Luke 5:12-26, 6:1-11; 17-19

Which Disciple Are You?

Throughout Luke we will find Jesus interacting with individuals; His one-on-one encounters. Many of these would be considered on the fringes of society: the leper, the paralyzed, the sinner, women, children, the Gentile… Luke reveals to us a Savior who has come for all, no matter where they have come from, what they have done, or who they are. He is our Salvation. He will come in contact with many different people. Some will follow, some will stay on the fringe and watch, and some will watch and wait to see Him do something against their rules. As we walk through these passages of Luke, we will see what each of these look like.

Vs 12-16 While He was in one of the towns, a man was there who had a serious skin disease all over him. He saw Jesus, fell facedown, and begged Him: “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” Reaching out His hand, He touched him, saying, “I am willing; be made clean,” and immediately the disease left him. Then He ordered him to tell no one: “But go and show yourself to the priest, and offer what Moses prescribed for your cleansing as a testimony to them.” But the news about Him spread even more, and large crowds would come together to hear Him and to be healed of their sicknesses. Yet He often withdrew to deserted places and prayed.

As Jesus was traveling throughout Galilee, a man with a serious skin disease approaches him. In this, we can already see the man’s faith. Leviticus outlines some very serious rules about what to do when you had a skin disease. In this day and age, we would look at them as archaic and lacking in compassion. In all reality, it was necessary for the overall health of the community. Skin diseases could be highly contagious with one person infecting entire villages quite quickly. Today, we are able to rely on modern medicine, but then, this wasn’t an option. So, in order to ensure disease did not spread, the person had to leave the community until the skin disease was healed. If someone came close to them, the infected person had to yell out unclean so they would know to stay away. The fact that this man approached Jesus at all, shows us his faith. He knew Jesus could heal him, otherwise, he would have just shouted unclean and gone on his way. There is no doubt in his mind, Jesus can heal him. The only thing he wants to know? Is Jesus willing to do so. Jesus recognized this faith and says, “I am willing”. He told him to tell no one, but it was hard for the man to keep it to himself. I’ve been healed! It was a joyous occasion. He was no longer an outcast, but could come back into the community, whole and clean.

This news served only to increase the crowds. People were in desperate need of the teachings and healing Jesus had for them. They pressed in and followed Him everywhere. I find the last sentence of this passage to be a telling thing. Yet He often withdrew to deserted places and prayed. As a minister of music, I need to hear this. When things press in and ministry gets busy, what do I do? More often than not, I stress about it and become overwhelmed with everything on my plate. An example was just the other evening. I had planned an event at church which wasn’t coming together easily. On top of this, the Christmas musical and other assorted things are pressing in. People need answers, schedules are tight. I needed to stop, withdraw and pray. When the crowds were constant and pressing in, Jesus took the time to do just that. In fact, He often did this. Jesus shows us His power and peace comes from spending time alone with God. In that time, He found rest and renewal. We need that time desperately. How else can we find new direction and assurance. Jesus would say to us, “Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest,” Matthew 11:28.

Vs 17-26 On one of those days while He was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea, and also from Jerusalem. And the Lord’s power to heal was in Him. Just then some men came, carrying on a mat a man who was paralyzed. They tried to bring him in and set him down before Him. Since they could not find a way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on the mat through the roof tiles into the middle of the crowd before Jesus. Seeing their faith He said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven you.” Then the scribes and the Pharisees began to think: “Who is this man who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” But perceiving their thoughts, Jesus replied to them, “Why are you thinking this in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But so you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—He told the paralyzed man, “I tell you: Get up, pick up your mat, and go home.” Immediately he got up before them, picked up what he had been lying on, and went home glorifying God. Then everyone was astounded, and they were giving glory to God. And they were filled with awe and said, “We have seen incredible things today!”

This next encounter shows Jesus’ power to forgive sins. Here is a man, with some very good friends, who was paralyzed. They have heard Jesus is in town, so they come with their friend so he can be healed. Jesus is teaching in a very crowded house. Present in this crowd are Pharisees and teachers of the law. We are not told why they are there. Perhaps they are curious to see for themselves who Jesus is. Perhaps they are there to pick up some teaching tips. Whatever the reason, Jesus was just about to upend their understanding of Scripture. By the time the men get there, it is so crowded they couldn’t reach Jesus. They are not deterred, but are determined to get their friend to Jesus. So, they devise a plan. They take their friend up to the roof, cut a hole and lower him down. This is when the unexpected happens. They are there looking for the physical healing of their friend, but Jesus sees the real need. There was no question as to their faith. They demonstrated that by their actions. Jesus, saw through the obvious to the heart. As a paralyzed man, he had often heard that his condition was because of some sin in his life. Jesus takes care of that question and need immediately. “Your sins are forgiven”. This is when we come up against the thoughts of the Pharisees and scribes. They didn’t say it out loud, but mentally took notes. Jesus knew exactly what was in their hearts. The Greek word for heart is kardia. It means from the center of our being, or our character. Jesus knew their real intent. He knew their character. He also knew the heart of the men who brought their friend for healing, and the hearts of the crowd that came to listen. So he says – so what do you think is easier? To say, “your sins are forgiven”, or to say “get up and walk?” Jesus then demonstrated His power to forgive by showing them his power to heal.

