The Healing of the Paralytic (Luke 5:17-26)

Next, Jesus is approached by a paralytic. Or by a paralytic being carried by his friends. They can’t get to Jesus in the house where HE is teaching so they lower the man through a hole they create in the roof.

Again, we see several astounding things in this story.

First, we see that Jesus declares the man’s sins forgiven when he sees the FAITH OF HIS FRIENDS. This declaration causes a stir among the teachers and pharisees. They are right to be disturbed, because this is a blasphemy. Only God has the right to forgive sins. So, any other man forgiving sins would be blaspheming. The point Jesus is making is that HE does indeed have the power to forgive sins. He is God. To prove this point, He finally does what the men with their faith were believing would happen. He heals the man’s paralysis.

It is one thing to claim that a man’s sins are forgiven. That is an abstract matter that is hard to prove or disprove. However, it is another thing to claim to be able to heal a paralytic. That is demonstrable. The man gets up and walks home under his own power. Jesus has power over sickness AND sin.