Luke 5:17 - Ears to Hear

Luke 5:17 (ESV)

[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.

Why were the Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting there? Were they there to listen and learn, or where they there to judge whether Jesus was really from God? I’ve been in the ministry for a long time, and I often teach classes on preaching and teaching. It is easy for me to slip into professor mode when I’m listening to a preacher. But that’s not what I should be doing. Do I have a responsibility to be discerning when I listen? Of course. The Bereans were commended for testing Paul’s teaching against the Scriptures. That is as it should be. But I should also come with a heart ready to hear what God is saying to me.

In this passage Jesus heals many people including a paralytic who is let down through the roof to get to Jesus. Jesus knew his audience. He responded to the paralytic that his sins were forgiven, which must have confused the paralytic because that’s not why he came. It raised some eyebrows among the Pharisees and teachers of the law. They accused him of blasphemy. Jesus then challenged them in verse 23, “Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’?” “Your sins are forgiven” is easy to say because no one can prove you didn’t forgive. “Rise and walk” is much more difficult because the proof is right there in front of you. Either the paralyzed man gets up and walks or he doesn’t. He got up and walked. The people were amazed.

In the next paragraph Jesus hung out with tax collectors and sinners. The Pharisees and scribes were again watching and grumbling. One of the things Jesus often said was, “He who has ears, let him hear.” He knew that the Pharisees and teachers of the law were not there to hear. He chose to give his time and attention to those who were. He said it like this in verse 32, “I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.” So, do we have ears to hear, or do we come with a critic’s heart?