Luke's passage begins in the middle of the story when Jesus defeated Satan in the wilderness and began his ministry. So far he has performed the miracle of catching fish and healing a man suffering from leprosy. His reputation was spreading rapidly, and many came to hear Jesus speak and be healed of their illnesses. The passage Luke 5:17-26 is an introduction to the ongoing conflict Jesus has with the Pharisees and scribes. This is the first time Luke mentions that they come to hear him speak and do not approve of his message. The faithful friends of a paralytic take him to be healed by Jesus. In the end they bring the man to the feet of Jesus and expect a miracle of healing, but instead he does the unexpected; Forgive man his sins. This infuriates religious leaders but Jesus doesn't stop there. It also heals the man's physical illness and immediately the man can walk. Jesus healing the paralytic not only shows Jesus' power over the physical realm, but also affirms his authority to forgive the sins of those who have faith in him. The pericope begins in verse 17: “One day, while he was teaching, the Pharisees and the doctors of the law sat nearby, who had come from all the villages of Galilee, Judea and Jerusalem; and the power of the Lord was with him to heal” (Luke 5:17, NRSV). By now, Jesus' reputation had increased after Jesus healed a man suffering from leprosy. “But now more than ever the word about Jesus spread; many crowds gathered to listen to him and to be healed of their illnesses" (Lk 5:16). Apparently the stories about Jesus spread beyond Galilee to Judea and Jerusalem when the Pharisees and teachers of the law learned about him and came to investigate for themselves. This is the first occasion in Lu...... middle of paper...... in Luke I-IX. New York: Doubleday & Company Inc., 1981.Green, Joel B. The New International Commentary on the New Testament: The Gospel of Luke. Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. 1997.Light, Gary W. 1994. “Luke 5:15-26.” Interpretation 48, n. 3: 279-282. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost (accessed December 1, 2013). Macmillan Dictionary of the Bible, s.v. "Scribe," accessed November 28, 2013, http://0-www.credoreference.com.patris.apu.edu/voice/macdbib/scribeMeier, John P. "The Pharisee's Quest historian: a review essay on Ronald Deines, Die Pharisaer." Catholic Biblical Quarterly 61, no. 4 (October 1999): 713. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed November 30, 2013). The New Encyclopedia of Judaism, sv "PHARISEES", accessed November 28, 2013, http://0-www.credoreference.com. patris.apu.edu/entry/nyupencyjud/pharisees