In this exchange, Jesus uses an expression that could be overlooked easily. He says,  But so you may know that the Son of Man has authority…” The term Son of Man might not give us much pause, but I’m very sure it gave the Pharisees a bit of a jolt. The “Son of Man” was one of Jesus favorite ways of referring to Himself. Because we are probably not as well acquainted with the book of Daniel, we may only see this as Jesus’ way of showing His humility and humanity. But, for the Pharisees, and others of that day, Daniel 7:13-14 would have immediately come to mind. “I continued watching in the night visions, and I saw One like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was escorted before Him. He was given authority to rule, and glory, and a kingdom; so that those of every people, nation, and language should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His kingdom is one that will not be destroyed.” Here we find the Son of Man has been given authority by the Ancient of Days to rule. He has been given glory and a kingdom. His dominion is everlasting. Jesus has just explained to these questioning Pharisees that He has been given the authority, by the Ancient of Days, to forgive sins. He has let them know who He is, and what power has been given to Him. To put an exclamation point on his authority, He heals the man. Jolt indeed!

6:1-5 On a Sabbath He passed through the grain fields. His disciples were picking heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands, and eating them. But some of the Pharisees said, “Why are you doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” Jesus answered them, “Haven’t you read what David and those who were with him did when he was hungry— how he entered the house of God, and took and ate the sacred bread, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat? He even gave some to those who were with him.” Then He told them, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

After the jolt they felt, the Pharisees begin to keep Jesus and His disciples under constant watch. They question everything Jesus says and does. They cannot get their head around the fact that Jesus is indeed the Son of Man. This is highlighted on the Sabbath. The rules for the Sabbath were a complex system of do’s and don’t s. Today, there are at least 39 categories to follow with each category having it’s own list of things to follow. The categories include rules on carrying, cooking, washing, writing, planting and harvesting. On one particular Sabbath, Jesus and His disciples pass through a grain field. While they are walking through, the disciples are picking heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands and eating it. By my estimation, they have “broken” at least three, and possibly four Sabbath rules by harvesting, threshing and preparing food to eat. These Pharisees jump on it right way. They take Jesus to task for allowing His disciples to break the Sabbath laws. Jesus response is to remind them of David. (You can read about it in 1 Samuel 21:1-6.) Jesus response reminds the Pharisees that human need is always more important than religious ritual. He does this by reminding them “the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” He has been given authority over the Sabbath. In the following verses, Jesus puts an exclamation point on this.

Vs 6-11 On another Sabbath He entered the synagogue and was teaching. A man was there whose right hand was paralyzed. The scribes and Pharisees were watching Him closely, to see if He would heal on the Sabbath, so that they could find a charge against Him. But He knew their thoughts and told the man with the paralyzed hand, “Get up and stand here.” So he got up and stood there. Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you: Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do what is good or to do what is evil, to save life or to destroy it?” After looking around at them all, He told him, “Stretch out your hand.” He did so, and his hand was restored. They, however, were filled with rage and started discussing with one another what they might do to Jesus.

Here we are on the Sabbath again, and once again the Pharisees are watching closely. The Greek word for watch closely is paratéreó, which means, to observe scrupulously, or with intense moral integrity. In other words, they were waiting to pounce on anything that even looked like Jesus was breaking one of their many Sabbath rules, and here was their chance. A man had come who had a paralyzed right hand. Would Jesus heal on the Sabbath? Jesus knew exactly what they were doing, so He asks them a pointed question. “I ask you: Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do what is good or to do what is evil, to save life or to destroy it?” They were caught out in a spectacular way. If they said no, they would expose their petty lack of compassion. If they said yes, then they concede that Jesus is right. So, what do they do? They say nothing. So, Jesus heals and they fume. This will not be the first time Jesus catches them out with a tough question and it will not be the first time they refuse to answer. Instead, they would continue to trap themselves, and others, in legalism.

Vs 17-19 After coming down with them, He stood on a level place with a large crowd of His disciples and a great number of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon. They came to hear Him and to be healed of their diseases; and those tormented by unclean spirits were made well. The whole crowd was trying to touch Him, because power was coming out from Him and healing them all.

Finally, after Jesus has chosen the twelve, He comes back to a large crowd of those who have been following Him. They come from all over the region. To get a picture of how far and wide Jesus’ reputation has spread, lets see how far it is from Sidon, a city near modern day Lebanon to the city of Be’er Sheva in southern Judea. They are over 400 kilometers or 250 miles apart. When we understand that most of the people who came walked, it really shows Jesus’ far reaching influence. This verse also emphasizes the fact that Jesus had more than 12 disciples or followers. He had both a large crowd of followers and large crowds of people who just came to see Him.

Throughout these passages, we’ve come across several different people who have come to see Christ. There are the chosen twelve, called as apostles or messengers. They have been commissioned and sent. There are other disciples who followed Christ from place to place listening to His teachings and witnessing His miracles. They are not full time, but come, minister, sit at the feet of Jesus and follow His teachings. Then, there are the crowds of people who came to see, hear and be touched by Him. They come because they had heard of His power and had faith that what He said was true. Finally, there are the Pharisees. They followed Jesus around watching and waiting to pounce on anything they felt was against the rules. The church is filled with all of these people. There will always those who are more concerned with religious ritual and legality than with human need. These are modern day Pharisees who sit around waiting for people to break the rules. There are those who are in the crowd. They know the truth and come to see and hear, but they don’t get overly involved. As long as something is happening, they will be there. There are true followers. They are the lay workers who teach, sing in the choir, work on the committees, visit the sick feed the hungry. They are ready to serve as the hands and feet of Jesus. Finally, there are those who have been called into specific fulltime service. They are the pastors, ministers, and missionaries who have committed their lives to serve Christ. Jesus had many disciples, but only called twelve into a full time ministry. The rest were able to minister and help where they were in their everyday lives. May God empower us all to be true followers of Christ, whether that is as a called minister or as a empowered lay minister. All of us have been called to serve as disciples of Jesus.