1 And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house. 2 Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them. 3 Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. 4 And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.” 6 And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 8 But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, “Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? 9 “Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk’? 10 “But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic, 11 “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” 12 Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”
Devotional
When Jesus entered Capernaum it didn’t take long for the word to get of His arrival. And as it became known that Jesus was again in the house, and that immediately many gathered so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even at the door because the crowds were so wanting to see Jesus. For where Jesus is at work there is always a stirring of people’s hearts wanting to encounter the living Christ and life which He brings. Just as John the Baptist said to his disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ when everyone began going to Him, rather than John: “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven” (See John 3:26-27). Now the Scripture says as the people were gathered Jesus preached the Word to them. That is the word of the Kingdom of Heaven. For Jesus teaches just what He heard from His Father and His command is for everlasting life (John 12:49-50), that is why Jesus taught so that all people might believe in Him and be saved.
Now the Scripture says that while Jesus was teaching the people that they brought to Him a paralytic who was carried by four men. However do to the overflow of people they could not draw near to Jesus in the house. Therefore because of the crowd and their inability to draw near to Jesus they went and uncovered the roof where He was. Now in ancient Israel houses were a little different than our suburban wooden framed houses with pitched roofs. Their homes were made of sun dried mud bricks or mortared stones laid on solid limestone foundations with flat roofs and a parapet wall around its perimeter, as a part of the exterior walls. The walls themselves were covered with a mud plaster inside and out to give a smooth finish. Often there were stone stairways or a ladder system on the outside of the building that granted access to the roof area. It was there people would dwell in the hot summer months. The roof itself comprised of large wooden beams that ran from outside wall to outside wall that were supported on the inside by columns made of either wood or mortared stones. Across these large beams juxtaposed directionally ran smaller timbers then several layers of sticks, reeds, or mats, these again then were plastered with layers of mud making the roof flat and smooth. Therefore as Jesus’ was preaching to the people assembled inside the house, and the crowds gathered outside the doorway, to hear Him. These four men with their paralyzed friend made their way up onto the roof, and uncovered the roof where He was. So determined were they to have Jesus heal their friend that they didn’t just yell down to Him, instead they let down the bed on which their friend was lying right into the midst of the crowd before Jesus. It may have been that they heard the testimony of the leper Jesus had healed earlier while in Capernaum, and thus they may have thought it was necessary for Jesus to lay His hands upon their paralyzed friend to heal him. Whatever their reasons it’s a beautiful sight for sure.
“When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.” Vs. 5 Now Jesus’ Words to this man are more than just calling him a friend, after forgiving him, Jesus calls him son. And those are the words we all need to hear when we are paralyzed by our sins, or crippled by our fears and failures. That God upon our returning to Him through Jesus Christ will call us His sons and daughters. For that is why Jesus Christ came to earth and lived amongst us, and was crucified for us, so we could all be forgiven and be given new and everlasting life when we believe in Him (John 3:16; 2 Cor. 5:17) Therefore when anyone believes in Jesus Christ the Lord they become a son and daughter of God (Gal. 3:26).
Now the passage doesn’t end there with Jesus’ proclamation of forgiving the man’s sins and essentially restoring him. For there were also present in the house some scribes sitting there and when they heard Jesus' Words to the man they reasoned in their hearts “Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” vs. 7
Now the scribes though were a learned class of religious men. Who spent from the age of fourteen to roughly the age of forty learning all the Jewish interpretations of the Scriptures. As such they were more than just copyists of the sacred Scriptures; they were a part of the priestly classes, i.e. the Pharisees and Sadducees etc. and were considered experts in interpreting the Law of Moses. But (and this is an important but) only according to the Jewish father’s traditions. Which both they and especially the Pharisees held as binding on the people. As such the scribes often served as magistrates (i.e. lawyers) in adjudicating the Law of Moses in the towns or regions in which they lived. And thus it is not uncommon to find them amongst the common people, rendering decisions about aspects of the Law that were to govern daily Jewish life. While the Pharisees and Sadducees on the other hand rendered more critical decisions from the Sanhedrin council in Jerusalem. The Lord Jesus Christ however frequently refuted their interpretations of the Scriptures (Matt. 12:1-7), and condemned those interpretations that put the traditions of their fathers before the commandments of God (Matt. 15:1-9). Jesus’ strongest denunciation of them and their interpretations of the Law is found in Matthew 23.
