Jesus Heals the Paralytic

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
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Jesus Heals the Paralytic
Jesus marvels at their faith. The Christian life is a life lived in community. A paralyzed man cannot bring himself to Jesus, so his friends bring him to the Word. They believed that Jesus had the power to do something about their friend’s condition. They will try every option to get their friend to the healing touch of Jesus. This is the same Jesus that has the power to forgive and make new. He is the one that has destroyed your sins and your great enemy, the devil, too. He calls you by the work of his Holy Spirit, as he calls the whole Christian church on earth. He binds you together with your fellow believers. He puts you into families and with friends. He helps and supports you in your needs by the people around you. This is the God that has power to make the lame walk, but even more than that, he has the power to kill death for you and me. That is exactly what he has done. We are made free to live again in his death. Amen.