Kind deeds by a group of friends and kind words from Jesus clash with the harsh thoughts of the Scribes and Pharisees.
The paralytic man and his friends have supreme faith in Jesus while the religious leaders from all quarters become more and more suspicious of Him.
The Lord answers both the request of the faithful and the doubts of the unfaithful by means of this miracle.
1 And getting into a boat he crossed over and came to his own city.
2 And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.”
3 And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.”
4 But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts?
5 For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’?
6 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic—“Rise, pick up your bed and go home.”
7 And he rose and went home.
8 When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men.
This phrase is unusual and interesting for a few reasons. Faith is not sight, but you know faith when you see it. And while someone's faith cannot be seen with the eyes, their actions make their faith clear. The Lord clearly intends for our faith to become visible!
James 2:18
…Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
Matthew 5:16
…Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
The word Matthew uses for "son" (τέκνον) is endearing since it typically refers to one's own child. Jesus is showing the man empathy and great kindness.
Maybe it should go without saying that forgiveness is not likely what these friends were hoping for. While Jesus will in fact grant their petition and heal the poor man, He takes this moment to teach the relative value of physical versus spiritual healing. Spiritual healing should be the most important, and it is in fact the hardest healing to get. This is not the first time the Lord taught this distinction, and this teaching will be amplified throughout the New Testament.
Matthew 5:29–30
If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.
2 Corinthians 5:14–15
The love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.
Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
1 Peter 4:1–3
Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God. For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do….
It isn't evil to wonder how a mere man could forgive sins, but their statement is an outright condemnation. While this episode takes place relatively early in Jesus's time teaching on earth, He is certainly no stranger to these men, either. They well know the many miracles He has already done—isn't it why they are here in the first place?
This aspect of the current reading has much in common with another place in Luke where Jesus tells a woman her sins are forgiven in the presence of many Pharisees.
Luke 7:47–50
“I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
Especially v.49 there, "Who is this?", is worded to show they were drawing the right conclusion, even if they bristled at it.
That is, they think Jesus is doing evil things.
Most think healing cerebral palsy would be harder than providing forgiveness of sins. But forgiveness of sins is not a mere mental exercise, forgetting what happened and letting by-gones be by-gones. The truth is that forgiveness is much harder to provide: Jesus died for it!
Matthew 26:28
…This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
Hebrews 9:22
…Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.
If it was hard for them to believe this Man could talk of forgiveness of sins, the miracle of healing should have made God's approval clear. There is a subtle shift between the statements "your sins are forgiven" and "rise and walk". The phrase, "your sins are forgiven," is descriptive; but the phrase, "rise and walk," is a direct command. In His first statement, He did not say, "I have forgiven your sins." But the second statement, "Rise and walk!", removes any possible doubt: This is coming directly from Jesus, so we "know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins."
Early in Jesus's earthly teaching, the people are still thinking of Him as just a man like any one of us. Jesus is no mere man, but they have yet to grasp this fact. God has seen fit to allow His Son in human form to say and do divine things. The conclusion is inescapable, but some refuse to draw it!
John 10:24
“How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.”
1 And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home.
2 And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them.
3 And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men.
4 And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay.
5 And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
6 Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts,
7 “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
8 And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts?
9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’?
10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic—
11 “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.”
12 And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”
On His return home, He is not focused on signs but on the teaching, as it says, "And He was preaching the word to them." The word was sufficient to draw such a crowd that it was standing room only with considerable overflow.
Matthew spoke of Jesus seeing their faith; Mark details what there was to see. Not only did they bring the man to Him, but they would not be deterred. They displayed ingenuity and creativity to solve the problem that they couldn't get near Him. They did all this because they loved their friend and they knew getting to Jesus was all that he needed.
Their persistence in faith reminds us of the faith our forefather Jacob had that was the reason he was renamed Israel.
Genesis 32:24–28
And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. Then he said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” And he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.”
The word "questioning" (διαλογίζομαι) in and of itself is simply deliberating something, although it often seems to be deliberation about something troubling or difficult. It isn't wrong to ask a question; their problem is what they decided upon: "He is blaspheming!"
