Burunche’s Blog

Luke 5:17-26 Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralyzed Man

17 One day Jesus was teaching, and Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there. They had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal the sick. 18 Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. 19 When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.

20 When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”

21 The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, “Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

22 Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? 23 Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 24 But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” 25 Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God. 26 Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, “We have seen remarkable things today.”

I have always loved this story for several reasons. Let’s call the paralyzed man Eli. First, everybody should have friends like those men helping Eli. Even though Eli has become paralyzed, his friends have not deserted him. Eli’s friends could have deserted him as soon as they realized that the paralysis was becoming permanent, but they didn’t. Such friendship is remarkable in itself. Next, there’s the fact that these men are carrying Eli on a mat, making the effort to get him to Jesus so Jesus can heal him. Such effort demonstrates both faith and determination. These men have no guarantees that Jesus will heal their friend; yet, they are bringing him anyway.

As the men approach the house where Jesus is, carrying their paralyzed neighbor, they can already see there’s going to be a major problem. The house is jam-packed with people standing shoulder to shoulder. When the friends attempt to carry the crippled man into the house, no amount of begging or pleading works. Everybody refuses to move; after all, if they shift out of the way for a cripple, they will lose their place in the crowd and they want to watch Jesus as much as possible. Besides, old Eli has been crippled for decades; why can’t he and his friends simply give up?

Outside, Eli himself is losing hope. With no way to reach Jesus, Eli figures he’ll remain a cripple forever. But Eli’s friends are tough and determined and they aren’t about to give up. They remember that the roof on the house where Jesus is teaching is made of tiles over sun-dried bricks and thatch, not stone. Carrying Eli up to the roof, Eli’s friends remove the tiles from one section and begin digging through it. Down below, Jesus continues to teach, but now he hears noises from the roof and sees dust beginning to fall from the ceiling. Jesus smiles because he knows exactly what’s about to happen. Suddenly, there’s a loud crash and the ceiling above Jesus gives way, showering the crowd with dirt and straw. The crowd watches in fascination as Eli’s friends lower him down through the hole in the ceiling, laying him at Jesus’ feet. The people who have been standing or sitting nearest to Jesus have no choice but to shift back, stepping on other people’s feet as they do so. A few men even shake their fists at Eli’s friends for disturbing them, but Eli’s friends don’t care. They have succeeded in getting Eli to Jesus.

What happens next is shocking. Rather than reaching out a hand, praying, and healing Eli’s paralysis, Jesus tells him, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” Everyone in the crowd is horrified. Eli has been paralyzed for a long time, so how could he possibly have sinned while lying on that mat? Even before Eli was paralyzed, he was one of the most righteous men in town. How dare Jesus accuse Eli of being a sinner? But Jesus knows hearts, and Jesus knows Eli has been struggling because he feels his paralysis is a punishment from God for things he did before the paralysis. In addition, Eli has continued to struggle with rebellion and resentment; why has God allowed such a catastrophe? Doesn’t a righteous life count for anything? These questions have been tormenting Eli on the nights when his paralyzed limbs have ached, keeping him from sleeping.

When Jesus assures Eli that his sins are forgiven, Eli can feel relief and refreshing course through his body. At this point, Eli silently tells God that this is enough, that if he must remain paralyzed the rest of his life, he can do so because he knows God is not angry with him. Jesus knows that Eli’s heart has needed healing before anything else can happen.

Of course, the religious authorities in the crowd are scandalized. How dare Jesus behave as if he is God’s agent? Jesus has been waiting for this reaction, for he knows it will come, and now he can proceed with the second part of his ministry to Eli. 22 Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? 23 Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 24 But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.”

Raising his eyebrows in confusion, Eli looks at Jesus. Jesus looks back at Eli, smiles, and whispers, “Go on. You can do it.” Suddenly, Eli realizes his shrunken paralyzed legs are now normal and gets up from the mat. As the crowd stands amazed, Eli rolls up his mat and carries it out of the house, heading home to share this amazing news with his family.

Notice the heart healing, the forgiveness of sins, must take place before the physical healing. Were Jesus only to heal Eli physically, Eli would still go home believing that God hated him.

When we study this story, we need to understand Jesus’ healing ministry. Jesus never simply healed people’s physical conditions but also healed their spiritual ones, and the spiritual healing had to precede the physical healing.

Perhaps today, you are struggling with a physical problem. Perhaps God is using your ailment to get your attention that you have something in your soul that requires healing. Why not ask God to heal you spiritually before asking for a physical healing? What do you have to lose?

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, many of us are struggling with physical problems that may have spiritual connections. Please heal us. Please change us into Your likeness. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Luke 5:12-16 Jesus Heals a Man With Leprosy

12 While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”

13 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him.

14 Then Jesus ordered him, “Don’t tell anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”

15 Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. 16 But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.

