Luke 5:20
And when he saw their faith, he said, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Luke 5:20
And when he saw their faith, he said, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
Jesus doesn't just see their faith; he sees their faith – meaning the faith of the man and the faith of those who brought him. He highlights this shared faith as the reason he’s able to pronounce forgiveness, showing how our faith can be a powerful conduit for God's grace, not just for ourselves but for those we bring to Him.
This moment unfolds during a teaching session where religious authorities, including Pharisees and teachers of the law from across the region, have gathered to observe Jesus. As Jesus addresses the crowd, a group brings a paralyzed man, lowering him through the roof due to the throng. Jesus, seeing the faith of both the man and those who carried him, immediately speaks words of forgiveness before healing him.
When this paralytic man couldn't get to Jesus himself, his friends stepped in. Their faith wasn't just a nice gesture; it was the key that unlocked God's power.
Faith in Action
Jesus saw 'their faith' – not just the paralytic's, but the faith of the four friends who carried him.
Jesus' first words to the paralytic weren't about his legs, but about his sins. Why start there?
Soul First, Then Body
Jesus, with His divine insight, saw that the man's deepest need was not physical healing, but spiritual.
Understand the original words
pistis · Greek Noun
Biblical trust, reliance, and commitment to God. It is the response of the heart to God's revelation, serving as the instrument through which believers receive God's grace and intervention.
hamartia · Greek Noun
Transgression against God's law or a failure to conform to His moral standard. It creates a barrier between humanity and God that only divine atonement can remove.
aphiēmi · Greek Verb
The act of remitting, releasing, or canceling a debt or penalty. In a theological sense, it is the gracious removal of the guilt and consequences of sin by God based on the work of Christ.
The scribes' rigid view that suffering equals sin clashes with Jesus' deeper understanding that forgiveness, not just physical healing, is paramount. This event highlights Jesus' unique authority and His mission to address the root spiritual causes of human suffering.
Early 1st century AD
Jesus' Ministry Grows
Jesus' popularity and reputation for healing and teaching spread across Galilee. His growing influence attracts crowds and the attention of religious authorities.
Early 1st century AD— this verse
Religious Leaders Observe Jesus
Pharisees and teachers of the law, from various towns including Jerusalem, travel to observe Jesus. They come to assess his teachings and claims.
Early 1st century AD
Paralytic Lowered Through Roof
A paralytic man, carried by four friends, is lowered through a roof into a crowded house where Jesus is teaching, demonstrating their determined faith.
Early 1st century AD
Jesus Declares Sins Forgiven
Jesus, seeing their faith, first pronounces forgiveness of sins to the paralytic, prioritizing the spiritual over the physical ailment.
This passage, from Mark's Gospel, provides a parallel account where Jesus also says 'Your sins are forgiven you' upon seeing the faith of those bringing the paralytic.
Isaiah 43:25This Old Testament passage directly states God's prerogative to forgive sins, providing the theological backdrop against which Jesus' declaration in Luke would have been understood as a divine claim.
John 5:14In this verse, Jesus tells a man he healed, 'See, you are well again! Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you,' highlighting the connection Jesus Himself made between sin and suffering, which is relevant to His understanding in Luke 5:20.
1 John 1:9This New Testament verse offers the believer a clear path to forgiveness through confession, reinforcing the reality and availability of God's forgiveness that Jesus is demonstrating in Luke.
cambridgeLuke 5:20: "And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee."
20 . Man ] St Mark has “Son,” and St Matthew “Cheer up, son,” which were probably the exact words used by Christ. are forgiven thee ] Rather, have been forgiven thee , i. e. now and henceforth. In this instance our Lord’s power of reading the heart must have shewn Him that there was a connexion between past sin and present affliction. The Jews held it as an universal rule that suffering was always the i…
jfbLuke 5:17-26: "And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judaea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them."
Lu 5:17-26. Paralytic Healed.(See on [1574]Mt 9:1-8).17. Pharisees and doctors … sitting by—the highest testimony yet borne to our Lord's growing influence, and the necessity increasingly felt by the ecclesiastics throughout the country of…
Jesus doesn't just see their faith; he sees their faith – meaning the faith of the man and the faith of those who brought him. He highlights this shared faith as the reason he’s able to pronounce forgiveness, showing how our faith can be a powerful conduit for God's grace, not just for ourselves but for those we bring to Him.
This moment unfolds during a teaching session where religious authorities, including Pharisees and teachers of the law from across the region, have gathered to observe Jesus. As Jesus addresses the crowd, a group brings a paralyzed man, lowering him through the roof due to the throng. Jesus, seeing the faith of both the man and those who carried him, immediately speaks words of forgiveness before healing him.
This moment unfolds during a teaching session where religious authorities, including Pharisees and teachers of the law from across the region, have gathered to observe Jesus. As Jesus addresses the crowd, a group brings a paralyzed man, lowering him through the roof due to the throng. Jesus, seeing the faith of both the man and those who carried him, immediately speaks words of forgiveness before healing him.
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Early 1st century AD
Scribes Accuse Jesus of Blasphemy
The religious leaders inwardly accuse Jesus of blasphemy for claiming the authority to forgive sins, a power they believe belongs to God alone.
Early 1st century AD
Jesus Demonstrates Authority
Jesus, knowing their thoughts, challenges the scribes by healing the paralytic instantly with a word, proving His divine authority to forgive sins.
Early 1st century AD
Crowd Amazed and Glorifies God
The onlookers are astonished by the miracle and glorify God for giving such authority to a man, though some remain fearful.
"And when he saw their faith, he said, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.”" — Jesus doesn't just see their faith; he sees their faith – meaning the faith of the man and the faith of those who brought him. He highlights this shared faith as the reason he’s able to pronounce…