He has done, consider the premise behind this scene in His life. Even today, our most intelligent medical personnel cannot fully heal a paralyzed person. The technology, knowledge, and ability simply isn’t there. Jesus - uses his ability to heal this man to prove he can address a far more serious issue - forgiveness of sin.

Have you allowed Jesus’ finished work on the cross to forgive your sin? Have you responded to his call for salvation?

Closing thoughts:

Last week, we started this series by asking the question: “Who’s Your One?”

Several of us committed to praying for our one for each of the next 30 days. If you didn’t get a chance to commit, then there are some resources in the back - a prayer guide, a bookmark. If you have the name of your one, write their name on the top of the book mark, tear off that portion, and place it in the offering box. Those who gather on Wednesdays will pray with you for these.

Do you see your One as part of your mission for the Kingdom of God? Not a project, but your assignment from the Lord?

Will you be intentional about exposing your One to the gospel?

Will you, with the help of the Holy Spirit, work to overcome the obstacles that you’ll face?

Will you stand firm in the face of objections?

Will you trust that Jesus has the authority and power to forgive? He does the saving, we simply do the bringing.

Let’s pray.

Sources:

NAMB - Who’s Your One? Campaign materials

Anyabwile, Thabiti Christ-Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in Luke, Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing, 2018.

Bock, Darrell L. NIVAC: Luke: Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1996.

McKinley, Mike. Luke 1-12 For You. The Good Book Company, 2016.