Lk 5.12-26 Jesus Heals a Leper and a Paralytic - Vital Christianity

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JESUS HEALS A LEPER AND A PARALYTIC
Luke 5:12-26
The following stories are about Jesus healing both a leper and a paralytic. This should not
surprise us since the Gospel of Luke provides numerous incidents of Jesus’ healing ministry.
JESUS HEALS A LEPER
The healing of the man with leprosy is described in all three of the Synoptic Gospels, but
the setting is different in each. In Matthew (8:1-4) it is part of a collection of miracles; in Mark
(1:40-45) and Luke it is probably one incident that occurred on the first tour of Galilee. We are
told that
Willingness, Not Ability
“While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with
leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged Him,
‘Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean" (v. 12).
The Greek word translated leprosy was used in medical literature for various diseases
affecting the skin—not necessarily leprosy. Leprosy was considered a loathsome disease that
was incurable. It is still found in such countries as Arabia, Egypt and South Africa.
Because it was contagious, Jesus committed ceremonial defilement (Lev 5:3).
Only Luke notes the extent of his disease. This makes sense since only he among the
Gospel writers was a physician.
It seems that this leper did not question Jesus’ ability to heal him, but rather Jesus’
willingness to do so. This is probably because lepers were considered as being useless and
worthless.
“Jesus reached out his Hand and touched the man. ’I am willing," He said.
‘Be clean!’ And immediately the leprosy left him” (v. 13).
Jesus was willing to suffer the scandal of being ceremonially “unclean.”
Here again we see Jesus’ kindness and compassion as He literally reaches out to someone
isolated from the rest of the community.
man.
Instantaneously, this man was healed. Jesus was not reluctant in bringing healing to this

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A Strange Command
Jesus then ordered the man to follow an Old Testament practice. Luke tells us:
“Then Jesus ordered him, "Don't tell anyone, but go, show yourself to the
priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing,
as a testimony to them" (v. 14).
Jesus orders this man to do something unnatural, that is, not to tell of the tremendous
miracle he had just experienced. Full of gratitude, he is told not to express that gratitude.
Typically we are told to express God’s goodness (Ps 66:16). But not in this case.
Why?
Because it was not the right time. It was not time yet for Him to be popular as a Healer.
Otherwise it might interfere with His teaching ministry.
The miraculous, the supernatural tends to trump everything else. People are easily
attracted to the miraculous and it is easy for them to become so preoccupied with it, that they
ignore what seems as more mundane and ordinary—teaching.
By this command to show oneself to the priest, Jesus urged the man
to keep the law, to provide further proof for the actual healing (Lev 13:43-44)
to testify to the authorities concerning His ministry
to supply ritual certification of cleansing so the man could be reinstated
into society
“Yet the news about Him spread all the more, so that crowds of people
came to hear Him and to be healed of their sicknesses” (v. 15).
In spite of ordering this man not to broadcast his healing, the news “spread all the more.”
As a result sick people came to Him in droves and Jesus graciously “healed them of their
sicknesses.”
The Priority of Prayer
“But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed” (v. 16).
As Luke points out, Jesus “often” withdrew to pray (Mk 1:35; Jn 6:15). He was never too
busy to pray. He kept His priorities straight. Is it any wonder Jesus said that His house will be a
“House of Prayer” (Mk 11:17; Isa. 56:7; Mt 21:13).

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JESUS HEALS A PARALYTIC (5:17)
“One day as He was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law, who had come
from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem, were sitting there.
And the power of the Lord was present for him to heal the sick” (v. 17).
Opposition was rising in Galilee from the Pharisees and teachers of the law. The
Pharisees were literally “the separated ones” and they numbered around 6,000. They were
Teachers in the synagogues
Religious examples in the eyes of the people
Guardians of the law and its proper observance.
They considered the interpretations and regulations handed down by tradition to be
virtually as authoritative as Scripture (Mk 7:8-13). The scribes or teachers of the law were those
who studied, interpreted and taught the law (both written and oral). The majority of these
teachers belonged to the part of the Pharisees.
Notice the connection between “the power of the Lord” and healing.
Desperate Friends
“Some men came carrying a paralytic on a mat and tried to take him into the
house to lay him before Jesus. When they could not find a way to do this
because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat
through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus” (vv. 18-19).
The paralytic was fortunate to have such good friends, friends who in their desperation
decided to do whatever necessary to have this paralytic get the help he needed.
The Faith of Friends
The following verse tells us that they were men of faith since Jesus “saw” their faith:
“When Jesus saw their faith, he said, "Friend, your sins are forgiven" (v. 20).
In response to the faith of the paralytic’s friends, Jesus assures them of their forgiveness.
Blasphemy
“The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves,
‘Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but
God alone?" (v. 21).

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The Pharisees considered blasphemy to be the most serious sin a person could commit:
In Jewish theology even the Messiah could not forgive sins, and Jesus’ forgiveness of sin
was a claim to deity—which they considered to be blasphemous.
Blasphemy was punishable by death. And the method was death by stoning (Lev 24:16).
“You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think? They all condemned Him
as worthy of death” (Mk 14:64).
Death is the judgment for blasphemy because it is an affront to the authority and majesty
of God (Mk 2:7; 3:28-29; Jn 5:18; 10:33).
Jesus Knew What They Were Thinking
“Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, "Why are you thinking these
things in your hearts?” (v. 22).
well:
Here we see Jesus omniscience (all-knowingness). John points to this in his gospel as
“Now while He was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many people saw the
miraculous signs He was doing and believed in His name. But Jesus would
not entrust Himself to them, for He knew all men. He did not need man’s
testimony about man, for He knew what was in a man” (Jn 2:23-25).
Forgiveness or Healing
Forgiveness or healing, which is easier? Jesus put it:
“Which is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'?
But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to
forgive sins. . . ." (v. 23).
Jesus’ point probably was that neither forgiving sins nor healing was easier. Both are
equally impossible to people and equally easy to God.
Instant Obedience
“He said to the paralyzed man, ‘I tell you, get up, take your mat and go
home.’ Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been
lying on and went home praising God” (vv. 24-25).
Jesus’ power to heal was a visible affirmation of His power to forgive sins.

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Again we see instant obedience. No questions asked.
Amazement and Praise
Luke ends this section with peoples’ amazement and praise:
“Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and
said, "We have seen remarkable things today” (v. 26).