Now the passage says that when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they had reasoned in their hearts: “Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” vs. 7 He immediately said to them: …“Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? 9 “Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk’? 10 “But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic, 11 “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” 12 Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!” Vs. 8-12
Now Jesus had already forgiven the man’s sins, his faith is what saved him. Therefore Jesus’ rebuke here is of the scribe’s unbelief. For if anybody should have believed that Jesus is the Christ, or the Messiah as the Jews like to say, it should have been them. They had access to all the Scriptures, and they had heard Him preaching all that time, yet they had remained unmoved. While the paralytic and his friends had not, yet they were compelled to seek Jesus believing what revelation they had of Him. While the scribes and Pharisees often scorned the untrained peoples belief in Jesus for they felt the common people to ignorant to understand the Scriptures (See John 7:37-53). Yet it is the common people for whom the Scriptures are written and who often demonstrate the greatest faith in God, and especially Jesus Christ as Lord in them, which is as the Lord Jesus Christ would later say in quoting the Scriptures to them before leaving Capernaum, Herod’s capital city, and the religiously learned and their and those peoples unbelief for good, that God has hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes (See Matt. 11:25-30).
Therefore as with us when God forgives us by His grace through faith in His Son there are always naysayers. These maybe loved ones in your family, or even your closest friends and colleagues. Personally receiving God’s grace by believing in His Son Jesus Christ's death and ressurection does not mean everyone will believe or receive you. Look at the scribes here immediately they question Jesus Christ the Son of God and His validity to forgive sins though He is the One to whom all the Scriptures testify too (John 5:39-47).
Therefore Jesus Christ’s reproof of them here is not just with words but by mighty deeds as He says to them: 10 “But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic, 11 “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” Vs. 10-11
Now the people’s response to this miracle that Jesus just performed is that they were both astonished and glorified God for what they saw. While the scribe’s reaction is to do and say nothing. Their only response is to remain silent in the presence of the grace of God. Never faith which can be manifest in a thousand ways, whether worship, joy or adoration, ultimately doing something that testifes to and or glorifies God for His gracious works through His Son towards us all. No their response is silence. Therefore my encouragement to you who believe is don’t be swayed from saying and doing those good things that testify to the reality of the Living Christ and your faith in Him by those who are “wise in their own eyes and prudent in their own sight" (Isaiah 5:21). Yet don't see their need to be healed from their own sins by the grace of God.
Instead be wise and believe! Yes be a fool in their eyes, but exceptionally wise in Gods, because you put all your faith and hope in Christ Jesus the Lord crucified and Risen from the dead for your sins forgiveness (Rom. 10:9-10). Knowing that His Word, God’s very Incarnate Word and promise to you, when you do, will always be “Son, your sins are forgiven you” “For whoever calls upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved” Rom. 10:13
All Scripture Quotations
The Holy Bible, New King James Version, (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc.) 1982.
Bible Reference & Archeological Works Consulted
New Nelsons Bible Dictionary; Article on Scribes
Harvard University; The Semitic Museum online, Houses of the Ancient Near East.
Devotional
When Jesus entered Capernaum it didn’t take long for the word to get of His arrival. And as it became known that Jesus was again in the house, and that immediately many gathered so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even at the door because the crowds were so wanting to see Jesus. For where Jesus is at work there is always a stirring of people’s hearts wanting to encounter the living Christ and life which He brings. Just as John the Baptist said to his disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ when everyone began going to Him, rather than John: “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven” (See John 3:26-27). Now the Scripture says as the people were gathered Jesus preached the Word to them. That is the word of the Kingdom of Heaven. For Jesus teaches just what He heard from His Father and His command is for everlasting life (John 12:49-50), that is why Jesus taught so that all people might believe in Him and be saved.
Now the Scripture says that while Jesus was teaching the people that they brought to Him a paralytic who was carried by four men. However do to the overflow of people they could not draw near to Jesus in the house. Therefore because of the crowd and their inability to draw near to Jesus they went and uncovered the roof where He was. Now in ancient Israel houses were a little different than our suburban wooden framed houses with pitched roofs. Their homes were made of sun dried mud bricks or mortared stones laid on solid limestone foundations with flat roofs and a parapet wall around its perimeter, as a part of the exterior walls. The walls themselves were covered with a mud plaster inside and out to give a smooth finish. Often there were stone stairways or a ladder system on the outside of the building that granted access to the roof area. It was there people would dwell in the hot summer months. The roof itself comprised of large wooden beams that ran from outside wall to outside wall that were supported on the inside by columns made of either wood or mortared stones. Across these large beams juxtaposed directionally ran smaller timbers then several layers of sticks, reeds, or mats, these again then were plastered with layers of mud making the roof flat and smooth. Therefore as Jesus’ was preaching to the people assembled inside the house, and the crowds gathered outside the doorway, to hear Him. These four men with their paralyzed friend made their way up onto the roof, and uncovered the roof where He was. So determined were they to have Jesus heal their friend that they didn’t just yell down to Him, instead they let down the bed on which their friend was lying right into the midst of the crowd before Jesus. It may have been that they heard the testimony of the leper Jesus had healed earlier while in Capernaum, and thus they may have thought it was necessary for Jesus to lay His hands upon their paralyzed friend to heal him. Whatever their reasons it’s a beautiful sight for sure.
