The Miracles of Jesus Lesson 8 Healing of

The Miracles of Jesus Lesson 8: Healing of the Paralytic Mark 2: 1 -12; Matthew 9: 2 -8; Luke 5: 17 -26

Back to Capernaum! Located on the Northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee, Capernaum was visited often by Jesus.

Typical 1 st Century Israelite House (Note the stone walls & flat roof)

The Healing of the Paralytic Mark 2: 1 -12; Matthew 9: 1 -8; Luke 5: 17 -26 Background: p Jesus’ preaching and miracles drew multitudes of people to Him (Mark 1: 28, 32, 35 -37, 45) p The setting of this miracle is in a house in Capernaum, but Jesus’ fame was so great that “Pharisees and teachers of the law (were) sitting by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. ” (Luke 5: 17)

The Healing of the Paralytic Mark 2: 1 -12; Matthew 9: 1 -8; Luke 5: 17 -26 Details of the miracle (Mark 2: 1 -4) p The paralytic and his four friends go to extraordinary lengths to get to Jesus, exemplifying persistence, determination and faith (cp. Matthew 15: 21 -28; Luke 18: 35 -39; 19: 1 -10; John 12: 20 -21)

The Healing of the Paralytic Mark 2: 1 -12; Matthew 9: 1 -8; Luke 5: 17 -26 Details of the miracle (Mark 2: 5) p Jesus’ first response is to forgive the paralytic’s sins. n There is no evidence that sin caused the paralysis. n Forgiveness of sin and physical healing are both works of God (2 Chronicles 7: 14; Psalm 103: 3) n Physical healing is often a metaphor for spiritual healing (Matthew 9: 12; Psalm 41: 4; Jeremiah 3: 22; Hosea 14: 4)

The Healing of the Paralytic Mark 2: 1 -12; Matthew 9: 1 -8; Luke 5: 17 -26 Details of the miracle (Mark 2: 6 -12) The scribes reason in their hearts: “Why does this Man speak blasphemies? ” “Who can forgive sins but God? ” p Jesus perceives their thoughts (cf. John 2: 25; Rev. 2: 23; Ps. 139: 1 -2) and questions their assumptions. p Jesus heals the paralytic to demonstrate that “the Son of Man” has power to forgive sins p n n The description “Son of Man” is used for self designation by both Ezekiel (93 x) and Jesus (82 x); its significance here may relate more to Daniel 7: 13 -14. The power of Jesus to heal physical infirmity is a visible SIGN of his power to forgive iniquity.

The Healing of the Paralytic Mark 2: 1 -12; Matthew 9: 1 -8; Luke 5: 17 -26 Conclusions and Consequences: Jesus met with and handled hostility and controversy. p The paralytic was healed immediately “in the presence of them all” (Mark 2: 12). p n p Disciples and detractors alike witnessed the miracle. The people were “all amazed, and they glorified God and were filled with fear, saying, ‘We have seen strange things today!’” (Luke 5: 26) and “We never saw anything like this!” (Mark 2: 12)