Authority to Forgive Sin

Again, Jesus didn’t meet expectations in quite the way people had in mind. The man was paralyzed and clearly he and his friends hoped Jesus would intervene with a healing miracle. They had gone to considerable lengths to get him there (Mark 2:3-12; Luke 5:18-26), but then Jesus unexpectedly focused upon the man’s sins rather than his paralysis. Judaism possessed a deep-rooted conviction that all suffering was the consequence of personal sin. Scripture and Jewish tradition regard sickness as a consequence of living in a fallen world, but in the New Testament sickness may or may not result directly from particular sin (John 5:14; 1 Cor. 11:30; John 9:2,3: Matt. 8:17). The messianic age was to end this (Isa. 11:1-5; 35:5,6), and so Jesus’ miracles, coupled with forgiveness of sins, heralded his divine authority and the coming of that age.

This was all too much for the teachers of the Law–they thought he was blaspheming by usurping God’s unique role in forgiving sins (Mark 2:7). He confronted them by not letting them get away with merely thinking this. He challenged their view through his words and decisive action. He explicitly laid claim to divine authority through speaking forgiveness and bringing healing. This was too important a message to fudge or compromise.

So often we choose the easy way out of difficult situations. We say nothing, hoping things will work themselves out.

Is there something important you are avoiding saying or doing? Ask God for wisdom and courage to speak with God’s timing and grace.