NOTES for Luk 5:17-26
17 And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judaea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them. |
18 And, behold, men brought in a bed a man which was taken with a palsy: and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before him. |
19 And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus. |
20 And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee. |
21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone? |
22 But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts? |
23 Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk? |
24 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house. |
25 And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God. |
26 And they were all amazed, and they glorified God, and were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things to day. |
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How often it happens that we do not see the miracle taking place before our eyes. We find natural causes for what is happening. Is it simple to say to a person, "Rise and walk," if he is paralyzed? But people do not understand that a miracle is required here; it seems to them that this is not so difficult. One simply needs to call a doctor, and he will cure him. And people often do not want to notice that a doctor's work is blessed from above and that, therefore, each time we are speaking again of a miracle.
Still less do these people want to recognize in any person divine authority to forgive sins. But even those who believe in the forgiveness of sins, even we Christians, do not understand fully what this is. We take it too lightly, bring our repentance, and are completely confident in the forgiveness of our sins. But here the Lord gives an answer to the first group, the skeptics, and to the second: forgiveness of sins takes place by the power of a miracle, by the power of an immense exertion. For every miracle is labor for the Lord.
In other words, it is worth learning to see the miracle, and then an understanding of Christ's divine authority will come. But this is a special authority: not an authority that can command sins to be forgiven as though it cost Him nothing, but one that participates in forgiveness by the power of a miracle.
Readings for 11 October 2025
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