Luke 5:14-2614And he charged him to tell no man: but go, and show thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing, according as Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them. 15But so much the more went there a fame abroad of him: and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by him of their infirmities. 16And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed. 17And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them. 18And, behold, men brought in a bed a man which was taken with a palsy: and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before him. 19And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus. 20And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee. 21And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone? 22But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts? 23Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk? 24But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house. 25And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God. 26And they were all amazed, and they glorified God, and were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things to day. (Luke 5:14‑26)
The Lord Jesus healed many more sick persons than could be written of; for “great multitudes came to hear, and to be healed by Him.” These all told others, and people came from all parts of the land to see and hear this great physician.
One day the house where Jesus was teaching was filled with people, and a crowd stood outside who could not get in. Some men came carrying a helpless cripple on his bed, but could not get to the door. Those men might have said they better wait until another time, but they did not do that: they were so certain Jesus could cure their friend, and so eager for Him to do it, that they took the man on his blankets, or bed, up unto the roof of the house, made an opening, and let him down into the room where Jesus was.
Jesus was pleased to see such trust, and He rewarded them more than they expected. He said, “Man, thy sins are forgiven thee,” To know his sins would not shut him from God, was better even than to have illness cured.
But some of the men in the room did not think Jesus had the right to forgive sins. They were leaders of the nation, scribes and lawyers, some called “doors,” meaning learned men; they taught the people and made decisions; the most strict were called Pharisees. These men seem to have said to each other that Jesus spoke “blasphemy,” words against God; they said, “Who can forgive sins, but God alone?”
Jesus knew their thoughts: He said to them, “Which is easier, to say, ‘Thy sins be forgiven thee! or to say, ‘Rise up and walk’?”
It might seem easier to cure disease than to forgive sins, yet sickness came into the world because of sin. So it needed, the same power to cure the sickness, as to forgive sins, Then Jesus said to the man, “I say unto thee, arise, take up thy couch, and go into thine house.”
The man stood up, lifted his bed, and walked away; he knew it was by the power of God he was able to walk, and he “glorified God,” praised Him.
But the wise teachers did not believe that Jesus was from God, although John, the prophet of God, had told them that Jesus was the Son of God, which meant He was equal with God, the Father; they had seen His great power to heal; He had known their own thoughts. They knew that even the greatest of their prophets had not healed all diseases; instead, they had healed only a few, so they should have thought He must be the promised Messiah. But they did not like Him to speak of sins, and after this always tried to accuse Him of wrong.
Many of the people thought much of this One Who forgave sins; they gave glory to God, and were “filled with fear,” meaning, reverence and awe.
ML 01/14/1945