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And it happened when He was in a certain city, that behold, a man who was full of leprosy saw Jesus; and he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean." Then He put out His hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing; be cleansed." Immediately the leprosy left him. And He charged him to tell no one, "But go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as a testimony to them, just as Moses commanded." However, the report went around concerning Him all the more; and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities. So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.
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. Then behold, men brought on 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." 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? 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. And they were amazed, and they glorified God and were filled with fear, saying, "We have seen strange things today!"
- Luke 5:12-26
In yesterday's reading, we were told that, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, Jesus stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets. Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon's, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat. When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, "Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch." But Simon answered and said to Him, "Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net." And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats so that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!" For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men." So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.
And it happened when He was in a certain city, that behold, a man who was full of leprosy saw Jesus; and he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean." My study bible says that "leprosy was one of the most dreaded diseases of this time. It brought great physical suffering and total banishment from society." Luke's Gospel has immediately given us many instances of Jesus' healing power. As His ministry grows, we can understand the faith that impels people to come to Him for healing.
Then He put out His hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing; be cleansed." Immediately the leprosy left him. A note here reads: "Jesus touched this man, both sick and an outcast. In the healing of this leper, the Lord also demonstrates there is no one in society who is to be left untouched by His gospel." This is a beautiful way in which my study bible ties in what we read in yesterday's lectionary reading, that Jesus has taught His fishermen disciples that from now on they will catch men -- in effect, comparing those who make up the Body of Christ to the vast multitude of fish in the sea.
And He charged him to tell no one, "But go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as a testimony to them, just as Moses commanded." My study bible tells us: "Jesus instructs the man to tell no one because He wants to avoid public misunderstanding of His messiahship. But He makes one exception, instructing the former leper to obey the Law and give testimony before the Jewish leaders. By tradition, the man needs an official certificate that he is cured before he can rejoin society."
However, the report went around concerning Him all the more; and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities. So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed. It is impossible to keep this good news from spreading. My study bible tells us that "there are always more people to teach, to heal, to be freed from demons. But Jesus still takes time for prayer."
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. Let us note that now there are teachers of the Law, members of the religious establishment present, from every part of Israel. That "the power of Lord was present to heal them" is a testimony also to the presence of faith.
Then behold, men brought on 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." Many commentaries have been written about the great efforts to which this man's friends go to help him. But let's note the Gospel's emphasis here: "when Jesus saw their faith." It is this presence of faith that makes a difference. And there's something more to notice: that the barriers to faith simply can't be measured on our terms. Here, it's the man's friends who are included in the faith that touches Jesus.
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? 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. As far as the story of Jesus is concerned, "Who can forgive sins?" is an essential question! My study bible answers: "The powers to forgive sins and to heal belong to God alone. Jesus' exercise of these powers shows that He is the incarnate Son of God."
And they were amazed, and they glorified God and were filled with fear, saying, "We have seen strange things today!" To say that "we have seen strange things today" is, in the Greek, a little more definite. Rather than strange, we might translate it as extraordinary examples of the glory of God: unexpected, astonishing, and wonder-producing. The word here for "strange" is paradoxos -- and it is our spiritual understanding of the word "paradox" that gives us a true taste of Jesus' revelation in the world, and the effects of revelation on how we therefore need to start to think about God, outside of our expectations, our own limits of understanding, our current knowledge. Simply asking how God can be human is one such paradox!
In yesterday's reading, we learned that Christ called some fishermen, Peter and James and John Zebedee, to ministry, in which "from now on" they would "catch men." So, we expanded on our understanding of the Body of Christ. Nothing can limit the divine and the power of Christ to reach to people, neither time nor space. We pray with "a great cloud of witnesses" that extends through time, and nothing can limit the places this Body will dwell and occupy, neither in this world nor the next. But today's reading takes us into a different dimension of extension of this Body of Christ, the places Jesus "touches." And that is into the dimension of healing, both physical healing and spiritual healing. In today's reading, Jesus reaches to touch a leper who has asked to be healed. Another man's friends even go so far as to bring him in through the roof to get to Jesus for healing. And both of these diseases, in the mindset of the first century time and place of Jesus, require spiritual healing as well, the forgiveness of sins. So we learn several things: the first is that Jesus' healing power goes to everyone. Even those who are excluded from the religious community (the leper) are included in Christ's touch and response to faith. Even those who cannot walk but must be carried by others (to the temple, for example) are not prevented from getting to Christ even if they cannot get there directly themselves to ask for healing, but must be assisted by believing friends. No form of worldly exclusion can stop faith from reaching Christ. And so, we must include another dimension of expansion toward Christ, and that is where we are sick, or infirm, or weak, or ailing spiritually. If we can't get there on our own power then the efforts -- especially prayers -- of others may help to carry us there. We simply cannot limit the power of this faith. And so, within the Body of Christ, and that great cloud of witnesses, let us remember also that we pray, wherever we are, with all the saints and witnesses, wherever they are. Prayer can reach in unlimited ways; our faith calls to Christ and we can't put a limit on that response. Let us always remember the power of prayer, and carry it with us always. Let's remember what my study bible said: "There are always more people to teach, to heal, to be freed from demons. But Jesus still takes time for prayer." Let's follow His example, and let us remember that our prayers can reach where we cannot imagine.
