Mark 2:1-7
Jesus Heals a Paralytic
1A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. 2So many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. 3Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. 4Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on. 5When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven."
6Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, 7"Why does this fellow talk like that? He's blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?"
Luke 15:11-32
The Parable of the Lost Son
11Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons. 12The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them.
13"Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
17"When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' 20So he got up and went to his father.
"But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
21"The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.'
22"But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate.24For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.
25"Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27'Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.'
28"The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!'
31" 'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' "
John 8:1-7
Judging Others and Forgiving Others
1 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”
Matthew 6:14-15
Forgiving Others
14 For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
These verses contain much about God's LOVE, Forgiveness and Grace...Jesus teaches us much about forgiving and judging...When we as men judge, but are we equal to the task in forgiving -as we are in judging others?...When Jesus asks if anyone of you is without sin to the Pharisees, to me, it is a question not only about how we judge others, but it is also about how we are in our ability forgive others...When we judge others for their faults, for the car they drive, for the house they live in, for one's manner's, for the length of their hair, how one dresses, for the music one listens to, or for whatever reason we are showing and saying we do not agree with you...We have judged...Another teaching of Jesus is the Golden Rule...We are to treat others, the way we want to be treated...Jesus knows we all have faults, because man is flawed...We sin...
When we want to cast a stone at others, we have already judged them...Jesus is being tested by the Pharisees about the strict rule of one of the Laws of Moses, when the woman commits adultery...When you commit adultery, then you are to be stoned (Leviticus 20:10)...But the very character of God is love...And love is linked so very much to forgiveness...Man and woman are not perfectly moral, adultery will happen...It is not that God likes this, but we are sinners...But our God is a loving and forgiving God...Jesus teaches us the LORD's Prayer...And at the end of the LORD's Prayer, He tells us we are to forgive others, and then our heavenly Father will also forgive us...But if we do not forgive, then our Father will not forgive us...
One might think God inspired Moses to write the Law of Moses...God wrote in His seventh commandment of our Ten Commandments -thou shall not commit adultery (Exodus 20:14)...So one might thing He would be less forgiving -since these are the rules, the moral rules He has for us...Shouldn't He be harsh, and strict, and angered by the adulterer or when we sin against Him...But as you read these above verses...The judging, the strictness, harshness, and the bitter anger is coming from man...The Pharisees are angry Jesus has healed someone and then tells them -your sins are forgiven...The Pharisees are again angered when they want Jesus to judge and follow the letter of the Law of Moses, and He does not... Instead He asks if one of them has not sinned, then go ahead and cast their stone...And then when the Prodigal son loses half of his Father's estate, His Father, and our LORD is not angry...He runs to see His son to forgive Him...It is the older son who is angry and refuses to go in and forgive his younger brother...The elder son does not know the very nature of His Father -full of love, full of forgiveness, and full of grace...And as we read the above Scripture, we see these are not man's very and true moral nature...
The very nature of God is to forgive us, when we do something wrong...He wants us to learn this...And he wants us to be better at forgiving...That is why He includes the lesson on forgiveness in His Prayer...Let us not forget, He is full of love, grace and forgiveness...