Tag: Luke 5:17-21
The power of the Lord
Scripture reading for March 10: Luke 5
“On one of those days, as He was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with Him to heal. And behold, some men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they were seeking to bring him in and lay him before Jesus, but finding no way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the midst of Jesus. And when He saw their faith, He said, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God Alone?”” Luke 5:17-21
As Jesus continued preaching in all the towns and villages of Galilee and Judea, miracles of healing and deliverance from demons were being seen every day. Jesus’ authority over evil spirit and sickness drew big crowds of people and it was recorded that He healed all who were brought to Him. Luke, a physician, noted in this passage that ‘the power of the Lord was with Him to heal.’
Here, some men had brought a paralyzed friend to Jesus. The crowd was so big that they carried this man on his bed up on the roof of the building where Jesus was ministering. They removed some tiles and lowered the bed with ropes. Luke recorded that when Jesus saw their faith, He released the man by declaring his sins were forgiven. This caused a stir among the religious leaders who were following Him, evaluating His every move. They accused Jesus of blasphemy, presuming He had no authority to forgive sins. They were sure that Jesus was not ‘God’. To help their unbelief, Jesus gave the man a simple command: “Rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” (Luke 5:24) Immediately, the man obeyed, glorifying God and amazing all present.
Have you ever been to a service or church meeting where “the power of the Lord was present to heal?” If you were there, how did the event that took place affect your world-view or understanding of who Jesus is? Which is more important: healing the paralysis or forgiveness of sins?
Prayer: Father God, thank You for sending the Holy Spirit to live in us who believe in Your Son Jesus. Anoint us with faith to receive the power to heal and to respond in faith to those who are hurting and trusting in Jesus. May we also be concerned with the forgiveness of sins, necessary for salvation. Amen.