Luke 5:17-26 – The healing of the paralytic

As the ministry progressed, here Luke introduced the reaction that Jesus had to encounter from the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law. They came from every village of Galilee, Judea and Jerusalem and sat among the crowds when Jesus was teaching. In this case they were offended by what Jesus said to a paralytic, and saw His words as an affront against God. They saw Jesus as guilty of blasphemy, refusing to see all that He had done and said, that were indicating of His identity as the promised Messiah.

The crowd that gathered to listen to Jesus was indeed huge. Wherever Jesus was, God’s power was present to heal, and so it was in this case. While the spiritual power was pulsating in the atmosphere, there was also tension. We can see the two points where the tension was coming from. Firstly it came from the presence of the Pharisees and religious leaders from every village of Galilee, Judea and Jerusalem. Secondly it came from Jesus who was there teaching to a large crowd. Mark 2:2 describing the same account tells us that, “And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room, not even near the door….” The room was charged.

All of a sudden in the middle of Jesus’ teaching and in the midst of an expectant crowd, a disturbance happened. In Luke’s own words, “And some men were carrying on a bed a man who was paralyzed; and they were trying to bring him in and to set him down in front of Him.” The place was so crowded that they couldn’t find a way in. So they took the paralytic man up to the roof, and lowered him through a hole they made in the tiles, and laid him before Jesus. Luke did not indicate the number of people that carried the paralytic there, but Mark tells us it was four men, most likely his friends, who took him there. These four friends demonstrated tremendous love for the paralytic, so much so that they were willing to undertake such a daunting task to ensure that the paralytic friend get an audience with Jesus. They did all that also because they were convinced that Jesus was the answer to their friend’s plight. What about us? Do we care for our loved ones so much that we are prepared to bear with difficulties to get them to Christ?  Are we also convinced that Jesus is the answer to all our needs and longing? 

There was also another element that led to their bold endeavor. It was their faith. The kind that chooses to put their entire trust in God, explicitly. It was the kind that undoubtedly would please God. It’s also the kind that believe God would reward, when one diligently seeks Him. Such faith shows itself in a never-say-die attitude, one that refuses to give up in the face of tough obstacles. The four friends were not only unwavering, persistent and creative, but were also sacrificial. All these are qualities of such faith. So the four friends took the tough option to get the paralytic to Jesus through the roof.   

Ironically the true paralytics on that day were the Pharisees and teachers of the Law.  Their attitude marked the contrast of the attitude of the four stretcher-bearers. Of all people they should have demonstrated love, but theirs was a spirit of indifference. They had an extremely critical spirit.  And both are hindrances to faith and healing. We can be sure that Jesus could tell exactly what was going on. He used that moment to pronounce forgiveness to that paralytic man. He told him, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” It was a deliberate, provocative statement. To the Pharisees, they saw Jesus’ pronouncement as a downright blasphemy, because God alone can forgive sin. They were upset that Jesus had the audacity to claim equality with God. So they thought to themselves, ‘Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?’ 

What was Jesus’ purpose in doing this? We can roughly conclude His reasons. Firstly, it’s because the greatest need of the paralytic was the forgiveness of his sin. No point having a healed body but a sick soul. Forgiveness is a far greater work and that’s the crux of Jesus’ mission, to free us from the guilt of sin. Secondly, it could well be a guilt of an imagined unforgivable sin that led him to remain paralyzed. Physical condition could often be traced to a moral reason. Jesus’ words was a preparation to physical healing. Thirdly, Jesus’ pronouncement of forgiveness would demonstrate to His opponents the implication of the healing soon to take place. The Pharisees naturally thought that to pronounce forgiveness is easier for it was unverifiable. Whereas healing can be easily verified. So Jesus with the authority invested in Him not only pronounce forgiveness but also healed that man. He did only what God could do. He told that man to pick up his stretcher and get up and walk, and he did. This brought not only great astonishment but also great awe among the people, and they gave praise to God. They all acknowledged that it was indeed a remarkable thing that God had done.

Jesus still has the power to heal and that power can be unleashed by our faith, love and conviction. Have we loved people so much that we would be prepared to tear through roofs for them to get to Jesus? Jesus is the only way to man’s total healing – spirit, soul and body. Without a doubt He is still the answer to all our longing. Let’s come to Him, no matter how big our obstacle or obstacles may be!