Luke 5:18 - Printer Friendly

ESV: 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,

NIV: Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus.

NASB: And some men were carrying a man on a stretcher who was paralyzed; and they were trying to bring him in and to set him down in front of Him.

CSB: Just then some men came, carrying on a stretcher a man who was paralyzed. They tried to bring him in and set him down before him.

NLT: Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a sleeping mat. They tried to take him inside to Jesus,

KJV: 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.

NKJV: Then behold, men brought on a bed a man who was paralyzed, whom they sought to bring in and lay before Him.

This occurs in Capernaum, which is "home" for Jesus at this time (Mark 2:1). He might be at Peter and Andrew's house. A crowd has come to hear Him teach, but a small group of men has a different need. Their friend is paralyzed, and the men know Jesus can heal him. But they can't get in the house because of the crowd.

Jesus' primary purpose at this stage in His ministry is to "preach the good news of the kingdom of God" (Luke 4:43). The "good news," ultimately, is salvation: forgiveness of sins and reconciliation with God through Jesus' sacrifice on the cross followed by His resurrection.

Miracles are attention-getting, but they're secondary to the message. Miracles confirm Jesus' teaching, reveal that He is empowered by God (Luke 5:17), and give a foretaste of the complete healing His followers will experience after death. Jesus is personally motivated to heal in response to others' faith (Mark 6:5–6) and out of His own compassion (Matthew 14:14). It is His teaching, however, that put His works into context.

"Paralyzed" is from a root word meaning "feeble, weakened, disabled, or crippled." It's the same term used regarding Aeneas in Lydda (Acts 9:32–33). The extent of the man's condition is unknown, but he is apparently unable to walk. The King James Version uses "palsy" as a short form of "paralysis," but in this context means the same thing.

Luke 5:17–26 records Jesus' second miracle after the first call of His disciples. He has already touched a man with leprosy (Luke 5:12–16). Now, He declares a paralytic's sins are forgiven. The scribes and Pharisees question Jesus' authority; even after Jesus heals the man, separation between His followers and His detractors continues to grow. Luke follows the pattern of connecting Jesus' provocative actions with His calls to His disciples until all twelve are chosen (Luke 5:27—6:16). The healing of the paralyzed man is also in Matthew 9:1–8 and Mark 2:1–12.

Luke 5 continues Jesus' Galilean Ministry (Luke 4:14—9:50). The passage alternates calls to discipleship with miracles and teachings which demonstrate what discipleship entails. Jesus calls Peter, Andrew, and their business partners, James and John, to follow Him and make more disciples. Then Jesus makes a man with leprosy ceremonially clean. He forgives the sins of a paralytic. After He calls Levi to follow Him, Jesus celebrates instead of fasting. This draws critical questions from the crowd. The religious leaders consider Jesus' actions blasphemous. His message of forgiveness, faith, and repentance cannot be contained by their tradition.

Jesus has already proved He can expel demons, heal ailments, and reveal the kingdom of God (Luke 4:31–44). In this chapter, He begins to separate His followers from His detractors. This begins with calling the first five disciples and emphasizing faith and repentance over religious tradition. He will drive home the point by treating the Sabbath as a blessing rather than a burden (Luke 6:1–11). After formally inviting the Twelve to follow Him, Jesus will explain to a crowd what discipleship looks like and invite them to build their lives on Him (Luke 6:12–49). In chapter 7, Jesus champions Gentiles and the marginalized.

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.