Jesus Forgives and Heals the Paralytic Man - Matthew 9
Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralyzed Man
9 Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. 2 Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.” 3 At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!” 4 Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? 5 Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 6 But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” 7 Then the man got up and went home. 8 When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to man.
Reflection: As we have now moved into the section where Jesus is not just proclaiming and teaching about how the kingdom works, but modeling through experience, we have today's story. Here Jesus takes it another step forward and connects healing and the power coming to heal the paralytic with forgiveness. And this teaches on a couple of different levels. First it teaches the link between salvation and healing. You probably heard that the root words in the Greek are the same. I.e. Salve from salvation relates to healing. Because the fact remains that though we are healed, one day we will all day. Sorry to be so morbid, but the ultimate healing Jesus came to bring is forgiveness of sin, which puts us in a right relationship with a holy God.
Secondly, by announcing this man's forgiveness Jesus is declaring himself to be God. After all, only God can pronounce the forgiveness of sins. So this sign of healing points to the greater sign of who Jesus really is, God. And this is what will eventually get Jesus nailed to the tree. So we have seen that Jesus has been careful to reveal His identity as He knows this will set in motion the road to Calvary. Most important is that word "authority". Authority is the right or power to execute something, or make a definitive decision. We can see Jesus speaks with authority. "Get up, take your mat and go home." "Your sins are forgiven!"
Realizing your authority you have as a son or daughter of God, is a huge factor in shaping your identity. And it is out of this fundamental identity that your actions flow. It is from this authority that we have the power to say no to sin, as we are under new management. For what is sin but another power or authority that is looking to control or rule over us. That is why sin management doesn't work, but instead we need to take up our rightful stance as God's sons and daughters. We can say no to sin not for fear of consequences, but so we don't surrender our authority and power and return to slavery. Do you see the difference here?
Jesus thank you that you modeled how to use authority, not to wield it over others, but to see people free from the power of sin. May we not surrender our authority but live under your Lordship in victory over sin, death and the power of the devil. Amen.
9 Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. 2 Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.” 3 At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!” 4 Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? 5 Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 6 But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” 7 Then the man got up and went home. 8 When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to man.
Reflection: As we have now moved into the section where Jesus is not just proclaiming and teaching about how the kingdom works, but modeling through experience, we have today's story. Here Jesus takes it another step forward and connects healing and the power coming to heal the paralytic with forgiveness. And this teaches on a couple of different levels. First it teaches the link between salvation and healing. You probably heard that the root words in the Greek are the same. I.e. Salve from salvation relates to healing. Because the fact remains that though we are healed, one day we will all day. Sorry to be so morbid, but the ultimate healing Jesus came to bring is forgiveness of sin, which puts us in a right relationship with a holy God.
Secondly, by announcing this man's forgiveness Jesus is declaring himself to be God. After all, only God can pronounce the forgiveness of sins. So this sign of healing points to the greater sign of who Jesus really is, God. And this is what will eventually get Jesus nailed to the tree. So we have seen that Jesus has been careful to reveal His identity as He knows this will set in motion the road to Calvary. Most important is that word "authority". Authority is the right or power to execute something, or make a definitive decision. We can see Jesus speaks with authority. "Get up, take your mat and go home." "Your sins are forgiven!"
Realizing your authority you have as a son or daughter of God, is a huge factor in shaping your identity. And it is out of this fundamental identity that your actions flow. It is from this authority that we have the power to say no to sin, as we are under new management. For what is sin but another power or authority that is looking to control or rule over us. That is why sin management doesn't work, but instead we need to take up our rightful stance as God's sons and daughters. We can say no to sin not for fear of consequences, but so we don't surrender our authority and power and return to slavery. Do you see the difference here?
Jesus thank you that you modeled how to use authority, not to wield it over others, but to see people free from the power of sin. May we not surrender our authority but live under your Lordship in victory over sin, death and the power of the devil. Amen.
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