Week Four: Jesus and a Paralyzed Man (Luke 5:17-26)
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Week Four: Jesus and a Paralyzed Man (Luke 5:17-26) OPENING DISCUSSION Today’s lesson will be focused on the story of Jesus’s interactions with a paralyzed man and the surprisingly spiritual responses He gives to what was intended to be a search for physical healing. Among many other things to be gleaned from this passage, we can probably relate to the idea of a disconnect between what we want and what we need. To begin, let’s read the lyrics of these songs over the generations that reflect on this disparity. “When you try your best, but you don't succeed When you get what you want, but not what you need When you feel so tired, but you can't sleep Stuck in reverse” --Coldplay, “Fix You” “I have climbed highest mountains I have run through fields Only to be with you Only to be with you I have run, I have crawled I have scaled the city walls Said it was Only to be with you But I still haven’t found what I’m looking for But I still haven’t found what I’m looking for” --U2, “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” “I got money Everything that I ever wanted Never thought of what I might need, Need, need Ain't it funny, How I spend my whole life running Reaching for the sky high and coming down with nothing” --Chris Brown, “4 Years Old” OBSERVATION Give everyone 3 or 4 minutes to jot down responses to some basic observation questions. 17 On one of those days, as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with him to heal. 18 And behold, some men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they were seeking to bring him in and lay him before Jesus,19 but finding no way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the midst before Jesus. 20 And when he saw their faith, he said, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” 21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 22 When Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answered them, “Why do you question in your hearts? 23 Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? 24 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the man who was paralyzed—“I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home.”25 And immediately he rose up before them and picked up what he had been lying on and went home, glorifying God. 26 And amazement seized them all, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, “We have seen extraordinary things today.” 1. What are the contrasting goals of the Pharisees and the friends of the paralytics for approaching Jesus? 2. What are the two areas of salvation or restoration presented in this passage? 3. What are 1-2 questions the passage raises for you? INTERPRETATION 1. In this passage, what is Jesus teaching about His role in salvation? (See Leviticus 4 and 5, Matthew 27:50-51, Hebrews 7:23-28, 9:11-14, 10:10-14) 2. It was probably surprising to the friends of the paralyzed man when Jesus first says to him that his sins are forgiven. After all, they had their friend’s physical healing in mind. What is significant about Jesus first saying to the man that his sins are forgiven, and then healing him physically as well? Why does Jesus do both? That is, what does this say about His ministry? (See Isaiah 59:2, Romans 6:23, Luke 4:31-41) 3. Investigate any other interpretive questions raised by the group at your discretion and as time allows. Consider assigning difficult interpretive questions to group members to research for the following week. APPLICATION 1. In your faith journey right now, do you identify more with the friends who brought the paralytic to Jesus, or the paralytic himself? Why? 2. Do you find it harder to believe that God can heal or that God can forgive? Why? 3. What is one step you can take this week in light of God’s character and where you are in your faith journey? .