VII.
What does the passage suggest to you about the nature of faith?

VIII.
Luke 5:17-26 (NRSVue)

One day while he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem were sitting nearby, and the power of the Lord was with him to heal. Just then some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a stretcher. They were trying to bring him in and lay him before Jesus, but, finding no way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down on the stretcher through the tiles into the middle of the crowd in front of Jesus.

When he saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven you.”

Then the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, “Who is this who is speaking blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

When Jesus perceived their questionings, he answered them, “Why do you raise such questions in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Stand up and walk’? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the one who was paralyzed—“I say to you, stand up and take your stretcher and go to your home.” Immediately he stood up before them, took what he had been lying on, and went to his home, glorifying God. Amazement seized all of them, and they glorified God and were filled with fear, saying, “We have seen incredible things today.”

IX.
Make sure you notice –

“When he saw their faith, he said, ‘Friend, your sins are forgiven you.’”

Did I get that right? “… their faith …” Not just the faith of the man that was healed but the faith of those who carried him to Jesus.

Have you ever considered how your faith affects others? And more to the point, how can your faith benefit others? Can your faith benefit others who might not have faith?

How far might your faith take you? How far are you willing to go and how much are you willing to carry?

charles
{ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est}