Lesson 8

I.       Observation

A.     Outline

Calling of First Disciples (5:1-11)

Cleansing the Man with Leprosy (5:12-16)

Healing the Paralyzed Man (5:17-26)

B.     Key Words/Phrases

Word of God, taught, at Your word, “I am a sinful man, O Lord!”, astonished, catch men, if You are willing, withdrew/prayed, power of the Lord, forgive sins, glorifying God, amazed.

II.    Segment Analysis

1. Peter letting Jesus use his boat. 2. Jesus’ command. 3. Obedience to Jesus’ word.

2. Peter, speaking as an experienced fishermen, pointed out that they caught nothing despite the long toil. Not only so, what Jesus was telling him to do was no new technique. There was a sense of reluctance in Peter’s words. Nevertheless, he was willing to set aside his opinion and do what the Lord commanded although it did not seem to make sense.

3a. When witnessing the diving power of Jesus, Peter realized that Jesus was no ordinary teacher. Whereas he addressed Jesus as “Master” earlier on in the story, he now called Him “Lord,” confessing His divinity. In the presence of the holy God, Peter immediately became aware of his sinfulness and asked the Lord to depart from him.

3b. At this point, Peter gained a new knowledge of Jesus and of himself—Jesus was his Lord and he was a sinner undeserving of the Lord’s grace. This new understanding prepared him to be a follower of Christ.

5a. They forsook all. This is a condition of discipleship (14:33). To be a true disciple, we cannot have divided interests (Mt 6:24). Discipleship requires total dedication. We must set aside all our personal ambitions and orient our lives entirely to the mission of “catching men.”

6a.  Listening to the word of God (1). 2. Obeying and acting upon the word of God (4-5). 3. Confessing of sins and acknowledging Christ as Lord (8). 4. Forsaking all and following the Lord (11).

7a. He must have felt unworthy to draw near Jesus and ask for healing.

8a. Jesus could have healed the man by issuing a command from a distance. But He put out His hands and touched the leprous man, who was ceremonially unclean. He also spoke reassuring words to the man. The Lord’s action and words must have deeply touched the man, who had always been avoided and isolated. Jesus was more than a powerful healer. He is the loving God full of love and kindness toward the people.

9. He probably wanted to avoid the people’s misconception that he was just a miracle-worker and come to Him only for healing or even expect Him to be a political leader (cf. 4:37,42-44).

10. The key phrase that shows the significance of Jesus’ command is “as a testimony to them.” The command to show himself to the priest was more than a compliance with the Mosaic regulation, but a direct proof that the Lord’s ministry was the fulfillment of the law. Jesus’ healing of the man was a testimony that He was the true source of healing and cleansing.

11a. While verse 15 may seem to indicate the increase in Jesus popularity, verse 16 by contrast shows Jesus’ withdrawal from such popularity. .Jesus did not come only to heal the sick. He also needed to spend time to pray alone so He could focus on the mission ahead of Him and stay close to the Father at all times.

12. They were full of compassion for the paralyzed man. They did not give up even when the circumstance posed a challenge. According to verse 20, their persistence was also a sign of great faith in the Lord.

13. This verse teaches us the power of intercession. When we come to the Lord to intercede for another, our faith can move the Lord. Of course, the whom we intercede for also needs to have faith in the Lord.

15.       1. Forgiveness of sins is more important than physical healing.
             2. To demonstrate that He had power on earth to forgive sins (24).

16a. While both statements are equally easy to say but impossible to make happen, in a sense, it is easy for anyone to say “your sins are forgiven you” because the forgiveness of sins is intangible. The point of Jesus’ question is that while it may be easy to claim the power to forgive sins, He would now substantiate His claim by doing the more difficult—commanding the man to walk.

16b. Only God has the sovereignty and authority to issue the command, “I say to you, arise.” By raising the paralytic, the Lord demonstrated that He was God. Being God Himself, Jesus, of course, also had the authority to forgive sins.