Thursday 9 November 2023

Luke 5:17-26

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.”

Jesus is teaching the teachers and others. They wanted to hear and learn. And then a teaching moment literally breaks through the roof of the home he was in. 

Jesus, seeing faith in action, immediately forgives the paralysed man of his sin and the man is healed. Everyone is astounded. A visual physical teaching moment of forgiveness of sin and the healing it brings with an unspoken declaration that Jesus is God.  Sin.  Such a small word but with so many tentacles in our lives, like small veins travelling through us invisible to all but God. Jesus saw the man’s real need was forgiveness of sin. In this instance, it was sin that paralysed him.  Jesus demonstrated that he only could forgive our sin, he does it quickly, asks no questions, does it completely.

This passage has made me ask, what parts of my life are paralysed by sin? Maybe not seen by others or even by me, but God can see.

Lord Jesus, I ask today that you show me any area of my life that has been paralysed by sin. I know this is a big ask but show me where I need to ask your forgiveness, so that your healing to come and restore.  AMEN

Written by Suzie Hodgson