A few days after healing a leper in Galilee, Jesus returned to His ministry headquarters in Capernaum. (Mt 9:1-8; Mk 2:1-12; Lk 5:17-26) When “the people heard that he had come home, so many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them.” Mk 2:1-2 Notice that what was first mentioned about Jesus on this occasion was “he preached the word to them.”
(Many Christians forget that the purpose of the miracles and signs was always to confirm the gospel message, which was the top priority. Mk 16:20 Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it. Heb 2:3-4 This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. 4God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will. Ac 14:3 So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to perform signs and wonders.)
Part of the packed crowd were not only Pharisees and teachers of the law from every local town in Galilee, but also some from down south in Judea and Jerusalem, who had traveled 120-miles just to check Jesus out. That paints a clear picture of how much trouble Jesus had already stirred up throughout all levels of Jewish leadership.
Next the story turns to the miracles Jesus performed. “And the power of the Lord was present for him to heal the sick.” Lk 5:17
One particular miracle was the healing of a paralyzed man. This healing stood out because he had 4 friends who brought him to Jesus on a mat. When they couldn’t get inside, due to the packed crowd, they improvised and lowered their friend down to Jesus through some of the roof tiles. No doubt that shutdown everything in the main room.
Then the record reports, “When Jesus saw their faith”. The faith of the 4 friends impressed Jesus, so much so, that He confused the whole crowd by saying, “Friend, take heart, your sins are forgiven.” That isn’t why the man was there; he was there to be healed. The Pharisees and teachers of the law were inflamed, thinking to themselves, “Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
But Jesus read their thoughts and rebuked them saying: “Why are you thinking these evil things? Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? His enemies were silent. That is when Jesus pointed directly to the Pharisees and teachers of the law and told them that what He was about to do, was so that they could “know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” They could not see the man’s sins forgiven, but they could see what was about to happen.
Then Jesus said to the paralytic, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home. Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God.” Seeing the instant healing, confirmed the truth that Jesus could forgive sins, which only God could do; Jesus was God.
Results? The paralytic = “went home praising God”; the crowd = “amazed and gave praise to God”; the Pharisees and teachers of the law = condemned, flabbergasted; The 4 friends = prayers answered, rewarded; Jesus = divine, all powerful “Son of Man.”
Mike “Pawdad” Sublett, Pastor @ Hi-Land Christian Church, Pampa, Texas 79065, 630-730-8015
