Luke 5:17-19

2 d. Luke 5:17-19. The Arrival.

The completely Aramaean form of this preface (the καί before αὐτός, the form καὶ ἦσαν... οἳ ἦσαν, and especially the expression ἦν εἰς τὸ ἰᾶσθαι) proves that Luke's account is not borrowed from either of the two other Synoptics.

This was one of those solemn hours of which we have another instance in the evening at Capernaum (Luke 4:41-42). The presence of the Pharisees and scribes from Jerusalem is easily explained, if the conflict related John 5 had already taken place. The scribes did not constitute a theological or political party, like the Pharisees and Sadducees. They were the professional lawyers. They were designedly associated with the Pharisees sent to Galilee to watch Jesus (Luke 5:21). The narrative in the first Gospel is extremely concise. Matthew does not tell the story; he is intent upon his object, the word of Jesus. Mark gives the same details as Luke, but without the two narratives presenting one single term in common. And yet they worked on the same document, or one on the text of the other!

The roof of the house could be reached by a flight of steps outside built against the wall, or by a ladder, or even from the next house, for the houses frequently communicated with each other by the terraces. Does Luke's expression, διὰ τῶν κεράμων, signify simply by the roof, that is to say, by the stairs which conducted from the terrace to the lower storeys, or down over the balustrade which surrounded the terrace; or is it just equivalent to Mark's description: “they uncovered the ceiling of the place where He was, and having made an opening, let down the pallet”? This term, through the tiles, would be strange, if it was not to express an idea similar to that of Mark. Strauss objects that such an operation as that of raising the tiles could not have been effected without danger to those who were below; and he concludes from this that the narrative is only a legend. But in any case, a legend would have been invented in conformity with the mode of construction then adopted and known to everybody. Jesus was probably seated in a hall immediately beneath the terrace.