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. Luke 5:18-19 ESV1
Read Matthew 9:1-8, Mark 2:1-12 & Luke 5:17-26
Jesus and His disciples left the country of the Gerasenes and the newly-freed man who was beginning his newly-discovered ministry and returned by boat to Capernaum, Jesus’ home-away-from-home. On this side of the lake, they once again were met by a crowd. Among this crowd were people of two distinct attitudes: one no less evil than the legion of demons He had just exorcised and one no less wonderful the freed man’s desire to serve Jesus.
“And getting into a boat He crossed over and came to His own city” (Matthew 9:1). “And when He returned to Capernaum …, it was reported that He was at home” (Mark 2:1). “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” (Luke 5:17a). “And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And He was preaching the word to them” (Mark 2:2). “And the power of the Lord was with Him to heal. And behold, [four] 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” (Luke 5:17b-19a), “they removed the roof above Him, and when they had made an opening” (Mark 2:4), “[they] 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” (Luke 5:19b-26a) “Who had given such authority to men” (Matthew 9:8) “and were filled with awe, saying, ‘We have seen extraordinary things today’” (Luke 5:26b).
This house in Capernaum was likely Peter’s house, the place where Peter’s mother-in-law was healed and the place where the many of the sick of the town had come and were healed the first time Jesus was in their city (see Matthew 8:16, Mark 1:32-34 and Luke 4:40). Again, it would be the place of another miracle, but this time in front of more than just the citizens of Capernaum.
Jesus had been going “throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. So, His fame spread” (Matthew 4:23-24a). When it was reported that He was back in Capernaum some really religious people (Pharisees, teachers of the Law, and scribes) came to check out Jesus. They came “from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem” (Luke 5:17). Some of them came a long way, but they did not come to meet Jesus. They came to condemn Him. They came with critical and judgmental hearts.
When Jesus mentioned something about forgiving sins, they pounced. “‘He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone’” (Mark 2:7)? They were so sure they knew what was right and so ready to point out what was wrong, they missed what Jesus was saying. The Son of God stood in front of them, and they didn’t see it. The Son of Man had come to not only heal diseases (which they had already witnessed) but to forgive sins. Jesus was proving He was their long-awaited Messiah. They knew the messianic prophesy: “Surely, He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows … He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His wounds, we are healed … we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:4-6). These people knew God’s Word. They should have shouted, “Hallelujah! This is the One for Whom we have been waiting!” Instead, they stewed with condemnation in their hearts and missed the very person to Whom they had intended to devote their lives.
And as these judgmental religious people crowded the house “so that there was no more room, not even at the door” (Mark 2:2), eager to discover where this new Teacher and Healer, Jesus, might be wrong, they were standing in the way, preventing a sinner from getting to Jesus.
Outside, there was a paralyzed man being carried on a mat by four faith-filled friends who may have not known all the ins and outs of Jewish law, the writings of Moses, or the predictions of the Prophets, but they knew one thing: they just had to get their friend to Jesus. This knowledge and this compassion were so strong they did for their friend what he could not do for himself, what he, in his current state, could not repay. I don’t know what kind of a friend he had been in the past, but they were gaining very little from him now. Yet, this didn’t deter them, because it wasn’t about them; it was about what their friend needed. I think the reason they were so determined to get to Jesus was that they had experienced the freedom they wished for their friend. Perhaps, last time Jesus was in town, some or all of them had received their own healing from Him.
So, they carried their friend, perhaps for miles, to get him to Jesus. When they arrived at the place where Jesus was and found they couldn’t get in, they didn’t give up. They likely fought to get through the mass of people, begging for an opening in the crowd to be made for them. When no one would help, they decided to make their own opening. They kept struggling for their friend; they drug him up on the roof. There is no indication that any one of the judgmental, selfish, condemning, religious people lifted a finger to help. Their hearts were so far from where God was working that they likely didn’t even notice—until debris from the roof began to fall at the feet of Jesus and light began to appear through an opening in the roof. Yet, as the friends desperately made a hole large enough to lower a man who was lying down, no one appeared to say or do anything, except analyze Jesus’ every word searching for a way to bring down Him.
