Faith(s) Healing – Luke 5:17-26

HBO aired a miniseries in 2001 based on the experiences of Easy Company called Band of Brothers. The grandson of a man who served in World War II posts, about Easy Company, on his site, WorldWar2Facts.org, “One of the most well-known companies in the United States Army is Easy Company, of the 2nd Battalion of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, of the 101st Airborne Division (the Screaming Eagles). The company was formed in 1942 as part of an experimental airborne regiment and fought in the European Theater of World War 2. Major battles the company saw action in include: Operation Overlord (Battle of Normandy), Operation Market Garden, Operation Pegasus, the Battle of the Bulge, and Occupation Duty at Hitler’s Eagle Nest and later Austria.”  There was a paralyzed man who came to Jesus with a band of brothers.

On one of those days, as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with him to heal. 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. And when he saw their faith, he said, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 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. And amazement seized them all, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, “We have seen extraordinary things today.”  (Luke 5:17-26 ESV)

The Pharisees and teachers of the law have come to check Jesus out.  They needed to have an answer to who Jesus was in order to make a valuation and know how to guide the nation in regard to him.  Was he a charlatan, a false prophet, a legitimate teacher, or the Messiah?  When they hear Jesus pronounce forgiveness to the paralytic they suspect he is a false teacher and a blasphemer (claiming rights only God has).

Luke tells us that on this day “the power of the Lord was with him to heal.”  Jesus was not using his own deity to accomplish miracles but was being dependent on God’s leading and power.  It is likely that God gave him knowledge of what the Pharisees and teachers were saying to themselves about Jesus being a blasphemer.  So he proves to them that he has the authority to forgive sins by healing the man.  This should have convinced them but we will see later that it did not.  It convinced many in the crowd, however.

God wants us to relate to Him through Jesus.  He shows here that Jesus is His chosen representative.  When Jesus says (John 14:6) that he is the way, the truth, and the life, and that no one comes to the Father except through him, he is showing how knowing God comes exclusively through him.

One of the most wonderful things about this miracle of Jesus is that it is in response to the faith of not just one but several people.  The paralyzed man had some amazing friends who, with him, believed that God was working through Jesus and was able to heal him.  And in their faith they went to great lengths to get their friend’s healing.  Oh for friends like that!