Luke 5:17-19 - Through the roof

5:17

Teaching and practical/miraculous demonstration went together in Jesus’ ministry. So Jesus was teaching and “the power of the Lord was with Him to heal”. It is tragic that in the church we so often split teaching and healing. We assume that if there is an emphasis on healing then teaching will be light, or even dodgy. Conversely, if a church focuses on good in-depth teaching then it is unlikely that there will be much, if any, emphasis on healing. This is a truly unbiblical separation. The Pharisees were the most influential sect in Judaism. It seems that many of the religious leaders had come to see who Jesus was and what He was up to. It is significant that Jesus is going to tackle them head on. He is going to declare forgiveness over someone, and is going to heal them. In our day the equivalent of the Pharisees are perhaps the secular police, seeking to make sure we do not offend anyone. The response is often to back-off. Now we do need to be wise, but there is also a time when people are confronted with the full reality of the gospel, both in teaching and in practical/miraculous demonstration.

5:18,19

The teachers of the Law were not the only ones to be present. While they came perhaps seeking to find fault, many others came seeking healing. Among these was a paralyzed man, brought by his friends. This is one of the best known incidents in the gospels, with the man’s friends making a hole in the roof so that they could lower him down to Jesus. So while the teachers of the Law were there, in the midst of this there was an individual in great need, and whose life was about to be transformed. If we face opposition we should remember that in the midst of it there will be individuals who Jesus wants to heal and set free.