July 22, 2010
wHAT WILL YOUR FAITH DO FOR OTHERS?
Luke 5:12-26
Dana Douthit
Central Truth
Our faith affects others, for better or worse.
Key Verse | Luke 5:20
Seeing their faith, He said, "Friend, your sins are forgiven you." (Luke 5:20)
Luke 5:12-26
Jesus Cleanses a Leper
12 While he was in one of the cities, there came a man full of leprosy. 1 5:12 Leprosy was a term for several skin diseases; see Leviticus 13 And when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” 13 And Jesus 2 5:13 Greek he stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him. 14 And he charged him to tell no one, but “go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as Moses commanded, for a proof to them.” 15 But now even more the report about him went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities. 16 But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.
Jesus Heals a Paralytic
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. 3 5:17 Some manuscripts was present to heal them 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.”
Dive Deeper | Luke 5:12-26
Every time I have read this story, I view it from the perspective of the paralytic man. I always focus on what life would have been like and what Jesus is showing us through him. When reading the passage in preparation for writing this devotional, I looked at the friends who carried him. Just imagine these men carrying their friend through the crowds—sweating, struggling, tired.
Even today, think how frustrating traffic can be or crowds at sporting events and theme parks. It is hard to keep control. Not only did these men keep control, but they acted in such a way that Jesus recognized their faith. They carried their friend through the crowds, as hard as it may have been, because they believed Jesus could heal him.
I love verse 17. It notes that "the power of the Lord was present for Him to perform healing." How often do we forget that? The POWER of the Lord is present. These men walked by their faith, and it changed a man's life. He stood up and carried his mat away. A man who could not walk left healed and full of hope. He praised God, and everyone around him praised God despite the Pharisees' attempts to discredit Jesus.
There was doubt and negativity all around these men, just like we experience every day. But the POWER of the Lord is present, so we CAN overcome doubt with our faith. I forget that. I miss the power of my Savior because I let the Pharisees around me win. I allow their lack of faith to affect me, when following Jesus calls us to rock the world with OUR faith.
Will you choose to have a faith that people notice?
Discussion Questions
1. Do you remember that the power of the Lord is with you? Or do you let Pharisees overtake your faith?
2. Would you have faith to do something for one of your friends like the friends in this passage did?
3. Has anyone in your life had faith that has changed you for the better?
FAMILY DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Have you ever seen anyone with a disease that affected how they looked? Leprosy is a disease that causes sores all over a person’s body that do not heal. Lepers were not accepted by the world.
2. What does Jesus do when He heals the leper? Jesus loves everyone! Are you willing to reach out and show Jesus’ love to those whom the world rejects?