Beyond Glory

Before the covid pandemic, The Last Ship, a television series, ran for five seasons. Its premise was that 80% of the world’s population was wiped out, and the fate of the remaining people was in the hands of a military ship with 218 people and one doctor who had the cure for the illness. Such television series and movies leave us with a sense of “that’s just impossible.”

People around Jesus faced a similar situation. A crowd had gathered in a house to listen to him. Among them were the Pharisees and teachers of the law from Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem (Luke 5:17). As Jesus was teaching, some men brought in a stretcher a man who was paralytic so that he might be healed (5:18). Because of the large crowd, they couldn’t come near to him.

“They went up on the house (doma) and through the ceramics lowered him on a stretcher right before Jesus.” (5:19)

A doma was a Roman-styled house with two floors and a central open space (impluvium) for sunlight. The impluvium roof was made of ceramic tiles. The men removed these to lower their friend before Jesus.

(picture from Wikipedia)

Seeing their faith, Jesus said,

“Man, your sins are forgiven.” (5:20)

That might seem like an odd response to us; the Pharisees and teachers of the law considered it blasphemy since they taught that God alone could forgive sins (5:21). When they dialogued, Jesus said,

“Which is easier: ‘To say: your sins are forgiven to-you or get-up and walk?” (5:23)

In Greek, the first phrase – your sins are forgiven to-you – is five words, whereas the second phrase – get-up and walk – is three words. Economically (i.e., saving words and energy), saying, “Get-up and walk” (3 words) was less laborious than “Your sins are forgiven to-you” (5 words).

Jesus was, however, talking about authority. As a professor, I can say several things to my students: open your textbooks to page 36, there will be a quiz on this tomorrow, no class next week, you must redo this assignment, etc. I have the authority to say those. But I don’t have the right to expel a student from the class or the school, which belongs to the Dean. It’s easier for me to say to a student, “I want you to read chapter 13 for tomorrow’s class” (10 words) than “You are expelled” (3 words).

Similarly, it was easier for Jesus to say, “Your sins are forgiven to-you” than “Get-up and walk” because it was within his authority, right, or power. As Jesus explained, however, it was in all humanity’s authority:

“The son/daughter of man [Adam] has authority on the earth to forgive sins.” (5:24)

Since the Gospels use this title – Son of Man –many times for Jesus, we assume it was a title designated for him alone. In Psalms, this title is used nearly thirty times for people. For example,

“YHWH sits in his holy temple. YHWH sits on his heavenly throne. His eyes look upon the poor. His pupil focuses on the sons of men” (Ps 11:4)

The OT designation for humanity was “sons/daughters of Adam [man].” Jesus taught them that when people forgave others, illnesses left (even paralysis). He then asked the paralytic to take his stretcher and leave, and he did. Those who saw this were amazed (ecstatic), glorified God, and said, “We have never seen anything this beyond glory (para “beyond” doza “glory”)” (Luke 5:26).

Even now, people can become paralyzed by unforgiveness. Forgiveness, on the other hand, can bring healing. As God’s children, we offer forgiveness to ourselves and others.