Reel Luke

Jesus Heals a Paralyzed Man

Luke 5:17-26

Helpful Stuff to Know

Pharisees were men who studied and followed religious laws and traditions, especially about the Sabbath. They were faithful to God, but sometimes missed out on truth around them (especially about Jesus) because it was unfamiliar and felt threatening.

Teachers of religious law were sometimes called scribes. They carefully studied and followed the laws and traditions, like Pharisees, and also could write scripture, contracts, and other important documents.

Homes in Jesus’ day often had flat roofs where people could enjoy cool air in the evenings. The staircases for the roof were usually on the outside of the house. The roofs often had clay tiles laid over wooden beams. The space between beams was insulted with dried mud.

Different translations use different words for what the paralyzed man was lying on — cot, bier, bed, mat, sleeping mat, stretcher. It probably had handles on the corners for easy carrying, similar to a first-aid stretcher today.

Be Sure Not to Miss

Pharisees and teachers of religious laws thought they were defending God, but in their zeal they often missed God himself.

The paralyzed man never directly asked Jesus out loud to be forgiven or healed. Jesus must have known what was in the man's head and heart.

Jesus healed the man outwardly (visible) in order to prove that he'd already healed him inwardly by forgiving him (invisible). Today Jesus forgives us (heals us spiritually) to prove that someday in new creation all our brokenness and illness will be healed (heals us emotionally and physically).

By forgiving the man’s sins, Jesus publicly declared that he was God.

The story says that Jesus saw the faith of the friends, not of the man. The word used for faith here (and in other places in the Bible) can also mean loyalty, allegiance, or faithfulness.

Be Careful About

This story doesn’t promise that if you introduce your friend(s) to Jesus, things will turn out like they did in this story. Even so, it's always a good idea to share the truth of Jesus with our friends. Then we must trust God to work out his plans in their lives.

Reel Questions

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Reel Setting (place)

Where did this story happen? (Describe the setting — in a house, on a road, by a lake, in a city, etc.)
What do you think that place looked like? smelled like? sounded like?
Do you think it matters that this story happened in that specific place? Why?
What about the place in this story feels familiar? What feels strange?

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Reel People (characters)

Make a list of all the people in this story and give a one-word description of each (include “crowd” if there is one). Why did you choose that word?
What does Jesus say and do in this story? List all the things. Does anything surprise you? Why?
Which person (besides Jesus) is most interesting to you? Why?
What details about the characters do you wish were included or explained in the story? Why?
Why do you think [choose a specific character or the crowd] spoke or acted the way they did?
What are some different things that [the person from previous question] could have said or done? How would that have changed the story?
What do you think the onlookers were thinking and feeling as things were happening in this story? Why?
How do you think the main characters might have changed after this story? Why? (Sometimes it tells us, like with Zacchaeus, but other times it doesn’t.)
How do you think the crowd or onlookers might have changed after this story? Why?
If you’d been there, where would you have been standing or sitting? What would you have been thinking or feeling? Why?

Reel Events (plot)

List all the events in the story.
List some details that aren't included but are assumed in the story.
What do you think are the two or three most important moments in this story? Why?
If this story were a film, when would the music be scary or tense? When would it be joyful or upbeat? Why?
What do you think maybe happened right before this story? What do you think maybe happened right after this story?
Does the biblical story before or after this one matter to this story? How? Why do you think that?
What are some different ways things could have happened or ended in this story?
If this story were happening today in your school or town, what are ways Jesus might have acted or explained things for your context?
What would you call this story if it were a full-length book or movie? Why?

Real Faith

What’s a way people could misunderstand or misuse this story?
Why do you think this story is in the Bible? Why would God want us to read and learn from it?
What are you learning about Jesus (or his Father or the Spirit) from this story?
What are you learning about following Jesus (living for Jesus and living like Jesus) from this story?
After reading this story, what are some questions you have about Jesus and following him?

Story-Specific Questions

Why do you think Jesus first forgave the man?

How do you think the man felt about being forgiven first?

Whose idea do you think it was to seek out Jesus: the friends or the paralyzed man? Why?

Who do you think fixed the roof??

When have you been amazed by Jesus, like the people in this story (verse 26)?