Which Is Easier: To Forgive or to Heal?

Some of the teachers of the law didn’t like what was happening,

And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, "This man is blaspheming." [Matthew 9:3].

There were about 6,000 Pharisees, called "separated ones," throughout Israel. They were the teachers in the synagogues, religious examples, self-appointed guardians of the law and its proper observance. They considered their own interpretations and regulations, handed down by tradition, to be virtually as authoritative as Scripture.

Their criticism and alarm was understandable. Here was a mere man having the impudence to usurp God’s position on the mercy seat, dispensing forgiveness for sin!

It was total blasphemy.

Only God can forgive sin.

The scribes had it right.

If Jesus was not God then He was either terribly evil, a blasphemer of the worst kind, in league with the prince of demons, or He was truly God.

Jesus knew their thoughts,

"Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Rise and walk'? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"—he then said to the paralytic—"Rise, pick up your bed and go home." [Matthew 9:4-7]

By asking them which was easier, to heal or forgive, Jesus made the point that both were equally impossible for a mere man, and equally easy to God. When Jesus told the paralytic his sins were forgiven, the paralytic,
(1) according to God's promises in the Bible, was cleansed of all unrighteousnes by grace.
(2) He was also empowered by Jesus, now justified and cleansed, with the desire and the ability to apply Jesus' word to his life.

Jesus told him to get up, pick up his bed and go home.
* He listened to Jesus,
* he believed
* and he obeyed.

The friends of the paralytic believed Jesus could heal their friend, and Jesus responded to their faith by forgiving their friend's sin, who received God’s forgiveness, cleansing and enabling power in his life.

Jesus responded to the evil in the scribes' hearts by demonstrating His authority as the Son of Man. It's what they really needed, to experience new life and the fulfillment of God's promises in their lives, but they rejected Jesus' teaching.

Jesus has both the compassion and the authority to forgive your sin

The crowd was overcome

When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men. [Matthew 9:8]

The word translated as “fear” means "reverential awe;" as one author put it, "stark terror mingled with inexpressible joy," breathless awe and intense joy, so that people were overcome with a sense of wonder and adoration.

What is your response to Jesus’ forgiveness, His commands to you, and His powerful enabling of you to obey?

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Jesus Forgives and Heals

The Lord Jesus was probably teaching in Peter’s home at the beginning of this chapter,

And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. [Matthew 9:2a]

What is your response to great need in the people in your life? How involved are you willing to get, to help them?

Typically, a Palestinian house had a flat roof accessible by means of an outside staircase. The roof was often made of a thick layer of clay supported by mats of branches across wooden beams. As Jesus was teaching, the crowd would have noticed dust and bits of clay begin to fall from the ceiling, and then, as the ceiling tiles were removed a beam of sunlight would have surrounded Jesus. As all watched in dismay, down came the paralyzed man, right in front of Jesus.

As the Lord looked up, He read their hearts

And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven." [Matthew 9:2b]

This was not the way Jesus usually healed people. Usually He physically healed them first. But Jesus must have seen how feelings of guilt and concern over sin were this man’s first and most prominent problem.

What Jesus said to him uncovered this man's deepest need. It wasn’t to walk. What he really needed was to know and experience God’s forgiveness. Jesus gave him release from his spiritual paralysis, deliverance from guilt and sin, to enter into a life of communion with God and to be assured of God's eternal favor.

What might be paralyzing you right now?
* How often do you bring your own sins to Christ, seeking His forgiveness?
* Do you allow the burden of your sin to weigh you down, to paralyze your spiritual life, so you're just not able to get up and walk that part of your faith?
* Or do you come to Jesus as often as possible, desiring the joy of God's forgiveness, knowing what it is for God to be pleased with you?

Sometimes a person believes God simply can’t forgive them. You believe in your heart that what you’ve done is just too awful, or you’ve done it too many times, and you’re discouraged. But the truth is that when you confess your sin, God says in the Bible that He does forgive you, and cleanses you from all unrighteousness.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. [1 John 1:9]

Sometimes a person believes that if they feel something is true, it must be true.

-->If I feel unloved, I must be unloved.
-->If I feel unforgiven, I must be unforgiven.
-->If I feel like my situation is hopeless, then it must really be hopeless.

Maybe that’s how the paralytic felt, he was so depressed and so discouraged, that he was numb with hopelessness.

But the truth is our feelings do not dictate reality. The truth is God is good whether you and I feel like He is or not. He loves you even when you don’t feel loved. As soon as you confess your sin, the Bible says, He forgives you, even when you don’t feel forgiven. The Bible says that you and I are to think only about what is true, and then the peace of God will be with us,

...whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.[Philippians 4:8-9]

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