What does Luke 5:20 Mean?

Study Notes

sins
Sin.

sinned

Sin, Summary: The literal meanings of the Heb. and (Greek - ἀλεκτοροφωνία sin," "sinner," etc)., disclose the true nature of sin in its manifold manifestations. Sin is transgression, an overstepping of the law, the divine boundary between good and evil Psalms 51:1 ; Luke 15:29 , iniquity, an act inherently wrong, whether expressly forbidden or not; error, a departure from right; Psalms 51:9 ; Romans 3:23 , missing the mark, a failure to meet the divine standard; trespass, the intrusion of self-will into the sphere of divine authority Ephesians 2:1 , lawlessness, or spiritual anarchy 1 Timothy 1:9 , unbelief, or an insult to the divine veracity John 16:9 .

Sin originated with Satan Isaiah 14:12-14 , entered the world through Adam Romans 5:12 , was, and is, universal, Christ alone excepted; Romans 3:23 ; 1 Peter 2:22 , incurs the penalties of spiritual and physical death; Genesis 2:17 ; Genesis 3:19 ; Ezekiel 18:4 ; Ezekiel 18:20 ; Romans 6:23 and has no remedy but in the sacrificial death of Christ; Hebrews 9:26 ; Acts 4:12 availed of by faith Acts 13:38 ; Acts 13:39 . Sin may be summarized as threefold: An act, the violation of, or want of obedience to the revealed will of God; a state, absence of righteousness; a nature, enmity toward God.

Verse Meaning

The zeal with which the four friends of the paralytic sought to bring him into Jesus" presence demonstrated their faith, namely, their belief that Jesus could heal him. However the sick man also appears to have had faith in Jesus or he would not have permitted his friends to do what they did. Perhaps Luke did not mention the paralytic"s faith explicitly because to do so might have detracted from his emphasis on Jesus" power. God responds to the faith of others when they bring friends in need to Him in prayer as well as in person. [source][source]

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". . . it is impossible to think that the man"s sins were forgiven if he had no faith of his own." ^[1] [source]

We should not regard physical healing and spiritual forgiveness as an "either or" proposition. Rather true forgiveness includes full restoration in every area of life. Jesus graciously did "both and" for this Prayer of Manasseh , though often God does not restore people to complete physical health, some not until after death. [source][source]

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"Miracle becomes a metaphor for salvation. All Jesus" miracles should be seen in this light." ^[2] [source]

Context Summary

Jesus did not hesitate to touch the leper, because He could no more be polluted by uncleanness than could a ray of light by passing through a fetid atmosphere. The question is never in can or will, as applied to Christ, but whether we will trust Him and can believe.

The Mosaic offering was a pair of birds, one of which was killed over running water; while the other, having been dipped into this mingled blood and water, was freed to fly away in its native air. Is not this the meet emblem of the forgiven and cleansed soul? See Leviticus 14:2-32.

At first the bed bore the paralytic, but after the power of Jesus had entered into him, he bore the bed. So Jesus pours His energy into our anemic natures, and we master what had mastered us. The miracle in the physical sphere, which men could test, approved His power in the realm of the spiritual, where only the forgiven one could actually know.

Do not forget to withdraw from the crowd, however eager it is, that you may pray, Luke 5:16. [source]

Chapter Summary: Luke 5

¹  Jesus teaches the people out of Peter's ship;
⁴  shows how he will make them fishers of men;
¹²  cleanses the leper;
¹⁶  prays in the desert;
¹⁷  heals a paralytic;
²⁷  calls Matthew the tax collector;
²⁹  eats with sinners, as being the physician of souls;
³³  foretells the fasting and afflictions of the apostles after his ascension;
³⁶  and illustrates the matter by the parable of patches