One day as Jesus was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem, and the power of the Lord was with him for healing. 18 And some men brought on a stretcher a man who was paralyzed; they were trying to bring him in and set [him] in his presence. 19 But not finding a way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on the stretcher through the tiles into the middle in front of Jesus. 20 When he saw their faith, he said, “As for you, your sins are forgiven.” 21 Then the scribes and Pharisees began to ask themselves, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who but God alone can forgive sins?” 22 Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them in reply, “What are you thinking in your hearts? 23 Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ 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 stretcher, and go home.” 25 He stood up immediately before them, picked up what he had been lying on, and went home, glorifying God. 26 Then astonishment seized them all and they glorified God, and, struck with awe, they said, “We have seen incredible things today.
Jesus was teaching a large group of Jewish professionals, Pharisees and students of the law, who had come from all the neighboring villages of Galilee, Judea and Jerusalem. Jesus was filled with the power of the Lord God (YHWH*) for healing which could have resulted from Jesus praying (Lk. 5:16). Luke most likely exaggerated the size of the crowd because Jesus was teaching inside a house and the men who brought the paralytic to be healed could not get through the crowd outside, so they made a hole in the roof and lowered the man down in front of Jesus (v. 19). In first-century Palestine, houses often had flat roofs made of beams covered with a layer of branches, thatch, mud, and sometimes tiles. These roofs were easily accessible from the outside by an external staircase or ladder.
Based on OT Israelite beliefs, the man’s paralysis indicated that he was a sinner and therefore an outcast. Jesus acknowledged the faith of the men and said to the man, “Your sins are forgiven (v. 20).” As far as the religious professionals were concerned only God had the power to forgive sins therefore Jesus was blaspheming by making himself equal to God. Sins were normally forgiven through the sacrifices offered by the priest in the Temple as prescribed in the Mosaic Law. Even if Jesus had been acknowledged as the Messiah Jewish tradition did not hold that the Messiah would have the divine power to forgive sins directly outside of the sacrificial system.
The visible, outward action of restoring the man to full health was testimony to the authority the Son of Man (Dan. 7:13-14) was given by the Father to perform the invisible, divine action of forgiving sins (v. 24). The paralytic was healed immediately and restored not only to full health but to full union with the community and God. The complete physical and spiritual healing allowed the man to embark on a new way of life and he went home glorifying God (v. 25). Everyone, including the Pharisees and teachers of the law, was amazed and they all glorified God (v. 26).
*The ancient Hebrew language was written without vowels so YHWH, known as the Tetragrammaton, was a contraction of Yod, He, Waw, and He. Tetragrammaton is a combination of two Greek words: "tetra," meaning "four," and "gramma," meaning "letter". Scholars added vowels to try to interpret Judaism’s most sacred name of God which was never spoken aloud. Yahweh was one of the most commonly accepted variations. “Adonai” (Lord) was frequently substituted for YHWH.
Luke 5:17-26 should be read along with Isaiah 35:4-7 for an example of the interrelationship between the Old Testament and the New Testament.
4 Say to the fearful of heart: Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God, he comes with vindication; With divine recompense he comes to save you. 5 Then the eyes of the blind shall see, and the ears of the deaf be opened; 6 Then the lame shall leap like a stag, and the mute tongue sing for joy. For waters will burst forth in the wilderness, and streams in the Arabah. 7 The burning sands will become pools, and the thirsty ground, springs of water; The abode where jackals crouch will be a marsh for the reed and papyrus. (Is. 35:4-7)
Isaiah describes the miraculous transformation of humanity and the natural world that will happen when God arrives with divine power for restoration, renewal and transformation. God will cure the sick and restore physical abilities, provide spiritual enlightenment and understanding, and abundantly transform nature. Christians interpret these verses to be a prophecy foretelling the arrival of the Messiah who will not only bring hope and restoration to a spiritually barren world, but will also bring justice and recompence, miraculous healing and restoration of physical and spiritual sight and hearing to those who were blind and deaf to God’s truth. Christians believe that this prophecy was fulfilled in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. The Old Testament points forward to the New Testament and the New Testament is the fulfillment of the Old Testament. They form one cohesive unit that reveals God’s plan for the redemption and salvation of humanity which was necessary due to humanity’s sin.
Almighty God, you sent your Son into our world so that he could forgive our sins and lead us to a new way of life. Heal us of all infirmities that distract us from you and cleanse us from all sin that separates us from you. This we ask through Christ our Lord. Amen!
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References
Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Upper Saddle River, NJ, United States, Prentice Hall, 1990.
Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Upper Saddle River, NJ, United States, Prentice Hall, 1990.
Orchard, Bernard, et al. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. Feb. 1953.
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