Audio Version

YouTube Video

Resources:

: The Bible Project :: https://www.bibleproject.com

: YouVersion Bible App :: https://www.bible.com

Luke 5:17-26

[17] One day He was teaching; and there were some Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem; and the power of the Lord was present for Him to perform healing. [18] 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. [19] But not finding any way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down through the tiles with his stretcher, into the middle of the crowd, in front of Jesus. [20] Seeing their faith, He said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven you.” [21] The scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this man who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?” [22] But Jesus, aware of their reasonings, answered and said to them, “Why are you reasoning in your hearts? [23] Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins have been forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? [24] But, so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,”—He said to the paralytic—“I say to you, get up, and pick up your stretcher and go home.” [25] Immediately he got up before them, and picked up what he had been lying on, and went home glorifying God. [26] They were all struck with astonishment and began glorifying God; and they were filled with fear, saying, “We have seen remarkable things today.”

Notes:

The day the crowd witnessed this miracle it was to them a “strange thing” (KJV) or as the NASB says “remarkable.”  The Greek word for “remarkable” or “strange” is the word from which we get our word paradox (paradoxa; Gk.).

Spiritual Paradoxes: A spiritual paradox cuts across the grain of human things, traditional thought, reasoning, or the way we thing things ought to be. It runs contrary to the human mind; it flows upstream from the intellect of man.   

1. The Sacrifical Service of his four friends: (5:19)

“They went up on the roof and let him down through the tiles with his stretcher, into the middle of the crowd, in front of Jesus.”

Principle: You have to die to live.

2. The Sanctimony of the Pharisees:

“The scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying who is this man who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?

Principle: You have to come down in order to go up.

3. The Self Interest of the Multitude:

“But not finding any way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof” (5:19).

Principle: Your Have To Give To Receive: if you want to receive mercy—Give mercy! “Blessed are the merciful”

4. The Spiritual Matter at Hand:

“Friend your sins are forgiven you.”

Principle: Spiritual matters are more important than the physical. Eternal things are more important than temporal.