Have you ever sought to do the right thing and in the process encountered opposition? Maybe you expected opposition or perhaps it came out of nowhere. Did you let the adversity stop you or did you dig in deeper and persevere? What we find in the book of Luke over and over again is that the group of people who should have been the most supportive of Jesus’ ministry – the religious leaders – were actually His greatest adversaries. But how does Jesus respond?

Verses 17-26.

Jesus had the most vibrant healing ministry in history. Over and over in the book of Luke and in the other Gospels Jesus healed people physically as well as cast out demons. But physical healing does not amount to much if that person enjoys a healthy life but is not forgiven of their sins. What Jesus came to do more than heal people physically was to forgive them spiritually.

Waiting in the wings to pounce were the scribes and Pharisees. The Pharisees represented a tight and very influential group of about 6,000 Jewish leaders who taught in the religious gathering places called synagogues, and were very meticulous in following Jewish customs. The scribes were also called teachers of the law. They were trained in the law of Moses and were known as the religious lawyers of the Pharisees. Next to Satan, the Pharisees received the most condemnation by Jesus.

Jesus was teaching for a packed house and the Pharisees from surrounding towns were also present. Four men showed up carrying a paralytic and couldn’t find a way in. Instead of going back home and calling it a loss, they carried him onto the roof, removed some tiles, and lowered him down. They were going to get to Jesus no matter how much work it took.

Faith requires action. Hebrews 11:1 says that faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we cannot see. When we hope for something, we daydream about it, we spend time trying to get it, and we hold it close to our heart. To be in the midst of Jesus is the greatest thing anyone could hope for and Jesus saw how desperate these men were to get to Him.

It was obvious to everyone present that these men were hoping for a miraculous healing, but this was a secondary reason why Jesus came. He was the greatest physician to ever walk the earth but it wasn’t His main occupation. This was: “Man, your sins are forgiven you” (20).

You could sense the heated up blood vessels of the scribes and Pharisees as they hissed at one another because of the gall of this Man who claimed to have authority to forgive sins. Rather than sending one of His disciples to eavesdrop on what they were saying, He instead used His divine prerogative of understanding their thoughts:

“Why are you reasoning in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise up and walk? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins” – He said to the man who was paralyzed, ‘I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house” (22-4).

This was a test not only for the Pharisees but to all mankind. Is Jesus a genie who came to earth to do our bidding and bring us good health? Or is He someone who came to forgive sins? The only one who can forgive sins is someone who knew no sin. Jesus called Himself the Son of Man in reference to Daniel 7:13-14 about the future Messiah who would come in glory and judge the world. Those who knew their Biblical history like the Pharisees knew that Jesus was claiming God status.

The apostle Paul writes that Jews seek a sign but faith is being sure of what you cannot see. The five men believed Jesus before the healing, yet the Pharisees witnessed the healing and hated Him all the more. The man immediately rose up, went home, and glorified God. More than being able to walk now, this man was probably beaming more that he could walk forever in the presence of God as one whose sins were forgiven. When God acts the result is widespread amazement, adoration, and fear. Jesus wins again.

Verses 27-32.

Luke was a doctor by trade and must have understood as good as anybody the physical ailments that people faced at the time. The Gospels mention uncontrolled bleeding, leprosy, those with fevers, and a litany of other illnesses. People who are healthy do not have a sense of urgency to see a doctor but those who are sick are desperate to receive help. The scribes and Pharisees were those who saw themselves as the epitome of spiritual wellbeing and had no tolerance for the spiritual dregs of society such as tax collectors. Yet Jesus viewed tax collectors as those who needed spiritual renewal.

When Levi answered Jesus’ call to follow Him, he faced a life of social ostracism and financial hardship. Jewish tax collectors were considered traitors by other Jews because they worked for the Roman government and were known to overcharge on their contracts and keep the money that was not required by the Roman government. These outcasts were disqualified to serve as a judge or witness in court and were excommunicated in the synagogue.

The Gospels do not mention how many tax collectors left their occupations, but it does mention two specifically who decided to follow Christ, Levi and Zacheus. Zacheus mentioned repaying fourfold those whom he took advantage of in his tax collecting. Levi followed Jesus and had a feast with a great number of tax collector colleagues. Jesus sat right in the middle of them.

By coming to Levi’s house and sitting with these men, Jesus did not compromise His beliefs by eating and drinking with “tax collectors and sinners” (30). He viewed these men as spiritually sick in need of healing that only He could bring. The scribes and Pharisees thought themselves as spiritual superstars, tragically overlooking their severe spiritual sickness.

Verses 33-39.

Jesus’s ministry was so unique because it was a brief three year transition between the old covenant and the new. John’s disciples represented the last of the Old Covenant, as they fasted and prayed in preparation for the Messiah, as did the prophets of old. They were represented by old garments and old wineskins. When Jesus left the earth, His disciples fasted and prayed because He was not with them. But during this brief time when Jesus was on the earth, His disciples feasted with Him. In those days, a Jewish wedding feast lasted for an entire week. During this time, the focus was on celebration and not on rules and rituals. Jesus celebrated with His disciples while the disciples of John and the Pharisees fasted.

Jesus was on a mission from God. He wouldn’t let naysayers, religious authorities, death threats, or Satan himself stop Him from completing what He started. When we face resistance in our calling to follow Him, let us not be those who draw back but instead be strong and courageous, persevering until the end and so receive the prize.

Questions:

1. The healing of the paralytic involved people lowering the man down through the roof of a crowded room. What gutsy things have you done to get to Jesus (17-26)?
2. Tax collectors were reviled as corrupt thieves, but Jesus regarded them as sick and even called Matthew to be part of his team. Who do we revile these days and what would Jesus do in these situations? (27-32)
3. How does the parable of the wineskins help you understand the coming of Jesus better? Law versus grace, etc (33-39)