Luke 5:17-26 Vandals
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: July 10, 2018 Luke 5:17-26
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
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.”
(Understanding the Text) Based on other passages that I have read, I believe that this happened in the home of Peter in Capernaum. I imagine that Peter and his wife felt honored and nervous that their home was the site where so many important people had converged. They were probably excited that even though Peter was only a fisherman, religious leaders from all over Israel had come to meet in their house to listen to Peter’s Master teach. They probably had hopes and dreams that this was the beginning of Jesus’ acceptance by the establishment. They were probably also worried about giving the best hospitality to these important guests. I picture Peter’s wife and mother-in-law busily consulting on what to serve the rabbis while not offending the local people who were gathered there as they could not serve everyone. I’m sure they were nervous about what procedures they should have-seating arrangements, washing, etc. Jesus, on the other hand, knew that most of the rabbis would not accept Him and viewed them as hostile witnesses that He wished that He could save. The SDA commentary says that this was similar to the delegation that had come to judge John the Baptist two years before. These Pharisees and teachers had come here officially to meet together, observe, and pronounce judgement against Jesus.
Because of the visiting dignitaries, Peter’s home was packed with local important people who wanted to be rubbing shoulders with the people in power. There may have been no room for most of the disciples themselves who may have waited outside. Peter would have been there inside as the host, however. In addition, there were the crowds of sick who wanted to be healed. Mark tells us that there were four friends bringing the paralytic to Peter’s house. “And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men” (Mark 2:3). By the time the friends arrived carrying their paralyzed buddy between them, there was no way to push through the crowd to reach Jesus. They had already overcome the logistical difficulties of getting their friend’s bed through the doorway of his own home and down the streets to Peter’s house. Their muscles were aching from carrying the bed and man for so long, and they were not about to just turn around and carry him back after investing so much effort. They knew that if they could just get him into the presence of Jesus, he would be healed. This was not Jesus’ first visit to Capernaum, but with such important guests, it might be His last. They could not count on another chance. They had to get their friend to Jesus this time.
The friends carried the bed up on the flat roof, carefully laid it to one side, estimated how big a hole they would need, divided the labor among them, and began removing the tiles. They may have had to do a little digging through the roof also. The SDA commentary says “As is common in the Middle East, this house doubtless had a flat roof, with a stairway or ladder on the outside which gave access to it from the courtyard below (see Acts 10:9; cf on Deut. 22:8). Apparently the roof was made by laying tiles over the rafters.” At first, the noise of the crowd would have covered their noise, but as they broke through and the hole widened, everyone would have looked up and started yelling at them. They must have found some rope somewhere and tied it on the ends of the bed. Maybe they had brought it with them, using it to tie their friend to the bed so that he would not fall out.
As they lowered the bed into the room, I imagine the visiting teachers making judgmental shakes of their heads. They had condescended to come to this backwoods place and received the inadequate hospitality of this rude fisherman’s family. The locals seemed to give more respect to this hick rabbi than to his more worthy elders who had earned the right to such respect through their years of study and service to other rabbis. They had been a little impressed by the healings that they had seen, but now they had become blasé about the miracles. They were tired and overheated from the crowds. Now, this circus had added another dimension of ludicrousness to the whole chaotic mixture. Well, even if it was beneath them, it would be interesting to see how Jesus would handle this group of vandals.
(Revelation of God) When Jesus saw the effort of the friends and the pathetic man laying before Him, He did not see vandals, He saw faithful effort. He saw men who loved each other working together to reach Him. How could He not respond to their efforts? He knew that the man’s biggest fear was because of his sins, not because of his physical problems. I always pictured this as having been a long paralysis, but back then, they did not have the means to extend life that we have now, so I think that this man had not been paralyzed that long, maybe less than a year. Jesus’ words to the man were probably soothing music to his wounded soul, but to the friends who had put forth such effort to get him healed, they may have seemed as though their efforts were in vain. Was the young rabbi saying that their friend could not be healed and that all He could offer was forgiveness?
(Understanding the Text) The visiting rabbis had thought that Jesus would simply heal the man like He had many others that day, but were shocked out of the complacency that they had fallen into after seeing healing after healing by the words that came from Jesus’ mouth. Healing was a prophet thing, but forgiving was the prerogative of God. Then, Jesus confronted them about their judgmental attitudes and backed up His words with a miracle.
Maybe, the Pharisees’ and teachers’ blasé attitudes had begun to rub off on the crowd causing them to start to lose faith in their Messiah. However, when the paralyzed young man jumped up and started praising God, the crowd regained whatever faith and enthusiasm that they had lost and began praising God with the young man. If the important men from elsewhere could not recognize the Messiah when He was right in front of them, then there was something wrong with them. The people of Capernaum knew who Jesus was!
Luke gives two stories in a row that show that Jesus could absolve people of sin. The first one was the leper. Lepers were considered to be condemned by God for their sins, so in healing him, Jesus was essentially absolving the leper of whatever sin led to his condemnation. There the forgiveness was implied. Then Luke tells of the healing of the paralytic where Jesus directly states that forgiveness has been offered. Luke’s message is that healing is not the only message that Jesus gives. The more urgent message is that our sins are forgiven.
(Application) My application for myself is that when I approach God, He will receive me. Regardless of whether my efforts are the correct way or if I deserve to be received, Jesus will not reject me when I make my way toward Him. In the same manner, He will not reject anyone regardless of whether they come in the door of the church or through the roof or whether they try to find Him some other way. Jesus accepts all who approach. Jesus has a plan for humanity that includes the church, but if someone cannot deal with the church organization, Jesus will work with them wherever they can approach Him. He will be with them wherever they open their hearts to Him. It may not be the best place for them to meet Him, but He will accommodate them.
(Prayer) Open my eyes that I can see faith where others see vandals. Open my heart so that I will welcome those who are searching for You rather than turning them away. Open my lips so that I will speak words that point others to You and Your healing.