There are several points in the gospels where people react this way to the works of the Lord.
The themes of the current reading become even clearer when we consider two other episodes in particular:
Matthew 9:32–34
As they were going away, behold, a demon-oppressed man who was mute was brought to him. And when the demon had been cast out, the mute man spoke. And the crowds marveled, saying, “Never was anything like this seen in Israel.” But the Pharisees said, “He casts out demons by the prince of demons.”
John 9:30–33
The [formerly blind] man answered, “Why, this is an amazing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him. Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”
The episode in Matthew makes clear the religious leaders stood apart from the crowd by opposing Jesus while the crowd lauded Him. The episode in John points out what is probably the most important theme: Jesus is attested by God, so rejecting Him is inexcusable.
17 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.
18 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,
19 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.
20 And when he saw their faith, he said, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.”
21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
22 When Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answered them, “Why do you question in your hearts?
23 Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’?
24 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.”
25 And immediately he rose up before them and picked up what he had been lying on and went home, glorifying God.
26 And amazement seized them all, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, “We have seen extraordinary things today.”
Matthew and Mark both mention the Scribes. Luke thus identifies the Scribes as "teachers of the Law" and adds that the Pharisees were also present. Shortly after this episode (5:30), Luke will call these "the Pharisees and their scribes," showing the relationship between the two parties. With the Pharisees in charge and in opposition to Jesus, any honest scribe must have been conflicted within himself.
Since the city of Jerusalem is within Judea, I prefer the reading, "even from Jerusalem." Luke earlier told us, "Reports about Him went out into every place in the surrounding region" (4:37), so here we see the response to those reports. The fact that teachers from every village have convened to hear this Teacher is a testimony to how different He was indeed. Luke may even be telling us the crowd was made mostly of teachers.
Teachers from Jerusalem, the capital, would have represented the best and most respected teachers in Israel, and these, too, are sitting at the feet of Jesus. It is even possible a young Saul of Tarsus or one of his teachers was present!
Acts 26:4
[Paul said,] “My manner of life from my youth, spent from the beginning among my own nation and in Jerusalem, is known by all the Jews.”
Luke's language here is more emphatic than meets the eye. The force of his wording is that this is the point at which the Scribes and Pharisees first started to think this way about Him.
Several places in Luke seem to follow this idea.
Luke 3:23
Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age….
Luke 5:21
And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question….
Luke 11:53
…The scribes and the Pharisees began to press him hard and to provoke him to speak about many things.
Luke 23:2
…[The elders of the people, both chief priests and scribes,] began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king.”
Luke 23:5
But they were urgent, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee [literally, 'beginning from Galilee'] even to this place.”
The reference in Luke 3 is clear: this is when Jesus got started preaching and teaching on earth. The rest of the references do seem to represent a progression:
These "beginnings," then, are like stages in the opposition's response to Jesus, which grew ever more threatening until He was delivered to death.
Matthew and Mark told us the crowd glorified God; Luke alone mentions that the healed man himself was the first to glorify Him. The healed man immediately glorifying God and the people being amazed by the spectacle are two things this account has in common with the account of the lame man healed in Acts 3.
Acts 3:8–10
And leaping up, he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God, and recognized him as the one who sat at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, asking for alms. And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
This is the only place in all of Scripture where the word "extraordinary things" (παράδοξος) occurs. It literally means "a paradox," something completely unexpected.
8 Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.”
9a And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked….
This phrase, the healing of a lame man, and the opposition of the Pharisees are the only similarities this episode in John has with the other readings. Scholars include these verses as part of this pericope, but John is clearly describing a different event entirely: healing an invalid at the pool of Bethesda on the Sabbath in Jerusalem. Perhaps the scholars are following the lead of the 4th-century historian Eusebius, who placed John 5:1–10 alongside the other readings here in his "Canons".
Peter's healing of the lame man (Acts 3:1–10) seems to be a better comparison to this episode. In fact, John 5:1–10 contrasts important themes in the other readings at several points: