Tag: luke

Title: The Leper and the Pharisees (Spiritual Sickness)
Scripture: Luke 5:12-26

Did Jesus want the kind of revival we imagine? Jesus cared about something more important than just revival. Let’s take a closer look at this. Sometimes, we expect Jesus to do things our way, but that might not be what He wants from us.

In today’s passage, we see a man with leprosy. This man had a serious skin disease that made him an outcast. His body was visibly sick, but there were others—like the Pharisees and teachers of the law—whose hearts were spiritually sick, even though they looked fine on the outside.

In verse 12, a man with leprosy came to Jesus. Leprosy was a terrible disease that made the skin look awful, and people were afraid to go near anyone with it. But when this man heard Jesus was in his town, he found Him and bowed down, showing respect. He begged Jesus to heal him.

Jesus could have healed him with just words, but instead, He reached out His hand and touched the man. Leprosy was thought to be contagious, but Jesus touched him anyway. By doing this, Jesus showed His love in action. The man was healed.

Then Jesus told the man to go to the priest and offer a gift, as the law required, so it could be a testimony to others. Jesus also told him not to tell anyone. Why? Perhaps to protect the man’s privacy, knowing people might still judge him unfairly even though he was healed.

Next, Luke shifts to another story about the Pharisees and teachers of the law. These were religious leaders who followed rules but often missed the heart of God’s message.

Unlike the leper, they didn’t come to Jesus for healing. Instead, they came to criticize and find fault. Jesus didn’t focus on gaining power or popularity through miracles. For example, even when large crowds came to Him, He would often go to quiet places to pray instead of trying to gather a following.

Jesus didn’t heal people to create big movements or grow numbers for the sake of it. He cared about something deeper. In John 6:1-2, many people followed Jesus because of the miracles they saw, but the focus should not have been on the miracles. It should have been on Jesus Himself, the one with the power to heal and save.

Luke highlights this again in verse 17, saying, “The power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal the sick.” But healing was only part of Jesus’ mission. In the next story, a paralyzed man couldn’t get to Jesus because of the crowd. His friends lowered him through the roof to reach Jesus.

What Jesus did next shocked everyone. He didn’t just heal the man’s body—He forgave his sins. This upset the Pharisees and teachers of the law, who thought only God could forgive sins.

Jesus asked, “Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’?” Then He healed the man to prove He had the authority to forgive sins.

This shows that Jesus didn’t just come to fix physical problems—He came to heal our hearts and restore us to God. As Isaiah 43:25 says, God forgives our sins for His sake because He is holy. Jesus, the Son of God, has the same authority to forgive sins.

In contrast, the Pharisees used the law to judge and control people. They missed the spirit of the law, which is love and mercy. Jesus, however, respected the law and fulfilled it with love. When He healed the leper, He told him to follow the law and show himself to the priest. But Jesus also showed compassion, valuing the man’s dignity and privacy.

How do we treat others? Do we act like the Pharisees, judging and focusing on rules, or like Jesus, with love and understanding?

In Luke 11:42, Jesus rebukes the Pharisees, saying they give tithes but neglect justice and love for God. Knowing the Bible is not enough. We must live out God’s love and justice. Otherwise, we risk becoming trapped in self-righteousness, like the Pharisees.

Jesus teaches us to reflect on our lives. Are we living by God’s righteousness or our own? When we face challenges, our true hearts are revealed. Let’s take time to think about our actions and thoughts. Are they led by love and understanding?

Jesus stood with the weak and the sinners, not as a judge but as a savior. Let’s follow His example—loving, forgiving, and serving others with humility. May we give all glory to God and walk in His love.

