Strange Things Are Happening

Luke 5:17-26 November 19, 2023 a.m.

I haven’t mentioned this from the pulpit but Rachel, Abbie, Silas and myself got a chance to go to the United Kingdom a few weeks ago. It was kind of a dream trip for us. We found some super cheap, bargain bin, thrift store priced plane tickets, and we went. It was an AMAZING TRIP. We went to London, England, then we drove North up to Scotland, then back South and West to Wales and then East back to London to fly home. A 1300 mile circle. We saw some wonderful sights and it was great but it was also a really hard trip. Listen, it’s a totally different world over there.

For example, they don’t know which side of the road to drive on. I tried to explain it to them. I even tried to SHOW THEM and it got really scary, really fast. They just didn’t get it.

They eat BEANS, I mean like Pork and Beans, on TOAST for BREAKFAST. I’m serious folks, I’m not making this stuff up. It’s no wonder we whooped them in the Revolutionary War AND the War of 1812. How could you go out and fight in a war after eating Pork and Beans for breakfast.

They don’t understand a SIMPLE STOPLIGHT at an INTERSECTION. NO!!! They want to put a CIRCLE in the middle of the road and when you get on it you go ROUND and ROUND. We got on one and we drove in a circle for three hours!!! Not really, but boy do they like their Round-a-bouts.

That’s just a few of the STRANGE THINGS that we saw over in the UK. And I’m sure they would say the same about us.

But I brought this up because as we look into the Book of Luke, Chapter 5, there were some STRANGE THINGS happening over in Israel. This was at the very beginning of the Ministry of Jesus. In John 2, we see Jesus turning the water into wine and this was his first miracle but here in Luke, Jesus continued performing miracles shortly after His ministry began.

We see Simon Peter not catching any fish ALL NIGHT LONG and then Jesus tells him to cast his net ONE MORE TIME and it was FULL of fish.

And then in Verse 12 we find a man who was FULL of LEPROSY. This wasn’t just a little sore. This man was probably near death and He comes to Jesus and falls down on his face BEGGING Jesus to HEAL HIM. And then Jesus does the UNTHINKABLE. He reached out and touches the man and he is INSTANTLY HEALED.

And because of these healings, Jesus becomes famous. People start showing up to HEAR what Jesus has to say and people begin coming hoping that JESUS will heal them also. And so that gets us up to the Verses that I want to bring my message out of today. Go ahead and turn in your Bibles to Luke 5 and we’ll begin reading at Verse 17.

“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.

18 And, behold, men brought in a bed a man which was taken with a palsy: and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before him.

19 And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus.

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

21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?

22 But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts?

23 Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk?

24 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house.

25 And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God.

26 And they were all amazed, and they glorified God, and were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things to day.”

According to Webster’s Dictionary, STRANGE MEANS: different from what is usual, ordinary, or expected.