Your Sins are Forgiven You - Luke 5:20

The beloved physician Luke wrote, “And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judaea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them. And, behold, men brought in a bed a man which was taken with a palsy: and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before him. And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus”, and in chapter five and verse twenty of his book Luke shares how Jesus said to the man with palsy, “your sins are forgiven you” where we read:

And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, your sins are forgiven you.

The verse reads, “And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, ...” Luke began with the words, “and when” or “and at the time and moment” “he saw their faith” which means “Jesus observed and notice the men carrying the man with palsy's belief and trust in Him”, “he said unto him” or “Jesus uttered, declared and proclaimed to the man who had the palsy”, the following words.. Luke shared how Jesus noticed these men's purpose of “faith” and “trust” that He was able to do something for the man with palsy and proclaimed the following words.

The verse continues, “Man, your sins are forgiven you” Luke added Jesus' word, “Man” which means “male human being”, “your sins” or “your errors, mistakes, missing of the mark and offenses” “are forgiven you” which means “are remitted, let go, freed from debt and kept no longer”. Luke shared how Jesus spoke to the man with palsy telling him that his “errors and wrongs” were “kept no longer” against him.

When we consider Luke's words in this verse, we notice that Jesus addressed this man's spiritual problem first. Though it was obvious there was a physical need in him, Jesus knew the spiritual need was greater. Spiritual needs are eternal in nature, and if a person is “healed or cured” and they continue in “sins”, they will only be a “healthy” sinner. Jesus desires to “save” people from their “sins” so they may live eternally with God. Every person Jesus “healed” physically while He was on the earth is not physically alive today, however, every person who puts their faith and trust in Him as their personal “Savior and Lord” lives forever and ever. Jesus will address this man's physical problem, but let us be mindful, even as He was primarily interested in solving this man's spiritual problem, so is He concerned with every person in the world.

Next time Luke shares how “the scribes and Pharisees” ask, “who can forgive sins, but God alone?”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".