Let’s pray:
Lord, help us not to be like the Pharisees, judging others and relying on our own righteousness. Show us the brokenness in our hearts and lead us to seek healing in You. Make us humble and loving, standing with the weak and giving glory to You alone. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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누가복음(Luke) 5:12-26

12 While he was in one of the cities, there came a man full of leprosy. And when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” \ 예수께서 한 동네에 계실 때에 온 몸에 문둥병 들린 사람이 있어 예수를 보고 엎드려 구하여 가로되 주여 원하시면 나를 깨끗케 하실 수 있나이다 하니

13 And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him. \ 예수께서 손을 내밀어 저에게 대시며 가라사대 내가 원하노니 깨끗함을 받으라 하신대 문둥병이 곧 떠나니라

14 And he charged him to tell no one, but “go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as Moses commanded, for a proof to them.” \ 예수께서 저를 경계하시되 아무에게도 이르지 말고 가서 제사장에게 네 몸을 보이고 또 네 깨끗케 됨을 인하여 모세의 명한대로 예물을 드려 저희에게 증거하라 하셨더니

15 But now even more the report about him went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities. \ 예수의 소문이 더욱 퍼지매 허다한 무리가 말씀도 듣고 자기 병도 나음을 얻고자 하여 모여 오되

16 But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray. \ 예수는 물러가사 한적한 곳에서 기도하시니라

17 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. \ 하루는 가르치실 때에 갈릴리 각 촌과 유대와 예루살렘에서 나온 바리새인과 교법사들이 앉았는데 병을 고치는 주의 능력이 예수와 함께하더라

18 And behold, some men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they were seeking to bring him in and lay him before Jesus, \ 한 중풍병자를 사람들이 침상에 메고 와서 예수 앞에 들여놓고자 하였으나

19 but finding no way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the midst before Jesus. \ 무리 때문에 메고 들어갈 길을 얻지 못한지라 지붕에 올라가 기와를 벗기고 병자를 침상채 무리 가운데로 예수 앞에 달아 내리니

20 And when he saw their faith, he said, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” \ 예수께서 저희 믿음을 보시고 이르시되 이 사람아 네 죄 사함을 받았느니라 하시니

21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” \ 서기관과 바리새인들이 의논하여 가로되 이 참람한 말을 하는 자가 누구뇨 오직 하나님 외에 누가 능히 죄를 사하겠느냐

22 When Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answered them, “Why do you question in your hearts? \ 예수께서 그 의논을 아시고 대답하여 가라사대 너희 마음에 무슨 의논을 하느냐

23 Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’?

\ 네 죄 사함을 받았느니라 하는 말과 일어나 걸어 가라 하는 말이 어느 것이 쉽겠느냐

24 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the man who was paralyzed—“I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home.” \ 그러나 인자가 땅에서 죄를 사하는 권세가 있는 줄을 너희로 알게 하리라 하시고 중풍병자에게 말씀하시되 내가 네게 이르노니 일어나 네 침상을 가지고 집으로 가라 하시매

25 And immediately he rose up before them and picked up what he had been lying on and went home, glorifying God. \ 그 사람이 저희 앞에서 곧 일어나 그 누웠던 것을 가지고 하나님께 영광을 돌리며 자기 집으로 돌아가니

26 And amazement seized them all, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, “We have seen extraordinary things today.” \ 모든 사람이 놀라 하나님께 영광을 돌리며 심히 두려워하여 가로되 오늘날 우리가 기이한 일을 보았다 하니라

누가복음(Luke) 11:42

“But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. \ 화 있을찐저 너희 바리새인이여 너희가 박하와 운향과 모든 채소의 십일조를 드리되 공의와 하나님께 대한 사랑은 버리는도다 그러나 이것도 행하고 저것도 버리지 아니하여야 할찌니라

마태복음(Mattew) 5:20

For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. \ 내가 너희에게 이르노니 너희 의가 서기관과 바리새인보다 더 낫지 못하면 결단코 천국에 들어가지 못하리라

디모데전서(1Timothy) 1:7

desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions. \ 율법의 선생이 되려 하나 자기의 말하는 것이나 자기의 확증하는 것도 깨닫지 못하는도다