“When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.” Vs. 5 Now Jesus’ Words to this man are more than just calling him a friend, after forgiving him, Jesus calls him son. And those are the words we all need to hear when we are paralyzed by our sins, or crippled by our fears and failures. That God upon our returning to Him through Jesus Christ will call us His sons and daughters. For that is why Jesus Christ came to earth and lived amongst us, and was crucified for us, so we could all be forgiven and be given new and everlasting life when we believe in Him (John 3:16; 2 Cor. 5:17) Therefore when anyone believes in Jesus Christ the Lord they become a son and daughter of God (Gal. 3:26).
Now the passage doesn’t end there with Jesus’ proclamation of forgiving the man’s sins and essentially restoring him. For there were also present in the house some scribes sitting there and when they heard Jesus' Words to the man they reasoned in their hearts “Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” vs. 7
Now the scribes though were a learned class of religious men. Who spent from the age of fourteen to roughly the age of forty learning all the Jewish interpretations of the Scriptures. As such they were more than just copyists of the sacred Scriptures; they were a part of the priestly classes, i.e. the Pharisees and Sadducees etc. and were considered experts in interpreting the Law of Moses. But (and this is an important but) only according to the Jewish father’s traditions. Which both they and especially the Pharisees held as binding on the people. As such the scribes often served as magistrates (i.e. lawyers) in adjudicating the Law of Moses in the towns or regions in which they lived. And thus it is not uncommon to find them amongst the common people, rendering decisions about aspects of the Law that were to govern daily Jewish life. While the Pharisees and Sadducees on the other hand rendered more critical decisions from the Sanhedrin council in Jerusalem. The Lord Jesus Christ however frequently refuted their interpretations of the Scriptures (Matt. 12:1-7), and condemned those interpretations that put the traditions of their fathers before the commandments of God (Matt. 15:1-9). Jesus’ strongest denunciation of them and their interpretations of the Law is found in Matthew 23.
Now the passage says that when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they had reasoned in their hearts: “Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” vs. 7 He immediately said to them: …“Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? 9 “Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk’? 10 “But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic, 11 “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” 12 Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!” Vs. 8-12
Now Jesus had already forgiven the man’s sins, his faith is what saved him. Therefore Jesus’ rebuke here is of the scribe’s unbelief. For if anybody should have believed that Jesus is the Christ, or the Messiah as the Jews like to say, it should have been them. They had access to all the Scriptures, and they had heard Him preaching all that time, yet they had remained unmoved. While the paralytic and his friends had not, yet they were compelled to seek Jesus believing what revelation they had of Him. While the scribes and Pharisees often scorned the untrained peoples belief in Jesus for they felt the common people to ignorant to understand the Scriptures (See John 7:37-53). Yet it is the common people for whom the Scriptures are written and who often demonstrate the greatest faith in God, and especially Jesus Christ as Lord in them, which is as the Lord Jesus Christ would later say in quoting the Scriptures to them before leaving Capernaum, Herod’s capital city, and the religiously learned and their and those peoples unbelief for good, that God has hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes (See Matt. 11:25-30).
Therefore as with us when God forgives us by His grace through faith in His Son there are always naysayers. These maybe loved ones in your family, or even your closest friends and colleagues. Personally receiving God’s grace by believing in His Son Jesus Christ's death and ressurection does not mean everyone will believe or receive you. Look at the scribes here immediately they question Jesus Christ the Son of God and His validity to forgive sins though He is the One to whom all the Scriptures testify too (John 5:39-47).
Therefore Jesus Christ’s reproof of them here is not just with words but by mighty deeds as He says to them: 10 “But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic, 11 “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” Vs. 10-11
Now the people’s response to this miracle that Jesus just performed is that they were both astonished and glorified God for what they saw. While the scribe’s reaction is to do and say nothing. Their only response is to remain silent in the presence of the grace of God. Never faith which can be manifest in a thousand ways, whether worship, joy or adoration, ultimately doing something that testifes to and or glorifies God for His gracious works through His Son towards us all. No their response is silence. Therefore my encouragement to you who believe is don’t be swayed from saying and doing those good things that testify to the reality of the Living Christ and your faith in Him by those who are “wise in their own eyes and prudent in their own sight" (Isaiah 5:21). Yet don't see their need to be healed from their own sins by the grace of God.
Instead be wise and believe! Yes be a fool in their eyes, but exceptionally wise in Gods, because you put all your faith and hope in Christ Jesus the Lord crucified and Risen from the dead for your sins forgiveness (Rom. 10:9-10). Knowing that His Word, God’s very Incarnate Word and promise to you, when you do, will always be “Son, your sins are forgiven you” “For whoever calls upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved” Rom. 10:13
All Scripture Quotations
The Holy Bible, New King James Version, (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc.) 1982.
Bible Reference & Archeological Works Consulted
New Nelsons Bible Dictionary; Article on Scribes
Harvard University; The Semitic Museum online, Houses of the Ancient Near East.
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