Luke 5:20

And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.

Luke 5:20 (KJV)

Context

Luke 5:20 belongs to the larger account in Luke 5:17-26. Jesus is teaching in a house, surrounded by a crowd that includes Pharisees and teachers of the law from every village of Galilee and Judea. Four men carry a paralyzed friend on a stretcher, and when they cannot reach Jesus because of the crowd, they remove the roof and lower him down. The power of the Lord was present for Jesus to heal.

Meaning

The verse begins, “And when he saw their faith.” The “he” is Jesus, and the faith He sees belongs to both the paralyzed man and the men who brought him. Their extraordinary effort—tearing open a roof—demonstrated their confidence in Jesus’ power. Jesus responds by saying, “Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.” The Greek address is friendly, similar to “Friend,” though the KJV renders it “Man.” In the parallel accounts, Matthew and Mark record Jesus saying “Son,” suggesting He may have used both terms. The key point is that Jesus pronounced the man’s sins forgiven, addressing his deepest spiritual need before his physical condition.

Biblical connections

This act was a direct claim to divine authority, as the religious leaders immediately recognized, asking, “Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (Luke 5:21). The forgiveness was granted in response to the friends’ faith, showing that intercessory faith is precious to Jesus. Since the man’s sins were the cause of his disease, removing the cause would also remove the effect, so he received healing for both soul and body. The subsequent healing in Luke 5:24-25 confirms Jesus’ authority to forgive sins on earth.

Application

This verse encourages believers to bring others to Jesus with persistent, practical faith, trusting that He cares for their deepest needs. It also assures us that Jesus has the authority to forgive sins, a truth central to His mission. When we intercede for others, we can expect Jesus to respond with compassion and power.

Reflection

Consider the faith of the four friends: they overcame every obstacle to place their friend before Jesus. Their example challenges us to examine how we can actively bring others into Jesus’ presence, and to remember that He sees and honors such faith.