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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 a 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 all amazed, and they glorified God and were filled with fear, saying, "We have seen strange things today!"
- Luke 5:12-26
Yesterday we read 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." 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. What is interesting here is the faith that the leper puts into Christ to begin with, when he asks to be healed. My study bible makes it clear that leprosy was one of the most dread diseases of this time. It involved tremendous physical suffering and resulted in total banishment and isolation from the society. It's also a symbol of our sin. Jesus tells this man to show himself to a priest and follow the Law, thus ensuring full restoration of this man to the community. My study bible notes Cyril of Alexandria's commentary that Christ gives the command to show himself to the priest in order to convince the priests by a tangible miracle that He is superior to Moses. The priests hold Moses to be greater than Christ, but Christ heals a leper immediately and with His own divine authority. But when Miriam, Moses' sister, was struck with leprosy, he had to seek mercy from above, and still her healing took seven days (Numbers 12:10-15). We note something Luke tells us: "He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed." It's a reminder of what He needs, and what we need!
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. Luke is dropping hints that Jesus' fame is reaching a place where the authorities are aware of Him. Above, in the healing of the leper, we're told that Jesus instructed the healed leper to go to the priest and "show yourself." Here Pharisees and teachers of the law come out of every town of Galilee and also Judea and Jerusalem. Jesus is fulfilling His main purpose, to teach. But the power of the Lord is present to heal.
Then behold, men brought on a 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." Yesterday, we read the story of Jesus preaching by the shore of the Sea of Galilee, and telling Peter and his partners (the brothers James and John Zebedee) to cast their nets into the deep, so that a great catch followed on an otherwise unproductive day. Today, we read of those friends who make the extra effort to get a paralytic to Christ, becoming inventive enough to take the tiles from the roof and lower him down in the midst of the crowds. In yesterday's reading, the faith of Peter rendered Christ nearby and drew in more disciples who left all to follow Him. Today we read of the faith of friends moving a paralytic closer to Christ, resulting in the forgiveness of sins. It's a parallel to the notion of sin, to be somehow paralyzed and unable to move toward God. It's a kind of metaphor to prayer and intercession, and its great power for all kinds of necessary healing.
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 all amazed, and they glorified God and were filled with fear, saying, "We have seen strange things today!" The power of God present is revealed to the religious leadership, those who cannot believe that a "man" could have the power to forgive sins. Jesus isn't only a healer, but also "knower of hearts" -- another attribute of the Lord. He is revealing Himself by power and action, and exemplifying the grace of God.
The phrase "We have seen strange things today!" uses a word for "strange" that literally is "paradox." That is, contrary to our understanding or expectation. And that is really the power of God. For the early Christians, and particularly the Byzantines and Greek Fathers, "paradox" exemplifies the ministry of Christ and our faith, Christianity. The central reality of the God-man ("Theanthropos") Jesus Christ is paradox. How can God be born as a human being? How can a woman contain God in her womb, the great expanse of the whole cosmos -- Lord of the universe -- in a pregnant Mary? How does Christ "trample death by death?" Our Lord coming into our world is the greatest paradox of all, and opens up a realm of questions and mystery that cannot be exhausted. Think of the people present at this healing and what they must have thought. The text is really quite emphatic in emphasizing their amazement: they're filled with "ecstasis" in the Greek -- something that takes them completely out of the normal frame of mind or perception. They've been shocked into something new, someplace totally outside the norm. Not only is the glorification of God their immediate response, but even fear or awe "fills" all of them. To glimpse the presence of God is to come up against something "strange" or "paradoxical" -- something that takes us out of our normal understanding and expectations. Christ present with the power of the Kingdom is meant to do just that, and faith is necessary to perceive it and to understand it. Our complacency with what we know has to be shaken, and our faith challenged to grow and to give us a new sense of where faith wants us to travel and expand. This is the power of the Incarnation, and it is the reality of the Kingdom and its intersection with human beings. How are we dazzled, overwhelmed, bewildered, amazed in our faith? Do we understand the power of paradox? If we don't take that step into the deep (just as Peter and James and John were asked to "launch out into the deep and cast their nets" in yesterday's reading) then we won't get there. God's presence in the world should always present us with paradox, take us out of "the norm" and give us a deeper mystery to enter into. How does your faith challenge you today? A miracle or sign is not meant as "proof." Instead, it's an opening up to God, to a mystery that is infinite. It's faith and the love of God that draws us into knowledge and participation.
