Luke 5:21-25 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone? But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts? Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house. And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God.
The multitudes began to throng to Jesus when they heard the testimonies of the miracle-working power of God in His life. This caused Jesus to resort to a quiet place to have communion and fellowship with His Father. Having spent time with The Father, Jesus, as Son of Man would be endued with a fresh supply of power and strength for the day. Today we “relive” the account of Jesus forgiving and healing the paralytic. Interestingly, we see a mixed multitude in attendance. There are the friends of this lame man who are convinced of the power of Jesus to heal their friend. Both they and their friend would get much more from Jesus than they asked for! Then there were the Pharisees and doctors of the law (scribes) who were there to criticize and accuse Jesus of blasphemy.
Whenever a multitude is gathered together when Jesus is being worshipped, praised, and being made known by the teaching of Scripture, there will always be a mixed multitude. There will be those who come to Him in faith, hungering and expecting Him to speak to them and touch them, as well as those who observe to find fault and accuse those who look to Jesus in faith. The New Covenant is not a covenant of lesser promises or lesser power than the Old Covenant. The New Covenant is the very power of God in that it grants by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ, full remission of sin, and the power of God that heals us in spirit, soul and body. The “theologians” of the day walked away empty and angry at Jesus, but those with childlike faith walked away forgiven forever and healed. Which group describes you today? Selah
