* Jesus heals a paralytic man and forgives his sin.
* Jesus is worthy of audacious actions.
-Four men removing parts of the roof to bring the paralyzed man to Jesus
-They must have been his friends.
-I need friends like this to "bring me to Jesus!"* Jesus sees faith.
* Jesus forgives sin.
* Jesus is aware of the reasoning of their hearts.
* Jesus is the Son of Man.
* Jesus asks challenging questions.
* Jesus makes authoritative declarations.
* Jesus' words are effective and powerful.
* Jesus speaks and things happen.
* Jesus' words and power produce amazement and people glorifying God.
* The people (and we) are amazed at the healing but I tend to overlook the forgiveness of sins. I need forgiveness of sins. If I'm in the story I want to shout out, "Forgive me, too!"
Which is easier to say to the paralytic:
"Your sins are forgiven"; or to say, "Get up,
and pick up your pallet and walk"?
But so that you may know that the Son of Man
has authority on earth to forgive sins--
he said to the paralytic, "I say to you,
get up, pick up your pallet and go home."
Mark 2.9-11
* "Easier to say"
a) Both statements are "easy to say" if mouthing mere words is the issue.
b) If it means "easy to say" without seeing visible effects then saying "your sins are forgiven" has no discernable outward manifestation.
c) If it means "easy to say" and to bring about the effect--why should I think it is easy to forgive sins? Jesus is rendering the forgivenss of God in light of the coming cross. He is "writing checks" against the future payment of his blood and life.
d) There is nothing easy about Jesus procurring my release--my forgivenss of sins. He must suffer and die for my sins. He must give his life a ransom for many--Mark 10.45.
