Mark 2:5–10

This was clear proof of their faith; it was a deep sense of need, and confidence in Jesus, in His love, in His power. Without an urgent desire to be healed, and full confidence in the power and love of Jesus, the crowd's difficulty would have discouraged them. They would have gone back, saying perhaps, "We will come again, we may be able to get to Him another time." But there are no difficulties for faith.

Whatever had that man done, to whom Jesus spoke those wonderful words, "Your sins are forgiven"? Why, this seems strange; he had done nothing; he was too sick to do anything. He could not walk, nor even stand. Four men carried him, and they let down the bed on which the paralysed man lay. What a picture of man's condition — sin-sick, so flat on his back that he can do nothing!

Yes, this was the root of the evil, deeper than either leprosy or paralysis — sin. Man treats it as such a small thing, a mere moral scar on the surface! What must sin have been to Him who on the cross was made sin, who put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself? He is filled with love, and He sees the faith that has sought Him out there. So He acts in the sovereignty of grace and speaks the wonderful words: "Son, your sins are forgiven."

The Lord recognises their faith. As always in His dealings with us, He looks past the outward need that may bring us to Him. He deals first with the root of the trouble. Behind the paralysed man's disease, as behind all disease, is the question of sin. Sin has brought disease and death into the world. It may be that the man, and those who brought him, were not much concerned about the sins. Still, they had faith in the Lord.

No word, that we read of, was spoken. It was a silent appeal, but evidence of the faith of those who carried him. For when He saw their faith, He said, "Man, your sins are forgiven you." The governmental dealing with the man was removed. We may conclude that his sins were the reason he was afflicted. Those sins were forgiven, so healing followed at once.

The house is full. So they take off the roof and let him down at the feet of Jesus. When He saw their faith He said, "Son, your sins are forgiven." And again, "Rise, pick up your bed, and go home." And he went out by the door. He had come in by the roof, lying on his back on the bed. So you see, whenever there is faith, the Lord owns relationship with the soul. Then He sends it out as a witness of His grace and power.

The truth about pardon, peace, and acceptance must be received by faith. Only then can it be enjoyed, or its power felt. The moment the sinner is brought to Jesus in faith, the whole need of the soul is met — fully, perfectly, and for ever. When this is believed, the soul has rest; not, notice, in its own feelings, but in the word of Christ believed. He never says to anyone who comes to Him, "I will forgive." No, blessed be His name. In the plainest terms He says: "Son, daughter, your sins are forgiven; your faith has saved you; go in peace."

Such an answer to faith was also a challenge to unbelief. The scribes were sitting there watching among the rest, and it was bound to stir them. They keep it in their hearts without speaking. That shows they still felt the power of His presence, or that for the time "the world had gone after Him." But there in their hearts it ferments: "Why does this man speak like this? He blasphemes: who can forgive sins but God alone?"

But Satan, too, had his congregation there... They were wise in their own eyes. They were judges of law and gospel, and neither doers of the one nor believers of the other. They rejected Christ and His mercy. Their proud reason looked down on the blessed truth of God, and their proud self-righteousness hated the grace they never knew they needed... Not that they cared for God or loved man, but they hated Jesus for His grace; and if it were the truth, their occupation was gone.

The word translated "disputings" is "dialogismos". From it we get our word "dialogue." It begins with an inward questioning that may be silent. Then these inward questionings become doubts. But when they grow bolder and are spoken out loud, they are disputings. You may see them well illustrated in Mark 2:6 and 8, where they are well translated "reasoning." The Lord often had to meet this spirit.

The moment the Lord uses His power to forgive sins the opposition begins. Men did not object when He cast out demons, healed diseases and cleansed lepers. Those things relieved people of physical trouble without necessarily disturbing the conscience. As soon as He speaks of sins, that touches the conscience, and men begin to oppose.

The words of the scribes were true: "Who can forgive sins but God alone?" But their assumption was false — that the One who had just spoken was not God. He was God "manifest in the flesh," as He proved so often before their eyes. But all human reasoning founded on disbelief in the person of Christ must be not only false but evil.

Is not the answer to their reasoning, and to all human reasoning, this: where there is no sense of need, there is no grasp of the glory of the Person of Christ?

The same inward habit of harbouring evil thoughts against the Lord Jesus came out when they carried the paralysed man to Him on his bed. The first words of the Lord to him were, "Son, your sins are forgiven." The scribes were sitting in the audience. As these words reached their ears, they accused Him of blasphemy in their hearts, in secret. They wrongly assumed within themselves that the Lord had taken over the right that belongs to God, who alone has authority to forgive sins. But the Lord perceived in His spirit their inward reasoning (Mark 2:8). The words that followed from Him showed everyone present that He could read the secret thoughts of men.

Blasphemy is one of the New Testament Greek words. Among the Jews it gained a wider meaning than it had in classical writing. There it meant simply "speaking against" a person. So a "blasphemy" was the opposite of speaking well of someone.