When this man approached Jesus inside a town, he was desperate enough to ignore several laws regarding lepers, even though he was “covered with leprosy.” Anyone glancing at this man could immediately tell that he was a leper, so he risked being attacked and driven out of town before Jesus could see him. The man threw himself at Jesus’ feet both because he was begging Jesus for help and also to protect himself from being removed swiftly.

Ancient Jewish regulations concerning lepers were primarily outlined in the books of Leviticus and Numbers. These laws served both religious and practical purposes, focusing on the diagnosis, treatment, and social implications of leprosy. The primary texts for these regulations are found in Leviticus chapters 13 and 14. They provide detailed instructions on how to identify leprosy in individuals and even in objects like clothing and houses. The process involved priests who acted as health inspectors, determining whether a person was clean or unclean based on visible symptoms. Lepers were often isolated from the community to prevent the spread of the disease. They were required to live outside the camp and announce their condition to others. If a leper was deemed healed, a specific ritual involving sacrifices and offerings was required for reintegration into the community. This included the use of birds and other elements symbolizing purification. (AI Summary)

These days, the disease of leprosy is well-defined; however, in Biblical times, a number of different problems were tagged as leprosy, including fungal infections in people or mold and mildew in garments and houses. One thing is certain: lepers were social outcasts, forced to live outside towns and forbidden to have physical contact with anyone else. In a close-knit society, this ostracization must have been excruciatingly painful. As this man approached Jesus, he risked being driven out of town; however, he tried anyway. And even though Jesus ordered him to quietly show himself to the priests and offer necessary sacrifices, the word got out. Everyone in the crowd who had witnessed the healing immediately told as many others as possible, for this story was phenomenal.

Having been the conduit for such a miracle, many of us might have stayed around basking in the praise of the crowd. Jesus reacted much differently. “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” Jesus knew that the only way to continue to perform miracles was for God the Father to work through him and for God to receive all the glory. The only way to avoid blocking God’s power was to remain humble, to pray, and to remain in close contact with the Father. And the only way to have uninterrupted communion with the Father was to withdraw to some lonely place where the crowds wouldn’t follow. This meant that Jesus spent many nights or early mornings in prayer.

Personally, some of the best and most meaningful prayer times I have had have been in the middle of the night. Sometimes I am up because I have returned from the hospital after dealing with an emergency. Sometimes God wakes me up. If I wake up in the middle of the night and cannot sleep, I don’t blame insomnia; I assume God wants to tell me something. Nighttime is the time when the noise of the day quiets sufficiently to hear God most effectively.

Nighttime is also helpful for another reason: we can critically analyze a day’s events in the light of God’s Word. For me, it takes time and space to be able to reflect honestly on events and to see them as God does, rather than as I would like to see them. I need distance, quiet, and breathing room for reflection.

These days, there are many evangelists advertising “seasons of miracles” or “days and nights of miracles.” The advertising for these events always includes a large photo of the pastor in action…but where does the power for these miracles come from? If miracle-working power is coming from God, why aren’t we advertising God rather than a particular pastor? Notice that when Jesus was ministering, social media and advertising did not exist. News about Jesus spread by word of mouth; yet, thousands of people traveled long distances over poor roads to listen to him teach for hours. How much time does an evangelist spend in prayer before he/she gets up to minister?

Oral Roberts was one of the most successful Pentecostal evangelists of the twentieth century. Roberts once estimated that he had prayed for more than 1.5 million people during his ministry, with thousands of them receiving healing. One missionary friend who knew Roberts once asked Mr. Roberts what his ministry had cost him personally. Roberts answered that he had to drastically limit his social life apart from ministry, for without spending large amounts of time in prayer and fasting, God could not use him.

 “Great,” you say, “so Jesus had plenty of places to which he could retreat for prayer. I don’t have any of that available.” True. But remember the example of John Wesley’s mother, Susanna. Susanna bore nineteen children, nine of whom lived to adulthood. When Susanna wanted to pray, she would sit down and throw her apron over her head. Susanna’s children knew that when Susanna covered her head in this fashion, she was talking to God, and they were trained to wait until she uncovered her head to gain her attention.

In the movie The War Room, one of the central characters has turned a closet into a prayer warfare room, with photos, maps, and other reminders so that she can pray for people properly. Even if all you have is a laptop computer or a quiet corner, you can still create prayer lists and reminders for yourself. One of the big keys to effective prayer is constancy, continuing even when things are uncomfortable or time is limited. Years ago, while commuting 90 minutes to a job as an ER doc, I used my commuting time to pray. My car became a prayer closet. Sometimes I settled for praying in hospital corridors.

There is no wrong way to pray. God knows your heart and He loves it when you come to Him anytime and anywhere. Find some means of retreating from the noise of the world and wait for God to speak to your heart.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, please help all those who read these words to find quiet places where they can pray. Help them to listen more than to speak. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.