Luke 5:17-26 Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralytic
“Now it happened on a certain day, as He was teaching, that there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present to heal them. Then behold, men brought on a bed a man who was paralyzed, whom they sought to bring in and lay before Him. And when they could not find how they might bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the housetop and let him down with his bed through the tiling into the midst before Jesus.
When He saw their faith, He said to him, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.”
And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, He answered and said to them, “Why are you reasoning in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise up and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the man who was paralyzed, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.”
Immediately he rose up before them, took up what he had been lying on, and departed to his own house, glorifying God. And they were all amazed, and they glorified God and were filled with fear, saying, “We have seen strange things today!”
Well, Jesus is at it again, scandalizing the religious elite. A large crowd of religious leaders has gathered to observe Jesus, and the power of God is healing people, including, presumably, the religious leaders. Great stuff, right? As Jesus is sitting there teaching, noises can be heard up on the roof of the house, and suddenly plaster is falling from the ceiling. But if that isn’t enough, a hole appears in the ceiling with men on the roof scooping out the plaster with their hands and chipping away at it with a sharp hoe until there’s a hole large enough for them to lower down a man on a pallet.
People in the crowd gasp, “That’s Eli! He’s been paralyzed for twenty years! What’s happening?” But what happens next is even crazier, for Jesus looks intently at Eli and proclaims, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” Now the onlookers are really confused! Eli’s friends are hoping that Jesus will heal him, but why is Jesus pronouncing forgiveness of sins? Jesus and Eli know something the crowd does not, for Eli first became paralyzed from a stroke after losing his temper and nearly beating someone to death. In the years since, Eli has bitterly regretted his actions and has longed for God to forgive him. Finally, Eli has reached the point of telling God that if God will only forgive his sins, Eli will be willing to remain paralyzed for the rest of his life. Eli’s afflictions have made him far sweeter and more humble than he was when he was healthy.
When Jesus pronounces forgiveness over Eli, everything in Eli’s body relaxes. Eli feels as if a huge burden has been lifted from his shoulders, and he has peace for the first time in twenty years. But Eli is about to get even more.
“And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, He answered and said to them, “Why are you reasoning in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise up and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the man who was paralyzed, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” Immediately he rose up before them, took up what he had been lying on, and departed to his own house, glorifying God. And they were all amazed, and they glorified God and were filled with fear, saying, “We have seen strange things today!”
Eli has not only received full pardon for his sins but now he is healed. As Eli’s neighbors gape in astonishment, Eli, picks up his mat and practically dances out of the room and back to his own house. Down the street, onlookers are crying and shouting, “Eli, what happened to you?” And Eli is answering, “MY SINS ARE FORGIVEN AND I AM HEALED!”
Meanwhile, back at the house where Jesus has been teaching, everyone in the crowd is awe-struck and praising God. After all, what other reaction can there be? When Eli was let down on his mat, everyone saw the shrunken limbs, the contractures in the joints. Now Eli’s legs and arms look whole and healthy and they obviously work, for Eli is bounding down the street waving his mat over his head as he shouts out his thanks to God.
The religious leaders are left scratching their heads in astonishment. Never before in the history of the world has someone claimed to forgive sins. Who is this Jesus and on whose authority is he proclaiming such forgiveness? But if Jesus does not have authority to forgive sins, how has he managed to heal a paralytic? While the religious leaders are puzzled, the common people have no such problems. Everyone in town knows that Eli has bitterly regretted his hasty actions of twenty years ago. Now God has heard Eli’s prayers and has answered them completely and satisfactorily. All Eli’s neighbors are shouting “Hallelujah!” Some local musicians have shown up at Eli’s house, Eli’s wife has begun fixing food, and Eli’s family is throwing an impromptu party.
While Eli’s family is celebrating, let’s step out of the scene for a little bit and look at ourselves. Lent is a time when we are to examine our hearts and confess any sins we find there. Although we might not have committed any gross sins, remember God doesn’t grade on a sliding scale of sins. To a Holy God, all sin is equally wrong and deserving of punishment. Many of us commit sins of omission, refusing to do what needs to be done to help others. Others of us are very polite, but rub us the wrong way and see what we will say then! I have the misfortune to have some family members who could reduce others to rubble with one or two sentences and a lifted eyebrow. Our tongues should have been registered as deadly weapons. And I learned early how to politely destroy someone with a few words.
My confession should cause those reading this to check their own hearts. Do you indulge in unkindness and cloak it with some socially acceptable name? Do you leave a trail of offense as you go through life? Even the best and most gracious people still sin and all of us are in need of forgiveness. The ground is level at the foot of the Cross of Calvary. Perhaps we don’t suffer from physical paralysis but from emotional paralysis. No matter. Jesus has come to save us and forgive us if we will only confess our sins and ask for forgiveness.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, we confess that we have sinned against You and against those around us, both by what we have done and by what we have left undone. Please forgive our sins, cleanse our hearts, and help us to live for You from this day forward. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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