As we have noted in previous lessons, Capernaum was Jesus’ home base. In our text today, Jesus has returned home to Capernaum and is teaching in a private home. In order to see all the details of what happened, we must study the text in both Mark and Luke concurrently. Read these two accounts.
How many people were at the house to hear Jesus teach (Mark)? Who was in the crowd to hear His teaching (Luke)? Notice what it says in Luke 5:17. Jesus had the power of God with Him to heal. At first glance, this gives the impression that Jesus didn’t always have the ability to heal, but a study of the original Greek word used here for power ‘dunamis’ compared with the usual Greek word for power ‘ischus’ reveals an additional inference of Divine accomplishment. What this verse is telling us is that Jesus had a resolve to heal. Jesus is always ‘able’, He is often ‘willing’, and, in this instance, He was resolved, or determined, to heal. Who was He determined to heal? The KJV translates to ‘them’ where the NIV translates to ‘the sick’. I believe, in this instance, Jesus was determined to heal those in the crowd, including the Pharisees and religious teachers, who had come to hear Him speak.
We are told that four men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat. They wanted Jesus to heal him, but they could not get the man into the house where Jesus was, due to the crowd. These men were determined and would not give up. When they could not get through the crowd, they went up onto the roof, made a hole, and lowered the man down through it.
Can you imagine the stuffy Jewish leaders sitting inside the house when pieces of the roof began coming loose and falling down on them? (This thought makes me laugh!) Soon, they can see a hole and then a man being lowered down. And not just a man, but a paralyzed man, one unable to bathe himself and thus probably had a bad smell. In those days, the chronically ill or disabled tended to always be outcast and poor. Right in front of these Pharisees and religious leaders, this man comes dropping down through the roof into the presence of Jesus.
The Bible tells us that Jesus ‘saw’ their faith. Jesus knows everything about us, and He knows if we have faith. But here, we see the word ‘saw’. He ‘saw’ their faith in action. They didn’t just believe that Jesus could heal the man, they took action based on that faith. And seeing that faith, Jesus said, “Your sins are forgiven.” We know that it is our faith that saves us and it was faith that made this man whole (Eph 2:8, Heb 11:1-2).
Immediately, the Pharisees and teachers began thinking to themselves – who does He think He is? He’s speaking blasphemy. Only God can forgive sins. Is He claiming to be God? They are feeling shocked and outraged!
Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked them, “Is it easier to say that your sins are forgiven or to tell this man to get up and walk?” If you claim sins to be forgiven, the truth of that cannot be verified visibly. But if you claim to heal physical ailments, the truth of this can be easily verified. Therefore, Jesus tells them that He is going to heal the man and gives them the reason… so that they will know that He has the authority to forgive sins. He uses the term ‘Son of Man’ to refer to Himself. This is a Biblical term often used in the Old Testament to refer to the Messiah that would come. He was saying here that by healing this man, He will be demonstrating that He is the Messiah.
Jesus told the man to stand up, take his mat, and go home, and the man did exactly that. Luke tells us additionally that the man left praising God. His healing came because of his faith, and he knew exactly who to thank for it. And the people who were there were amazed and praised God. Everyone was praising God as a result of what happened!
This story is not about healing. It is about faith and the forgiveness of sins. We know that if we ask His forgiveness, He will forgive us (1 John 1:9). This is a Biblical promise. So many times, people think that their sin is so grievous that God could never forgive them, but that is not true. These people have been paralyzed by their sin. Have you ever been in the place where you have asked His forgiveness, but you still feel the guilt of a huge sin? Sometimes we feel unable to believe that God has forgiven an egregious sin and we continue to go to Him, time after time, seeking forgiveness for that same sin. Each time we repeat the request, we reinforce in our mind the idea that He is not able to forgive… or perhaps not willing. But He is and He does and we should claim that promise in 1 John 1:9 and be healed.
Record Isa 43:25 in your journal.
Responding to God: Worship a most holy and righteous God, thanking Him for His willingness to forgive our sins. Claim His promise that your confessed sins have been forgiven. Pray for the kind of faith that leads to action. Thank Him for the healing and freedom He has brought into your life.
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