We Have Seen Incredible Things Today [Luke 5]
12While He was in one of the cities, behold, there was a man covered with leprosy; and when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean." 13And He stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing; be cleansed." And immediately the leprosy left him. 14And He ordered him to tell no one, "But go and show yourself to the priest and make an offering for your cleansing, just as Moses commanded, as a testimony to them." 15But the news about Him was spreading even farther, and large crowds were gathering to hear Him and to be healed of their sicknesses.
18And some men were carrying on a bed a man who was paralyzed; and they were trying to bring him in and to set him down in front of Him. 19But not finding any way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down through the tiles with his stretcher, into the middle of the crowd, in front of Jesus. 20Seeing their faith, He said, "Friend, your sins are forgiven you."
21The scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, "Who is this man who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?"
22But Jesus, aware of their reasonings, answered and said to them, "Why are you reasoning in your hearts? 23"Which is easier, to say, 'Your sins have been forgiven you,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'? 24"But, so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,"--He said to the paralytic--"I say to you, get up, and pick up your stretcher and go home." 25Immediately he got up before them, and picked up what he had been lying on, and went home glorifying God. 26They were all struck with astonishment and began glorifying God; and they were filled with fear, saying, "We have seen remarkable things today."
In these two separate accounts of Jesus healing we see His tenderness with the sick and needy. In the first one we see a man with a serious skin disease (one that is contagious so it keeps everyone far away from him), falling facedown and begging Him, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean." The next statement is very significant. Reaching out His hand, He touched him and said, "I am willing; be made clean." He touched the man with leprosy! The untouchable was touched on purpose by our Lord and "immediately the disease left him."
In the next account Jesus forgives the man's sins and heals him. When the Pharisees begin their protest that God alone can forgive sins, Jesus asks them, "Which is easier, to say, 'Your sins have been forgiven you,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'?
Which did the paralyzed man need most - to know he his sins were forgiven or to be able to walk? Spiritual healing or physical healing? If all he had received from Jesus was physical healing he could have walked away not completely healed. But Jesus tenderly touches this man first in his spirit so that he will be completely healed.
"Then everyone was astounded, and the were giving glory to God. And they were filled with awe and said, 'We have seen incredible things today!'" (Holman, CSB).
Let's be astonished together and give glory to God for the work He is doing around us. May we utter the same words as we see Jesus tenderly heal us today - "We have seen incredible things today."
Verna McCrillis, 2/25/2009