Luke 5:17-26

< Back to Luke Index

TALKS FOR GROWING CHRISTIANS

The Healing of the Paralyzed Man

Describe the creative way the paralyzed man was brought to Christ.
How can some background knowledge of first century houses help us better understand this story?
“Which is easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise up and walk’?” Luke 5:23
Each of the four friends was committed to helping their paralyzed friend. What would have been the result if they didn’t function as a team? How is this applicable to us as believers?

The home where Jesus was teaching was crowded with standing room only. The paralyzed man’s friends went up on the roof and cut an opening large enough to lower their friend down on his stretcher before Jesus.
First century homes had flat roofs, with outside staircases leading up to the roof. The roof consisted of some kind of ceiling tiles laid across interior walls or ceiling beams of logs and then an outer layer of clay and straw mixture. All of this was easily removed and replaced without any damage. Don’t picture the friends vandalizing the home to get to Jesus!
If you’re God, either statement is easy to say since God has the power to back it up. If you are man, neither statement is easy to say and back up with authority.
If one of the friends had dropped his rope, the poor paralyzed man would have slipped to the floor. So we as believers have to be willing to work together. If we spend our time and energy fighting against one another, we will never be able to help bring others to Jesus.

Just as the Lord honored the faith of the paralyzed man’s friends, so He honors the faith of concerned believers today. Are you praying right now for a friend or relative who is not a believer? Continue to do what you can to bring that person to Jesus, think of creative ways to share the good news with them, and keep praying!
The Lord told the paralyzed man to “take up his bed and go home.” The Lord did not pick up his bed for him, or ask others to carry it. Likewise, when the Lord heals us of sin, He doesn’t take us to heaven immediately. He gives us the strength to deal with our problems in the right way. Discuss how you have seen this truth in your own life.

Have you offered to help a “paralyzed” friend? You don’t have to carry the whole load, but do your share and be willing to handle one rope.

“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.” Luke 5:19
“Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise up and walk’?” Luke 5:23