Luke 5:17-26
Jesus Heals a Paralytic
17One day as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law, who had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem, were sitting there. And the power of the Lord was present for him to heal the sick. 18Some men came carrying a paralytic on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. 19When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.
20When Jesus saw their faith, he said, "Friend, your sins are forgiven."
21The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, "Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?"
22Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, "Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? 23Which is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'? 24But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins...." He said to the paralyzed man, "I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home." 25Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God. 26Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, "We have seen remarkable things today."
What is interesting and complicated about this conversation with the Pharisees and the teachers of the law is the question Jesus asks...Which is easier -for someone to say your sins are forgiven or someone to say get up and walk?...What, I think, makes this interesting for me, is that I think any of us could say your sins are forgiven...But I do not think, we could tell someone to get up and walk, who is completely paralyzed...To heal one that is paralyzed would take a miracle...To utter the words your sins are forgiven, would just be a sentence from one's mouth, unless you are God and divine...One thing "saying your sins are forgiven" -you hear (and then you must believe and have faith)...The other thing "the healing" -you see with your eyes (and see that it is true and know that is true because you know your eyes don't lie)...
In the two part question from Jesus' man could say your sins are forgiven and no one would know...How could they?...But the miracle of healing, which is visible to the eye -everyone can see this healing miracle...So while any man might be able to say your sins are forgiven, only a good doctor, or in this case the Great Physician could heal this man...
For man to hear someone say they forgive someone else is one thing...The first part of the question becomes complicated and spiritual and about faith...Jesus ask these tough, piercing questions to make us think...And when we stop and really think about it, who can really forgive the sins of this paralyzed man...Really the only ones who could forgive him, are those of whom the paralyzed man sinned against...But Jesus is saying I can forgive sins...He is making a claim that He is divine...He can forgive the sins of one for another...Or He is telling us that since we are made in the image of His Father, when we sin -we are sinning against Him and He and the Father can also forgive us (as well as the party or parties we sin against)...Jesus is claiming He is absolutely moral and divine and the rules of absolute morality are His...He is telling us, in the form of a question, that He is the Universal Judge on morality...
So as we study the question when I read it and think, I can only forgive anyone of their sins who have sinned against me...So, I think that is much easier for me to heal one who is paralyzed -in the choices Jesus gives us...But when I think that I must have faith and believe in the claims of Jesus that He is the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed God and has the Absolute Right and Morality to judge all men, the question changes for me...The question is much more difficult...
The body and soul are linked...They are linked by the Holy Spirit...Jesus promises us the Holy Spirit from His Father (John 14:15-16)...Though the question winds up being a most difficult one, Jesus forgives the paralyzed man of his sins, and He heals him and he can pick up his mat and walk again...What is impossible for man, is easy and possible for God (Luke 18:27)...Nothing is impossible for God...