The moment the Lord uses His power to forgive sins the opposition starts. Men did not object when He cast out demons, healed diseases, and cleansed lepers. Those works relieved people of bodily trouble, and they did not have to touch the conscience. As soon as He speaks of sins, He touches the conscience, and men begin to oppose. They say, "Who can forgive sins but God alone?" Their argument was true in principle, for God alone can forgive sins. It was wrong in application. They failed to see the glory of the Person who was present — God manifest in flesh.

The Lord uses the wretched state of the paralytic to point out the true root of all evils — sin. He had come because sin was in the world. And why did He come, if not so that sin might be forgiven? Since God is just, there must of course be a perfect atonement for sins before He can forgive them. But Jehovah, who knew everything, could grant the pardon through the Son of man... Psalm 103 celebrates Him as the One who would forgive all Israel's iniquities and heal all his infirmities.

Jesus was present as the One who pardons iniquities and heals diseases (Ps. 103:3). But He was also present as the One who searches the hearts, tests the inner life, and knows the innermost thoughts (Ps. 94:11; Jer. 17:10). He saw the faith of the five men, and He saw the reasonings of the scribes too. He saw them in His own all-knowing spirit. This was not a power given to Him for the moment, as it might have been with a prophet. No one but God could see into the secret workings of a man's spirit, as Solomon admitted in his prayer (1 Kings 8:39)... Who else could "hear them thinking"?

They were wise in their own eyes. They set themselves up as judges of law and gospel, and they neither did the one nor believed the other... They rejected Christ and His mercy. Their proud reason looked down on the blessed truth of God. Their proud self-righteousness rejected and hated the grace they never knew they needed... The principle they urged was true, the application fatally false. How often religious unbelievers crash on this rock and perish!

What is the answer to their reasonings, and to all human reasonings? Where there is no sense of need, there is no realization of the glory of the Person of Christ.

The religious rulers found this way of Jesus interfered with them. Their interest was to keep God and the people apart; for then they had hopes of being used themselves. So they were angry when the Lord said to the man, "Your sins are forgiven." It was a great interference with them. It trespassed on their position. "Who can forgive sins but God alone?" — and God was in heaven. The Son of man forgiving sins on earth upset the whole system that kept them in credit and plenty in the world.

But Jesus was there not only as the One who pardons sins and heals diseases (Ps. 103:3). He was also the One who searches hearts, tests our inmost feelings, and knows our deepest thoughts (Ps. 94:11; Jer. 17:10). He who saw the faith of the five men perceived the reasoning of the scribes in His own all-knowing spirit (compare John 2:24; John 6:61). He did not know it by a power lent to Him for the moment, as might have happened with a prophet. Only God can see into the secret workings of a person's spirit, as Solomon admitted in his prayer (1 Kings 8:39; Ezek. 11:5). By answering their thoughts, the Lord gave the Pharisees proof of who He really is. Who else could "hear them thinking"?

The simple soul will turn to Scripture and find plenty of proof that the humanity of the Lord Jesus included spirit as well as body and soul. This spirit is distinct from the Holy Spirit given to Him. See Mark 2:8, "knowing in His spirit"; Mark 8:12, "groaned in His spirit"; Luke 10:21, "rejoiced in spirit"; "Into your hands I commend my spirit" — exactly as His servant said, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit" — Matthew 27:50, John 19:30; John 11:33, "deeply moved in spirit"; John 13:21, "troubled in spirit."

They were wise in their own eyes. They set themselves up as judges of law and gospel, and they neither kept the one nor believed the other... They rejected Christ and His mercy. Their proud reason looked down on the blessed truth of God. Their proud self-righteousness pushed away and hated the grace they never knew they needed... "Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?" There was the secret. They did not know the glory of Jesus, and they left His divine dignity right out of the account. The principle they urged was true; the way they applied it was completely false. How often this is the rock that wrecks religious unbelievers and destroys them!

These reasoners have no excuse, for the Lord goes on to give evidence of the glory of His Person. He shows them that they stand before One from whom no thoughts are hidden. They may have said nothing out loud. Yet the Searcher of hearts knew it all, and He can say, "Why do you question these things in your hearts?" Is not the answer to their reasoning, and to all human reasoning, that where there is no sense of need there is no grasp of the glory of the Person of Christ?

In our passages (Matt. 9:6; Mark 2:2; Luke 5:24) the Lord seeks to lead man away from his own reasonings and calculations to Himself and His works. He perceived that the scribes were "reasoning among themselves." Then He set before them what He was doing — "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, rise, pick up your bed, and go home."

He charged them with their hidden thoughts. Then He asked them which was easier: to give forgiveness by a word, or to give a bodily cure. Which claim was easier to make? Who but a divine person, or one who wields divine power, could say either of them? Both were equally easy to God, and both impossible to man.

