"Big Talker Comes Through!"

Scripture Passage

Luke 5:1-11; Mark 1:40-45; Matthew 8:1-4; Luke 5:12-16; Mark 2:1-12; Matthew 9:1-8; Luke 5:17-26; Mark 2:13-17; Matthew 9:9-13; Luke 5:27-32; Mark 2:18-22; Matthew 9:14-17; Luke 5:33-39

Scripture Focus

“Is it easier to say ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up and walk’?” (Luke 5:23 NLT)

Observation

Faithful friends have brought a paralyzed man to Jesus. They’ve actually lowered him through the roof in order to access the Christ, who’s surrounded by crowds of people. I have to think that Jesus was inwardly delighted at their resourceful faith. (Oh, that my faith would compel me to act so purposefully and tenaciously!)

But when the man, his friends, and the crowds all have Jesus’ attention, he does not deliver the man from his infirmity as expected. Rather, Jesus simply announces, “Young man, your sins are forgiven” (Luke 5:20 NLT). That’s it—that’s all Jesus chooses to say.

The critics of Jesus—Pharisees and teachers of religious law—immediately pounce upon this strange pronouncement. The significance of Jesus’ words is not lost on them. They may have suspected that the significance was lost on Jesus, country-bumpkin rabbi that He seemed to them to be. They may have thought that Jesus was a bit befuddled by how to proceed and this was merely some sort of diversionary ruse—an attempt on Jesus’ part to buy some time. But these men understood fully that by these words—whether intentionally or not—Jesus laid claim to deity. That understanding is revealed in the response they mutter to one another:

“Who does he think he is? That’s blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!” (Luke 5:21 NLT)

The beautiful thing is, Jesus was not unaware of what He had said (or unaware of the critics’ response). Indeed, I’m convinced His words were perfectly calculated and absolutely deliberate. Luke reports that…

Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you question this in your hearts? Is it easier to say ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up and walk’? So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!” (Luke 5:22-24 NLT)

“I’ll do,” Jesus says, “what seems more difficult to prove I can do what is the most difficult—legitimately lay claim as God-become-flesh, with full authority to forgive humanity’s sin.”

The man, of course, gets up and walks away—body healed *and* sin forgiven. Does it get any more remarkable than that? Not the remarkable report of a paralyzed being healed…but the remarkable report of a gracious God who loves so completely and forgives so readily. That’s the really good news!

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