(The following is an encore Fragment. Although written and published some time ago, I hope that it refreshes your soul today.)
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. (Luke 5:17)
Have you ever had “one of those days?” It strikes me that Dr. Luke, the author of this Gospel, begins relating this story with a description that this was just a normal day on the ministry calendar of Jesus. It wasn’t a Sabbath or a large public gathering; most likely it was a private home with a group of curious Pharisees and teachers. It was just “one of those days.”
But even on “one of those days,” Jesus had extraordinary power to heal. In Luke 5:17-26, Jesus heals a paralytic through the persistent and compassionate care of his friends. They believed that a full room was no barrier to getting their companion in front of Jesus. Jesus was fueled with the inexhaustible resource of God. It is this power to heal that compelled Jesus to declare the health of the soul before the healing of the body. “Man, your sins are forgiven you” (5:20). A broken body was the second focus of our Lord. The power to heal was first applied to the most profound need.
My guess is that the Pharisees and teachers viewed themselves as whole and complete, but Jesus’ declaration was intended to highlight the paralysis that existed in their hearts and souls. Jesus had diagnosed their problem long before the roof started to come down. He knew that self-righteousness had paralyzed the hearts and minds of the religious zealots. He had “the power of the Lord” to heal. But only for those who understood their need.
I’ve had “one of those days”… a non-spectacular twenty-four-hour period where I wonder if God has shifted his attention to more important matters – quite frequently. In that moment, on those terms, Luke 5 reminds me that even ordinary days are reserved for the extraordinary working of God to heal, to mend, to inspire, to restore, to propel, to convict, to mobilize, to expose the paralysis of my own soul.
Yes, on one of those days…
{ 0 comments… add one now }