But Jesus was present not only as the One to pardon iniquities and heal diseases (Ps. 103:3), but also as the One who searches the hearts, tests the deepest feelings and knows the innermost thoughts (Ps. 94:11; Jer. 17:10). He who saw the faith of the five men read the reasoning of the scribes by His own all-knowing spirit. He did not do it by a power lent to Him for a time, as might have been the case with a prophet. Only God could see into the secret workings of a man's spirit... Who else could "hear them thinking"?

He appealed to them whether it was easier by a word to convey forgiveness or a bodily cure. Which claim was quicker to make? Who but a Divine person, or the wielder of Divine power, could say either the one or the other? They were equally easy to God, alike impossible to man.

But He pursues even the unspoken thought with His divine knowledge: "Why do you reason these things in your hearts? Which is easier" — a beautiful word, that "easier". With Him words must have their full worth, nothing less. So the word carries all the weight of the deed... Yet now His deeds shall vouch for His words, if only it may win them to faith.

As God alone could heal a man of leprosy, so God alone could forgive sins; so far the scribes were right. Their great mistake was that they did not believe Jesus to be God... One was as plain as the other. He could have said either. He had a true and gracious spiritual motive for dealing with the real root of the evil first. The deepest necessity of man was not to rise and walk, but first of all to have his sins forgiven.

The Lord uses the wretched state of the paralysed man to point out the true root of all evils — sin. He had come because sin was in the world, and what was His purpose, if not that sin might be forgiven?

This was not the doctrine that God could pardon. They believed that. But God had intervened, and pardon was present. They would no longer have to wait for the last day, nor for a day of judgment, to know their condition. No prophet like Nathan would need to come and announce it for a God who was in heaven while His people were on earth. Pardon was come, in the Person of the Son of man come down to earth.

The Lord answered them by stating a very important principle. He shows His ability to forgive sins by His ability to free the sinner from the consequences of his sin. I don't mean the physical consequences of sin. I mean the moral one, which is total powerlessness to walk for God. No one can see that another man has had his sins forgiven. But everyone can see the proof of it — the ability to walk for God.

His useless limbs grew strong, so that he got up at once. He was so well that he could take up the mat he had been carried to Jesus on, and carry it away in front of them all. That was undeniable evidence of his complete recovery. What had once proved his weakness now witnessed to his strength.

The Lord speaks here not as Christ or Messiah, but as "Son of man." That is how He always spoke. It is the title of His manhood, both in His rejection and in His glory. As such He blesses faith here. As such He will judge unbelief later (John 5)... He who pardons gives life and power, to the glory of God; and this as Son of man, the name of mercy to the ruined who bow to Him.

In His messages to the prophet Ezekiel, Jehovah often uses the title "Son of man" when He speaks to him... Both Ezekiel and Daniel were prophets of the exile. They served away from Judah, which was then under Gentile power. The Lord took this title too. He was the despised Servant-Prophet, working in "Galilee of the Gentiles." So He proved His authority to forgive sins not as Jehovah of Psalm 103, and not as the Messiah of Israel, but as the Son of man.

The moment the Lord uses His power to forgive sins the opposition begins. Men did not object when He cast out demons, healed diseases and cleansed lepers. Those things relieved the body, and they did not have to touch his conscience. As soon as He speaks of sins, He touches the conscience, and men begin to oppose. They say, "Who can forgive sins but God only?" Their argument was true in principle, because God alone can forgive sins. It was wrong in application. They failed to see the glory of the Person standing in front of them — God manifest in flesh.

He says this with clear reference to Psalm 103:3: "But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority [ἐξουσίαν — the right as well as the ability] on earth to forgive sins." ... The outward sign of power guaranteed the gift of grace. Both showed that the One who spoke was the Son of man on earth.

He asked which is easier: to say, "Your sins are forgiven you," or to say, "Rise up and walk." If a man said either, nothing would happen. So He proved His authority to forgive sins by showing His authority as Son of Man over disease, where all could see it. At His word the paralysed man rose at once and walked. The paralysis was not all He healed. The man's body had lain unused and his muscles had wasted, yet the Lord gave him strength to act at once — to carry his bed home. He had used grace and power in such a wonderful way. Who then could dispute the grace and power of the Lord Jesus to forgive sins?

He did not say, "That you may know that God in heaven will one day forgive sins." He said, "that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins." ... He has authority from God, and He is God Himself. But still it is as Son of man, which adds greatly to the grace of His ways.

Our Lord also preached the precious truth that sins are forgiven now. This can be known, not only on a deathbed, but today... And did He not press it so that the people might know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins?

Why should you not take hold of such words of divine grace? They are for every soul of man that believes. They were not limited to that age or race or land. They are written in God's word, which never perishes, for guilty men wherever they are... Miracles may stop. But the love that forgives sins never fails, and it forgives every needy sinner who believes.