“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.”
My Notes
What Does Luke 5:17 Mean?
"The power of the Lord was present to heal them." Luke records a specific detail that no other Gospel includes: God's healing power was present at this particular gathering. The implication is that this power wasn't always present in the same way — there were moments of particular divine concentration, seasons where healing was especially accessible.
The audience is unusual: Pharisees and doctors of the law from every town in Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. This is a nationwide delegation of religious experts. They've come to evaluate Jesus. And ironically, the healing power is present to heal them — the very people who will reject the healer.
The paralytic's friends who lower him through the roof (verses 18-19) act during this moment of particular power. Their faith recognizes what the religious leaders miss: something is happening right now that requires action. The window is open. The power is present. Don't wait.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Have you ever been in a moment where God's power was especially present — and did you recognize it?
- 2.Why do the most educated people in the room sometimes miss what the desperate friends see?
- 3.What does it mean that healing power is concentrated in particular moments rather than evenly distributed?
- 4.What 'roof' might you need to open to access the power that's present right now?
Devotional
The power was present to heal. Not always present in the same way — present at this specific gathering, at this particular moment, in this exact room. And the religious experts sitting in that room missed it completely.
Luke's detail — the power of the Lord was present to heal — suggests that divine power operates with concentration, not just distribution. There are moments when healing is especially accessible. Times when the window is open wider. Seasons when the power is concentrated in a particular place or gathering. And the question is whether you recognize it when it happens.
The Pharisees and doctors of the law — from every town in the region — are sitting in the room where God's healing power is concentrated. They're the most educated people in the room. They have the most Scripture knowledge. And they miss the power entirely. The paralytic's friends, by contrast, rip open the roof to get their friend to Jesus. They recognize the moment. The experts don't.
The power was present to heal them — the "them" could refer to the sick, or it could refer to the religious leaders themselves. They needed healing too — spiritual healing, theological healing, the healing of a hardened perspective. The power was available for everyone in the room. Most of them didn't take it.
Is the power present around you right now — and are you recognizing it? Or are you the expert sitting in the room, theologically informed but spiritually blind?
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And it came to pass on a certain day,.... When he was at Capernaum, as appears from Mar 2:1
As he was teaching: in the…
See this passage explained in the notes at Mat 9:1-7. Luk 5:17 On a certain day - The time and place are not…
On a certain day - This was when he was at Capernaum. See Mar 2:1.
The power of the Lord - Δυναμις Κυριου The mighty or…
Here is, I. A general account of Christ's preaching and miracles, Luk 5:17. 1. He was teaching on a certain day, not on…
The Healing of the Paralytic
17. on a certain day The vagueness of the phrase shews that no stress is here laid on…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture