The Authority Of The King

How many of us are familiar with the story we have just read – the story of the four friends lowering a paralysed man through the roof, because of the crowd in the house, to be healed by Jesus? How many noticed that, in the passage we just read, there was no mention of a house or a crowd or a roof or even of how many men carried their friend?

Matthew is one of four gospels and we can be grateful that we have four because we can compare them and each shines light on the others; each one adds some information or a different perspective. That is really good.

But it can also mean that we do not read Matthew as Matthew. Matthew is one of four gospels but this book also stands alone and, in some ways needs to be read without reference to the others. The people who first read Matthew’s gospel probably did not have the others. Imagine you had no other information about Jesus and you read Matthew. This is all you know. What impression do you get? What conclusions do you draw?

The detail about the crowded house tells us something about Jesus’ popularity but Matthew does not focus on that. The fact that the friends lowered the paralysed man through the roof tells us something about the lengths they would go to to get to Jesus. But that is not Matthew’s point.

So, let’s forget the details that are in the other gospels. What was Matthew wanting to say? What is his point? What does it say about who Jesus is?

There is a word used twice that gives a strong indication of Matthew’s point. It is the word “authority”.

Matthew 9:6 But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.”

Matthew wants us to know that too.

Matthew 9:8 When the crowds saw this, they were filled with awe and they praised God, who had given such authority to human beings.

Matthew wants us also to see the authority of Jesus. Question: Has God given this authority to human beings, plural? Do we have authority? Or is it that Jesus was unique, and God had given this authority to this human being? Certainly to Jesus. That is the primary lesson in this passage but, in the very next chapter, Jesus gave the twelve disciples authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. Jesus has the authority to delegate authority to Christians.

This theme of authority is repeated time and time again by Matthew. Martin has already alerted us to the authority Jesus had:

· to speak to demons and drive them out of two men and into some pigs

· to speak to a storm and calm it. The people were amazed and asked “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and waves obey Him.” (Mt 8:27)

· to heal a leper, and a Roman Centurion’s servant, Peter’s mother-in-law and many others

Matthew 8:16 …He drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick.

That is authority!

Prior to all those things, the Sermon on the Mount concludes with Matthew’s comment:

Matthew 7:28-29 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at His teaching, because He taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.

The Centurion is interesting. He asked Jesus to heal his paralysed servant. Then he said to Jesus, “You do not even need to come to my home. Just say the word and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one ‘Go’ and he goes; and that one ‘Come’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this’ and he does it.”

He understood authority and he understood that Jesus had authority. Isn’t that amazing? Even Jesus was amazed at his faith. “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.” (8:10)

Likewise in this account of the paralysed man. V.2: “When Jesus saw their faith…” They believed. They believed that Jesus needed only to speak the word or touch him and their friend would be healed.

Then there is a sudden twist. Jesus didn’t heal him. He said, “Take heart, Son; your sins are forgiven.”

They hadn’t brought him to Jesus to have his sins forgiven; they had brought him to be healed. Why did Jesus do that?

Maybe because forgiveness is actually more important than physical healing. Sin has eternal consequences. Sin separates us from God and results in judgement. The gospel is first-and-foremost about forgiveness. What if Jesus had healed him but left him unforgiven – healed but still going to hell?

Maybe people assumed – and persuaded this man – that his illness was the result of sin and he felt condemned and rejected. Maybe it was! But even if it was, forgiveness set him free from all that condemnation. Jesus’ words “Take heart, son” suggest he wanted to lift that burden.

Jesus declared him forgiven and the teachers of the law were immediately incensed. “This fellow is blaspheming!” Mark and Luke both record them saying. “Who can forgive sins but God alone?”. Matthew doesn’t have that bit but it is the clear implication. Jesus’ so-called blasphemy is that He is claiming to be equal with God. Matthew didn’t need to say it. His readers knew that claiming to forgive sin was claiming to be equal with God. That provokes the teachers of the law. He thinks he’s God!

Jesus knew their thoughts. Interesting! What is the reader of Matthew going to conclude from that? Maybe Jesus actually is God.

He said, “Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’?” Which would you rather say to someone? If you say, “Your sins are forgiven” no one has any clue whether they actually are or not. But, if you say to a paralysed person, “Get up and walk” very soon people will see how much authority you have! Jesus wanted them to know that He did have authority to forgive sins so He did the harder thing. The man was healed, picked up his mat and went home. What does Matthew want us to conclude about Jesus from this? Maybe if He can heal like that, He is God and has the authority of God and, therefore, can also forgive sins.

Authority. Do we like that word? Authoritarian. Bossing people around. People respond in different ways to the authority of the police. Some are grateful. They go to the police for help precisely because of the police have authority act. Some might be scared. Some recognise their authority and comply. Some rebel. But notice the nature of Jesus’ authority. He has authority to forgive sins. O wow, this is grace; this is mercy. He has the authority to do good things for us. He has authority to heal and to cast out demons. He uses His authority on our behalf. He is fighting for us.

Ephesians 1 says, “Open my eyes that I might see Your incomparably great power for us who believe.” God’s incomparably great power is for us. Paul then says it is the same power that raised Jesus for the dead. That power is for us.

There are three reactions to Jesus’ authority in this story. The reaction of the four friends was faith. They believed Jesus could do this and they knew they needed to get their friend to Jesus. Jesus has the authority to forgive sins, to heal, to cast out demons, to calm the storm. Faith means I turn to Him because He is the one with the authority and power to do these things. Faith says, “My trust and hope are 100% in Jesus.” He might not always heal instantaneously but He will always be good. He is merciful. He is loving. We can have absolute confidence that He knows what is best and He will do what is best. “Jesus, you have the power and the authority. I trust you.”

Let’s be like these men who, because they believed, just wanted to get in front of Jesus. Let’s get in front of Jesus. Let’s pray. Let’s pray about all of the situations that trouble us – in our own life, in our nation – because Jesus has the authority. Jesus is King. Jesus can speak the word and everything changes. Let’s spend time in the scriptures because that is where we find authority and truth.

Knowing that Jesus is in control, we can have peace. God is on His throne. He is sovereign. He will determine what happens. We are secure.

Let’s be like these men in that we so believe in the authority and mercy of Jesus; we so trust Jesus that we bring our needy friends to Him? Are we bringing our needy friends to Him?

Jesus uses His authority for us but He also has authority over us. We see that, in a small way, in the response of the paralysed man. Jesus said, ‘Get up, take you mat and go home’ so he got up, took his mat and went home! The response to Jesus’ authority for us is faith. The response to Jesus’ authority over us is obedience. It is not just about being blessed by God. It is also about submitting to the authority of God.

Matthew emphasises this again and again. The man who built on the sand in Matthew 7 (just 1.5 chapters earlier) heard Jesus’ words but did not put them into practice. It is one thing to hear; it is quite another thing to obey. The man who built on the rock heard the words of Jesus and put them into practice. He was a doer of the word not a hearer only.

Also from Matthew 7: Not everyone who says to Jesus, ’Lord, Lord’ will be saved but only those who do the will of God.” Who will be saved? Only those who do the will of the father. Recognising the authority of Jesus means submitting to the authority of Jesus. Using the words of the Centurion, if Jesus says ‘Come’, we come; if he says ‘Go’, we go; if He says “Do this’, we do it.

For example, the last words in this book are, “All authority in heaven and on earth have been given to me… therefore… go and make disciples of all nations.” Jesus has the authority to tell us what our mission is and require that we do it. He also has the authority to act powerfully as we do it. “And take note, I will be with you always, to the very end of the age.” We are to make disciples, teaching them to also obey, but as we step out in faith, it is the power and authority of Jesus that makes things happen.

So, two responses to Jesus’ authority: faith and obedience. But there is a third response in the passage: the response of the teachers of the law. This is the first mention, in Matthew’s gospel, of opposition so this is introducing a new theme for the readers. I am confident the teachers had seen or heard about the previous demonstrations of Jesus’ authority. That is why they were there in the first place. They had heard the reports. They knew, but they did not like it and they rejected it. They said, “He does not have this authority. He is blaspheming.” We might call their response rebellion.

Rebellion is not always aggressive. It might simply be saying, “No”. It might simply be closing our ears because we do not want to hear what Jesus is saying to us.

Clearly, we do not want to be those people. Matthew is showing us that Jesus has incredible authority It is authority for us. He loves us. He wants the best for us and He has power to bring that about. Faith says, “I believe that! Jesus, in my brokenness, I trust You, my Saviour.” He has authority over us. Obedience says, “I believe that! Jesus, I will obey You. I trust You, my Lord.” And, even as we say that, knowing our brokenness, we say it in faith, knowing that Jesus has the authority to help us. He will answer our prayers. He will transform us, day-by-day, so that we become more like Him. He has authority over all of creation. He who began a good work in us will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus – until that day when the King will come is victory. (Phil 1:6) He will be triumphant, and we will rejoice.