Finally, the compassionate got their friend to Jesus and awaited a miracle. As the condemning, in disgust, stumbled back to make room for the bed, they heard Jesus say, “‘Man, your sins are forgiven you’” (Luke 5:20). While they planned their attack, they overlooked what was happening before their very eyes. The man was a sinner; no one disputed that fact. Whether his sin caused his sickness, it is of no matter; all sickness is a result of sin. But this man that day was forgiven and healed; he joined God’s family, and a party was held in Heaven (see Luke 15:10). And that day God was praised on Earth. “Amazement seized them all, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, ‘We have seen extraordinary things today’” (Luke 5:26). Hopefully, also that day, with these particular religious fellows, hard hearts were humbled and condemnation melted into compassion. Hopefully, that day their eyes were opened and they understood what God was doing around them. Hopefully, that day they didn’t add the event to their arsenal for future ammunition. Hopefully, it was a day of forgiveness and healing for them, as well.
We find the same two attitudes among Christians today. Judgmental, condemning, religious people are still filled with pride and feel they, without a doubt, know what is right. They still spend their time looking for what is wrong and searching for ways to bring down others. Because of this, they still miss what God is doing around them. These judgmental, condemning, religious people still stand in the way of sinners getting to Jesus. They may proclaim they are right with God, but they are no friends of Jesus because they do not have compassion for those for whom He gave everything. The band, Casting Crowns, sings a song about the subject. Read these words, and let them sink in.
“’Jesus, Friend of Sinners’
Jesus, Friend of Sinners, we have strayed so far away
We cut down people in Your name but the sword was never ours to swing
Jesus, Friend of Sinners, the truth’s become so hard to see
The world is on their way to You but they’re tripping over me
Always looking around but never looking up I’m so double-minded
A plank eyed saint with dirty hands and a heart divided
Chorus:
Oh Jesus, Friend of Sinners
Open our eyes to the world at the end of our pointing fingers
Let our hearts be led by mercy
Help us reach with open hearts and open doors
Oh Jesus, Friend of Sinners, break our hearts for what breaks Yours
Yeah…
Jesus, Friend of Sinners, the One who’s writing in the sand
Made the righteous turn away and the stones fall from their hands
Help us to remember we are all the least of these
Let the memory of Your mercy bring Your people to their knees
Nobody knows what we’re for only what we’re against when we judge the wounded
What if we put down our signs crossed over the lines and loved like You did
Chorus
You love every lost cause; You reach for the outcast
For the leper and the lame; they’re the reason that You came
Lord I was that lost cause and I was the outcast
But You died for sinners just like me, a grateful leper at Your feet
‘Cause You are good, You are good and Your love endures forever
You are good, You are good and Your love endures forever
You are good, You are good and Your love endures forever
You are good, You are good and Your love endures forever
Chorus
And I was the lost cause and I was the outcast
Yeah…
You died for sinners just like me, a grateful leper at Your feet”2
Compassionate Christians also exist today. They are humble. They don’t have to be right about everything. Their hearts ache to have others come to Jesus. What Jesus has done for them is still fresh in their minds. These compassionate ones are willing to go to any length, make any sacrifice, break any social norm, offend any proud person, or suffer any hurt, to bring others to Jesus. They are willing to do for others what others cannot do for themselves, with no thought as to what they might receive in return. They are not just acting compassionate, because they know they should, they are being compassionate, because that is who they are. They are being “conformed into the image of Christ” (Romans 8:29) because the Spirit of Jesus resides in them. Jesus has compassion on sinners, “because they are confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” (Matthew 9:36). Jesus’ friends have compassion on His other friends.
Are you a condemning Christian or a compassionate Christian?
1 Scripture quotations marked with ESV are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All Scriptures are taken from the ESV unless otherwise noted. To aid in understanding, I have capitalized references to God.
2 Matthew Joseph West, John Mark Hall; Casting Crowns (2011). “Jesus Friend of Sinners.” Come To The Well. Retrieved from https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/castingcrowns/jesusfriendofsinners.html