Healing A Man With Palsy

Luke 5:17-26

Naaman had a preconceived idea about how miracles should be done and almost missed being healed because of it. II Kings 5:11-12 explains, “Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper. Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage.” Fortunately his servants convinced him to obey, and he was healed.

One evidence of Jesus’ being the Son of God was his ability to heal “incurable” diseases and perform miraculous acts. People have many preconceived ideas of how miracles should be done, and charlatans abound, fulfilling these preconceived ideas. We learn several things from studying Jesus’ healing methods.

“And 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 Judaea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them.” (Luke 5:17)

The first thing we notice was that he was there to teach. Healing was not his primary goal. Too often, we lose sight of the primary goal. As Jesus made clear in Matthew 18:8-9, it is better to go to heaven sick or crippled than to go to hell healthy or rich. “Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.” Physical health is not the most important thing.

Secondly, we notice the emphasis on the power of the Lord. Far too often, the power is ascribed to the person present. Peter dealt with this in Acts 3:12, making it clear that it was not their power. “And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?” He stated that it was faith in Jesus Christ that produced the healing in Acts 3:16. “And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.”

A group of men who believed that Jesus could help their friend brought him to Jesus. The level of concern for the man is shown by their effort, carrying him in his bed, and refusing to be stymied by the crowd. Having been involved in rescue work, I know that carrying a man in a stretcher up a ladder is tough.

“And, 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. And 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.” (Luke 5:18-19)

Jesus spoke and healed the man as a result of his friends faith, with no special ritual. Failures to heal are often blamed on failure to properly follow the ritual. It is also common for modern “faith healers” to declare it is the person’s lack of faith preventing healing. Jesus healed this man because of his friends’ faith. Perhaps the participants at modern healing ceremonies don’t themselves have faith? The scribes and Pharisees took offense at Jesus choice of words.

“And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee. And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?” (Luke 5:20-21)

Jesus had chosen his words to make a point, that he is God. All sickness and pain is ultimately the result of sin in the world, although not necessarily of the individual’s personal sin. When the cause of the problem is removed, the body can begin to heal. Modern medicine often fails because it doesn’t remove the cause, just treating the symptoms. Jesus removes the cause.

“But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts? Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk? But 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.” (Luke 5:22-24)

The friends demonstrated their faith by bringing the man, but he demonstrated his faith by acting on it when Jesus commanded him to take up his bed. As James 2:17-18 points out faith that doesn’t produce action is worthless. “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works.”

“And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God.” (Luke 5:25)

The result was glorifying God, by the man who was healed, and by the observers. They realized they had seen something special, and a sense of respect for God filled their minds.

“And they were all amazed, and they glorified God, and were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things to day.” (Luke 5:26)