Bible Commentaries
Luke 5

Verse 18

Luke 5:18

// Mark 2:1-12; Matthew 9:2-8

Verse 24

Luke 5:24

the Son of Man --

In Luke 5:24, Jesus heals a paralytic and relates that healing to his authority as the “Son of Man.” The wording of the verse, including the unusual parenthetical break in the middle, is virtually identical in all three gospels. The fact that all three gospels share the unusual construction suggests a similar source. This verse marks the first use of the title “Son of Man” by Luke. It parallels Mark 2:10, which is also the first appearance of the title in that gospel. The Matthean parallel, Matthew 9:6, is the second appearance of the title in that gospel.⁵

Luke uses this title 25 times in his gospel, but this text is unique in yet another way. It is the only Son of Man saying in the gospels which is bound immediately and directly to a miracle.⁶ As such, it is a crucial text, not only because it appears early in Jesus’ ministry, but also because it links his teaching about himself to his work, showing the connection between the two.

⁵ Matthew 8:20 contains the first use of the title in Matthew.

⁶ Matthew 12:32 is a Son of Man saying which discusses miracles in relation to the Beelzebub controversy, while John 5:27 and John 9:35 relate the Son of Man to miracles, either by discussing Sabbath authority (John 5) or by raising the issue of the identity of the Son of Man (John 9). The saying associated with Luke 5:24 is the only Son of Man saying that comes in the midst of a healing itself. - Darrell L. Block (Logos Journal)