In 1967, The Beatles sang “With a Little Help from my Friends” on their Sergeant Pepper’s album. Some of the lyrics may be questionable but they did tell a truth that when we go through times of struggle, we all need help to get through. If we try to navigate life on our own, we will fall short of what can be done with the involvement of others. Church is such a great place to receive that support. Someone who has a disability cannot get by in life without help. First of all, the parents take responsibility for a disabled child but at some point others have to step in. The more the disability, the more help is needed. It takes a lot of love to sacrifice your own life for the benefit of another. Elevate Christian Disability Trust is one such ministry in New Zealand that does that. Today we’re going to read the story of the paralytic who had help from his friends to get to Jesus to be healed and was doubly blessed to receive something even better – the forgiveness of his sins. Many people have a disability of some kind but all of us need the forgiveness of our sins so we can all relate to this story. Let’s read Luke 5:17-26.
Luke 5:17
Now it happened on a certain day, as He was teaching, that there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present to heal them.
We know from Mark 2 that this miracle occurred in Capernaum. I’m sure we have all been at meetings where the power of the Lord is present. Things begin to happen in the congregation, faith increases, fear can increase, that’s not a bad thing, joy and worship increase. People react in different and sometimes unexpected ways. It is good to prepare your heart for the presence of the Lord at church on a Sunday morning. How many times do we come to Church and just expect what happened last week.
Luke 5:18-20
Then behold, men brought on a bed a man who was paralyzed, whom they sought to bring in and lay before Him. And when they could not find how they might bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the housetop and let him down with his bed through the tiling into the midst before Jesus. When He saw their faith, He said to him, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.”
We assume these people were his long-term friends. They may have just been people who wanted to help him, in the moment, nevertheless they acted as true friends. Their faith had increased at the presence of the Lord. They wanted to see Jesus heal their friend. What good friends these were! Do you know someone in your life who helped you come to Jesus? Now is a good time to remember that person and thank God for them. The truth is more than that, those people came into your life because God sent them, even if they didn’t know it. These friends went to extraordinary lengths, even taking a risk to help the man. The whole ceiling could have collapsed couldn’t it! But when Jesus saw their faith, he was moved to do something that they probably didn’t expect for this man’s friends were asking for healing not forgiveness of sins. Jesus forgave the man’s sins. It is good for us to ask for forgiveness for our sins. It opens the door to healing.
1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
We are to confess our sins. Rather, the first need the man had was the forgiveness of his sins. We ask God to fix an issue in our lives, to heal us, sometimes he will identify a different issue to what we are asking for. In this case, the man’s sins needed to be forgiven before he was healed. The healing was proof that his sins had been forgiven. As we saw with the leper, and the illustration of sin being like leprosy, healing and cleansing are linked.
Luke 5:21-22
And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, He answered and said to them, “Why are you reasoning in your hearts?
This triggered a negative reaction from the Pharisees. The presence of the Lord doesn’t necessarily bring out the best in people. The presence of the Lord reveals the truth. Sometimes it reveals an underlying hostility. Jesus perceived their thoughts.
Hebrews 4:12-13
For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.
Jesus is the Word of God. He knows our thoughts. It doesn’t matter what we say, it’s what’s in our heart and mind that counts. That is why we need to examine ourselves to see if our proclaimed faith squares off. Are our lips in alignment with our heart.
Luke 5:23-25
Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise up and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the man who was paralyzed, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” Immediately he rose up before them, took up what he had been lying on, and departed to his own house, glorifying God.
The healings that Jesus does prove that he has the power to forgive sins. No other person has the power to do that, his forgiveness trumps all, even if others refuse to forgive you, even when you think the past can’t be fixed. What do you think this man gloirified God for? It wasn’t only because he could walk but that his sins were forgiven, he had been set free forever. It was a glorious day for him.
Psalm 32:1
Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered.
Luke 5:26
And they were all amazed, and they glorified God and were filled with fear, saying, “We have seen strange things today!”
Now it does say they were all amazed. So that would have included his critics just before. Even the Pharisees were amazed. It is a very hardened heart that would reject the goodness of God to forgive and heal. It is normal to feel happy for the person who has been forgiven and healed, that is the way we should react. When the Lord is moving we will see strange things, things that can make us afraid. Afraid of being out of control, afraid of the unknown, afraid at the power of God. That’s normal. Jesus often told his disciples « don’t be afraid » When we’re afraid it is a good thing to worship the Lord like these people did! Because the Lord is good and merciful and has compassion on those who fear him.Jesus is passing by and how we respond matters.
I know that not everyone gets healed, that’s the reality of our fallen world. I’ve been at meetings where some people who had great faith came forward for prayer but went home in the same condition while others were healed. We can’t know why some get healed and others don’t, it’s God’s sovereign will. In closing I was reminded of the story in 2nd Samuel 9 of Mephibosheth who was the grandson of King Saul and son of David’s best friend Jonathan. Mephibosheth was disabled being lame in both feet and was afraid after Saul and Jonathan were killed in battle that David would execute him because he was from the house of Saul. But David instead showed mercy because of his love for Jonathan and instead told him in
2 Samuel 9:7 So David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father’s sake, and will restore to you all the land of Saul your grandfather; and you shall eat bread at my table continually.”
Mephibosheth wasn’t healed of his lameness but he had something better – he would eat at the King’s table forever. That is a picture of the grace of God, who rather than execute judgement on us, forgives us our sins because of our faith in Jesus and allows us to eat at his table forever. And that is the very best thing we could ever hope for.
