Forgiveness from Sin’s Paralysis

Mark 2:1-17 

Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralytic

1 And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house. 2 Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them. 3 Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. 4 And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying.

5 When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven you."

6 And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, 7 "Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?"

8 But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, "Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise, take up your bed and walk'? 10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins"—He said to the paralytic, 11 "I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house." 12 Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, "We never saw anything like this!"

Matthew the Tax Collector

13 Then He went out again by the sea; and all the multitude came to Him, and He taught them. 14 As He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, "Follow Me." So he arose and followed Him.

15 Now it happened, as He was dining in Levi's house, that many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many, and they followed Him. 16 And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, "How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?"

17 When Jesus heard it, He said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."

Forgiveness from sin’s paralysis comes through repentance by faith in the only one able to break the confining chains of condemnation (Galatians 4:3, 5:1, Romans 6:22-23, Isaiah 53:5, 1 Peter 2:24) from our souls as visually demonstrated by the physical healing of the paralyzed man Jesus forgave here.  This paralytic could not walk but had the faith to ask four friends to bring him to Jesus for healing of body and soul with faith through the roof.  Jesus told the man, "Son, your sins are forgiven you."  He did not begin with healing his body but the soul because that was the most important and eternal need which sin had damaged the most in the man.  The religious scribes whose life revolved around examining the difficult and subtle questions of the law questioned the right for Jesus Christ to forgive as only God was able according to scripture.  They were technically correct, yet they missed the fact that He is the divine Immanuel, God among us!  He did and does alone have the power to forgive sin and heal both body and soul according to His will and word.  Only after forgiving the man of all his sins did Jesus go further to ask the question of it was easier to tell him he was forgiven or just to get up and walk away healed of the physical paralysis to be set free from the spiritual bondage holding his soul from coming before God.  He told the man immediately to get up, grab his bed, and walk home.  This was the proof that Jesus as the Son of Man was also the Son of God with all authority (Matthew 28:18, Mark 1:27) over life and forgiveness of sins.  The response of the onlookers crowding around Him was one of great amazement and they gave the glory to God, saying, "We never saw anything like this!"  That is the natural response to the supernatural work of God’s forgiveness and holistic healing of body and soul.  Jesus went from there to get Levi the tax collector for the Roman occupiers as the crowd followed Him to see more of the wonderful works of God (Psalm 40:5, Isaiah 9:6, Matthew 21:15) at His hand.  He told Levi, “Follow Me,” and he immediately did so, leaving his job and everything behind.  He ate with Levi along with many other sinners who needed forgiveness and had been following Jesus.  The religious Pharisees were outraged with condemning judgement spewing out of their mouths to question and judge the Lord for associating with such unworthy people.  Jesus reminded them and all who heard that He came to call all who recognized and confessed their sin, admitting it instead of covering it with self righteousness as they did.  His call remains the same for us all be all are sinners born by Adam’s inheritance and evil hearts to admit we are sinners and find eternal forgiveness for sin’s consequences of judgment as we are all due (Romans 3:23, 6:23).  We are to confess, repent (Mark 1:15, Acts 20:21), and trust the work of Jesus (John 6:29) by faith for our righteousness and salvation from our just due.  Jesus calls those who admit their sin, not the self righteous who deny their sin and harden their hearts against Him.  He offers forgiveness from sin’s paralysis which keeps men and women in bondage and spiritual death and which binds us to eternal death.  If the Son sets you free (John 8:31-32, 36, then you are indeed forever free from the bondage of sin’s penalty!