Faith is the Key

Essay by marisajo2College, UndergraduateB+, October 2014

download word file, 4 pages 0.0

Downloaded 1 times

Faith is the Key

Luke's "The Healing of the Paralytic" demonstrates the connection between the forgiveness of sin and healing, as well as triangulation, being the different reactions to Jesus. All throughout the gospel, Jesus practices forgiveness and healing by performing miracles. Wherever he traveled, he helped those who were hurting. Though many of the examples explained in Luke are of healings of large numbers of people, "The Healing of the Paralytic" is the healing of one man. This miracle begins with Jesus teaching while Pharisees and teachers were in attendance, which had come from different villages from all across Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. Men who were carrying a paralytic on a mat could not get through the door of the house because of the large crowd, so they moved tiles on the roof and lowered him right in front of Jesus. After this, in reaction to the faith of the crowd, Jesus said, "Friend, your sins are forgiven" (Luke 5:20).

The Pharisees and teachers present were skeptical of Jesus' claims and wondered if anyone besides God could forgive sins. Aware of their doubts, Jesus asked whether it were easier to tell one that their sins are forgiven or to command them to g et up and walk. Jesus instructed the paralyzed man to take his mat and go home, and he was then able to stand. Out of amazement, the crowd praised God.

Parts of the Bible can be understood in different ways, which is where commentaries become useful, because they help further develop understanding of certain passages. When the "Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there" (Luke 5:17) observing Jesus, it shows that the word about Jesus has spread to every level of Jewish people, and they wanted to come witness his miracles. The way...