My child, your sins are forgiven! (Mark 2:1-12)

[Stephan Choe]

                        August 24, 2024

Key verse 5: “When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘My son, your sins are forgiven!’”

Everyone needs health, academic success, a job, family happiness and other things. Everyone knows that. Jesus knows that too. That is why he healed the sick and the paralyzed. But he knows the most urgent need of every one, namely the forgiveness of sins and eternal life.

Through this Bible text, Jesus shows us his best blessing for every person.

Today we can experience Jesus' compassion for the disabled person who was under the power of sin and death. 

Through this story, we can get to know the grace of forgiveness of sins and accept it gratefully.

1. Jesus teaches the word of God (1-2)

After Jesus had called some fishermen on the Sea of Galilee to be his disciples, he preached in the synagogue in Capernaum on the Sabbath and healed many sick people. Early the next morning, he prayed in a solitary place. Afterward he said to his disciples: “Let us go to other places, to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is what I have come to do!” (1:38).

And he went to the other towns and preached there and healed the sick.

The first two verses of chapter 2 tell us: “And after a few days he went again to Capernaum; and it became known that he was in a house. And many were gathered together, so that there was no space for them in the room, nor outside the door nor in the room...” (1-2)

Although Jesus worked in various towns in the Galilean region, Capernaum was the center of his ministry.

What did Jesus do when the crowds gathered?

Verse 2 tells us that he spoke the word to them. So he taught them God's word.

What is God's word? God's word is what God speaks.

God's word reveals God, his character and his kingdom.

God's word reveals God first, because God shows through his word that he is the Creator God, who created heaven and earth and each of us out of nothing. It is self-evident that we should thank and honor our parents. It is also natural to thank and honor God, the Creator. Through God's Word, God says that He is our Creator and loves us very much, just as parents love their children.

We recognize the character of parents through their words. So through God's Word we can recognize His character. This is how God's Word reveals God's character to us. We recognize through his word His great love for us, that he loves us so much that he even sacrificed his son for our redemption. His word also shows that he is merciful, just, holy, and almighty. That is why He forgives people through His word, heals them and frees them from sickness and evil spirits.

Furthermore, his word shows his kingdom. He establishes his kingdom both on this earth and in heaven. He forgives all those who repent and believe in Jesus as Christ and the Son of God for all their sins and warmly welcomes them into his kingdom as children of God. That is the Good News. That is why we call a word the Good News, i.e., the Gospel.

That is why God's word has God's power, as Hebrews 4:12 says:

“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

So God's word has the power to reveal people's sin, to lead them to repentance and faith, so that they are freed from sin, become God's children, receive eternal life and enter the kingdom of heaven after falling asleep in the flesh.

That is why God's Word gives us a living hope and new motivation. This is why Jesus says to us: “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of mine and does them is like a wise man who built his house on rock” (Matthew 7:24).

And we can confess as Psalm 119:105 says: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

So the fact that Jesus taught the gathered people God's word - that was his greatest love for us. 

2. Jesus heals the paralytic (3-12)

While Jesus was teaching God's word to the people in the room, they suddenly heard a noise, because four people had brought a paralytic on a stretcher to bring him before Jesus to be healed. But they could not bring him to Jesus because of the crowd that had gathered. So they climbed onto the roof, made a large hole through it and lowered the man with the stretcher in front of Jesus.

The crowd must have grumbled about the impudent four friends of the paralytic because they thought that these people were interfering with Jesus' sermon. They also thought that the four should stand in the queue and wait patiently.

But let's think about the miserable situation of the paralyzed man.

He couldn't go to the restroom on his own, nor could he dress or care for himself. Of course, he could neither participate in sports nor play with friends. While his peers played, he had to stay alone in his room. He had to bury his dream of the future. He also had to bury his dream of a sweet family. He fell into an inner prison from which he could not free himself. He was dead alive.

Then he heard the news about Jesus. Or four people who had great compassion for him heard about Jesus. They believed that Jesus could surely heal the paralytic. So they brought him to Jesus on a stretcher. But they were unable to bring him to Jesus because of the crowds that had gathered.

So they climbed onto the roof and made a large hole through the roof and brought the paralytic down in front of Jesus with the stretcher.

How did Jesus react to this?

Did he rebuke the four people who were interfering with his teaching?

Verse 5 tells us: “When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘My son, your sins are forgiven’.”

Jesus saw the faith of the paralytic's four friends. Normally, we look at other people's outward appearances, such as their appearance or behavior. However, the four people had behaved outrageously by breaking the roof of the house. But Jesus looked at the center of their hearts, saw their faith in Jesus' love for the paralytic and his omnipotence of salvation.

This shows us that Jesus correctly recognized the faith of the people and blessed four friends and the disabled man.

Why did Jesus value their faith so highly? Hebrews 1:6 provides the answer: “But without faith it is impossible to please God, for he who would come to God must believe that he is, and that he gives a reward to those who seek him.”

That's right! You have to believe that God lives and that he blesses those who seek him in order to experience the blessing of God through Jesus Christ.

The four friends and the paralytic believed that God lives and will bless them through Jesus Christ. Because of this faith, they had overcome insurmountable obstacles due to the densely gathered crowd by climbing up onto the roof, making a large hole and lowering the paralytic down with the stretcher.

Jesus saw their faith in Jesus and wanted to bless their faith with the best blessing.

What did Jesus bless their faith with?

Verse 5 tells us: “When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘My son, your sins are forgiven!’”

We can ask ourselves whether a paralyzed person can sin at all, because he could hardly do evil because of his paralysis.

Of course, he could hardly have sinned physically. But he had grumbled a lot against God and other people. He had certainly reproached God and also grumbled against other people.

But Jesus forgave him his sin completely. The forgiveness of sins is the best blessing for him and also for us.

Why is the forgiveness of sins the best blessing?

Jesus considers the forgiveness of sins to be more urgent and necessary than the healing of the body. Most people don't think sin is bad. They try to forget or suppress sin. But sin has a fatal consequence. People try to trivialize or forget their sin. But they cannot forget their sin; instead, sin robs them of their peace of mind. They will ultimately be condemned to hell for eternity.

But there is good news! - Through faith in Jesus Christ, you can receive forgiveness of sins and have a father-child relationship with God. You then have eternal life and can enjoy all kinds of God's blessings. After death in the flesh, you will enter the kingdom of heaven and be like an angel. This is an incredible blessing from God. That is why the forgiveness of sins is the best blessing for every person.

That is why Jesus gave the paralytic the best blessing first and foremost.

However, only God alone can bestow the blessing of forgiveness of sins.

That is why some scribes, i.e. theologians of the time, grumbled in their hearts and said: “Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (7).

That God alone can forgive sins - that is quite correct. Because Jesus is the Son of God or God incarnate, he can forgive our sins and make us children of God. But the scribes did not believe this. That is why they grumbled about the forgiveness of the paralytic's sins. That is a pity.

He read their thoughts: “How does he talk like that? He is blaspheming God! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” Jesus wanted to help them believe in Him.

So he said to them: “Why do you think these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up, take up your bed and walk around? ' So that you may know that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth.”

And Jesus said to the paralytic, “I say to you, get up, take up your bed and go home!”

So the paralytic got up, took his bed and immediately went out in front of everyone. All the people were amazed and praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”

Through this healing, Jesus showed all people that he is the Son of God and can therefore forgive people's sins, make them children of God and give them eternal life. This is the good news for all people.