Journaling through Luke 5:17-26: | Extraordinary things.

“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 before 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?” When Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answered them, “Why do you question in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the man who was paralyzed—“I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home.” And immediately he rose up before them and picked up what he had been lying on and went home, glorifying God. And amazement seized them all, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, “We have seen extraordinary things today.”

They all saw extraordinary things that day.

For the paralyzed man who woke up that morning unable to walk and who left able to walk home, he saw extraordinary things.

For the friends who were able to see their friend healed as their faith, they saw extraordinary things.

For the crowds who were able to witness everything firsthand, they saw extraordinary things.

For the scribes and Pharisees who had come from all of Galilee and Judea, they saw extraordinary things.

For the soul inside the paralyzed man who woke up that morning guilty and knew that all his sins were forgiven, he saw extraordinary things.

Jesus knew how he would change their lives that day. They were amazed and marveled, but that’s not what Jesus came for. It wasn’t about temporarily wowing them. He came to do something that was much longer-lasting, something that affected eternity.

He came to show them how he had the authority to forgive sins - and give all of them, and us, and chance to rise up and rejoice that we have complete newness of life.

This verse is from the book of Luke, a book that gives us a detailed narrative of the gospel of Jesus, the good news that God came to save us.

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