Luke 5:17-26
One day, while he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting nearby (they had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem); and the power of the Lord was with him to heal. Just then some men came, carrying a paralyzed man on a bed. They were trying 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 middle of the crowd in front of Jesus. When he saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven you.” Then the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, “Who is this who is speaking blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” When Jesus perceived their questionings, he answered them, “Why do you raise such questions in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you’, or to say, ‘Stand up and walk’? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the one who was paralyzed—“I say to you, stand up and take your bed and go to your home.” Immediately he stood up before them, took what he had been lying on, and went to his home, glorifying God. Amazement seized all of them, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, “We have seen strange things today.”
If Luke’s gospel were a movie, the background music would change at this point, growing darker and more ominous, more than likely shifting to a minor key. Because at this point in the story the confrontation that will culminate in Jesus’ crucifixion takes definite shape. We had a preview earlier, in the reaction to his sermon at home. But now the tension has gone up a notch, as the religious leaders – in this case the Pharisees and teachers of the law – have come to check out Jesus. And they don’t like what they see.
Apparently it’s not the healing that upsets them, but the words Jesus uses to signify or bless the healing. “Your sins are forgiven.”
Forgiveness. We typically think of this as such a nice thing. Then why all the ruckus?
Because forgiveness is only nice if you believe you need it. The one who pronounces forgiveness, after all, is the one with authority, the one with power. More to the point, the one who forgives is the one with the power and authority to judge. Forgiveness, therefore, always holds within it an accusation of the need for forgiveness. And the Pharisees and teachers of the law are not willing either to concede to Jesus such authority or admit their own need for forgiveness, especially not from one such as him. “Who has the power to forgive other than God?” they therefore ask and declare Jesus’ words blasphemy.
Jesus’ response seems innocuous enough, as he uses other words, “Take up your mat and walk.” But don’t be mistaken, as Jesus’ very ability to heal shows his connection to God and demonstrates that he does, indeed, have the power not just to heal but also forgive.
And so the sides are set – on one side are the religious authorities, those enfranchised with authority and power and who need and want nothing from Jesus. And on the other is Jesus, the one with the power of the Spirit to heal and forgive, restore and comfort.
But there is more than dramatic tension here; there is also a tragedy. For in their refusal to admit need or acknowledge Jesus’ divine power they miss the very event of the healing altogether. A man who has been paralyzed has been healed, restored, made new…yet that passes them by. Caught up in a concern with rules and authority and power, they miss the activity of God in their midst.
Quite honestly, I think this is fairly understandable. They were used to things working a certain way. They had a clear understanding of how God operated and, perhaps even more, the kind of person through whom God worked. But stuck in their confidence of what to expect from God, they missed the unpredictable love of God that is regularly doing new things through unexpected people, all for the sake of healing, comfort, and grace.
May we not do the same.
Prayer: Dear God, give us generous hearts and broad vision that we may welcome the movement of your Spirit into our lives even and especially when it takes an unexpected shape and comes from unexpected people. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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