What do you want from Jesus? We have no reason to believe that this paralyzed man and his friends wanted anything more than his physical healing. And that’s how we pray for ourselves and our loved ones most of the time, asking God to change the material circumstances of our lives – to give us healing, to protect us, to provide for our financial needs. Oh, sometimes we pray that God would make us feel better – to give us comfort and strength and peace. But all too often, our prayers are focused on the things of this world, on just helping us get through the day.

And by healing this paralyzed man, Jesus proves that He is indeed able to help us in these ways. But in verse 20, Jesus points out a much bigger problem that we all face – not our physical or material or emotional limitations, but our spiritual weakness. In fact, our biggest problem is that we are all born sinners, cut off from the only true Source of life and love, just as unable to restore ourselves to a right relationship with God as this man was able to move his body. Thus, our biggest need isn’t physical healing but forgiveness of our sins.

Now, the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law of Moses thought they had this forgiveness thing all figured out. They thought that in order to be forgiven, all anyone needed to do was to follow the Law. But in today’s passage, Jesus cut across all their carefully woven regulations, undermining the heart of their legalism. Instead, He claimed the power to forgive this man’s sins immediately and personally. And in order to prove He had the power to restore spiritual freedom to us, He restored this paralyzed man’s physical freedom, allowing him to rise and walk.

But how did Jesus have the power to do this? After all, the Pharisees were right when they said in verse 21 that only God can forgive sins. But the only way that God is able at the same time to uphold the perfect justice and righteousness of His law and also to forgive unworthy sinners like us was for Jesus to give Himself up in our place, to become a sacrifice on our behalf, to take upon Himself the penalty due to all our sins. So, to answer Jesus’ question in verse 23, it was actually much easier for Him to bring physical than spiritual healing. For even though He is the Son of God, our spiritual healing cost Him His very life.

So, what do we want from Jesus? It’s okay to ask Him to help us and our loved ones get through this life. But wouldn’t it be better to ask for His forgiveness, for Him to prepare us for eternal life? After all, He died to prove His love for us, so can’t we trust in His grace to save us?

Luke 5:17-26 (ESV)

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.4 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.”