Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralytic - Bible Reflections - What is Christ's Greater Miracle?

By Tony Joe:

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 5:17-26:

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!”

Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralytic - Bible Reflections:

What is Christ's Greater Miracle?

Jesus has just selected four fishermen as his first four disciples. The next one, Matthew who was working as a tax collector, is yet to be selected. Before that is recorded, St. Luke writes in his Gospel's Chapter 5, about two pivotal miracles by Jesus - the healing of a leper and a paralytic.

Clearly, this is early days of Christ's ministry, and these two miracles done by Him also benefited the faith of the early disciples.

Both these miracles also share a common trait - intense faith by these two afflicted men.

Also, note how St. Luke records that on that special day, "...the power of the Lord was present to heal..." Why, any reader might ask.

This is because, just days before, Jesus had been rejected by the elders of the synagogue in Nazareth, but He also chose not to convince them through any miracles due to their unbelief citing the historical phenomenon of prophets getting rejected in their hometowns.

But today, in a Galilean town, elders like Pharisees and teachers of the law from a much wider geography - Galilee, Judea, & Jerusalem - had gathered to hear His teachings, and probably in the hope of witnessing some of His miracles.

His audience that day had faith, unlike in Nazareth, and it was indeed destined to be a day of healing. That is why it is specifically recorded that "...the power of the Lord was present to heal..." on that special day.

If Jesus had limited Himself to healing only, on that day, He would have won the approval of the Pharisees and the scribes.

But see how Christ is responding when He encounters superhuman faith from a few people and their friend who is paralyzed.

Jesus doesn't need human approval, from however high it is coming from like from Pharisees or scribes; rather He would use that opportunity to teach one of the greatest spiritual secrets, as well as to reveal His divinity before the audience.

What is this great spiritual secret that He taught on that day?

Note again how that moment is described in the Gospel - When He saw their faith, He said to him, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.”

So, this is the secret - faith is enough for forgiveness. Period.

Can any secret be more liberating to humankind? If you have faith in God and even if you don't have anything else, He will forgive you your sins!

What was so great about their faith? It was faith in action. They didn't sit at their homes or synagogues believing that God would help their paralyzed friend. They proactively helped their ailing friend by taking him to Jesus!

As paralytic patients can't move on their own, they would be timid to disturb their friends or relatives, so as to be taken to a physician, let alone a healer.

But here we see the paralytic man not only doing the contrary, but his friends and relatives supporting his desire wholeheartedly, by carrying him enthusiastically to Jesus. This was enough for God to sense compassion in these friends.

Note how the Gospel records it - "When He saw their faith...".

Jesus also likes their 'come what may' or 'never say no' attitude on facing hindrances. Since they can't get their paralytic friend through the crowded doors, they climb the roof carrying him, remove some tiles, and carefully lower their friend, to reach him in front of Jesus!

No wonder then that this incident has been celebrated as one of the most faith-filled actions in the Gospels. Imagine what all they risked - rebuke from the house owner or elders, and gross embarrassment if their friend couldn't be healed.

The paralytic man himself was willing to be exposed as a spectacle before the public - riding down a cot on ropes amidst serious discussions! Such was the strength of his faith.  

But Christ's words about forgiveness was enough to flare up the Pharisees and scribes once again.

They were attracted to His teaching, they were willing to be mesmerized by His miracles, but they were not willing to witness Him forgiving sins. Why?

One reason these elders themselves state - "Who can forgive sins but God alone?".

Being intelligent and learned too, they quickly realized that by forgiving sins, Jesus was revealing that He was the Messiah, the Son of God.

That was blasphemy, which couldn't be forgiven!

It was for this same reason that the elders in Nazareth tried to push him off the hill, and kill him, just days back. Because, after reading from Prophet Isaiah about God's Anointed One, Jesus had formally and unequivocally stated that He was the Anointed One.

There was also another reason why the Pharisees and scribes were against the forgiveness of sins.

In their self-righteous world view, only they who knew the intricacies of the law were perfect, and everyone else, especially the poor, the illiterate, and those afflicted by diseases were inherently sinful.

So, in order to convince them as well as the crowd, Jesus asks a mysterious question - "Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise up and walk’?"

Of course, He knew that they couldn't answer it. Healing a paralytic was impossible. Granting forgiveness from sins unthinkable. What could they answer?

Then, moved by compassion, and responding to the paralytic man's and his friends' immense faith, and also to teach the Pharisees as well as the crowd His authority, Jesus instantaneously heals him.

Jesus knew that healing would be a visible sign, whereas they could always contest Him whether the man's sins were really forgiven or not by God.

In other words, by doing a verifiable sign, Jesus really proved the other - His authority over sin.

Careful contemplation on Christ's question, would however give us the correct answer to His eternal question - Which is easier? Forgiving sins or healing?

The easier one is healing indeed, as forgiving sins would demand something as mighty as His Cross!

Jesus was willing to undergo the Cross so that our sins would be forgiven, yet we are more in love with His smaller miracles like worldly help and healing.

Christ will, of course, grant us those smaller miracles, but with an intention of building us in faith, and to lead us to the bigger miracle.

Indeed, His Cross and its pleasant end result for us - forgiveness of our sins - is His greater miracle out there!