Rev Gav

Forgiveness

Luke 5:22-16

²² Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you question this in your hearts? ²³ Is it easier to say ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up and walk’? ²⁴ 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!”

²⁵ And immediately, as everyone watched, the man jumped up, picked up his mat, and went home praising God. ²⁶ Everyone was gripped with great wonder and awe, and they praised God, exclaiming, “We have seen amazing things today!”

Reflect

Jesus had just told a paralysed man that his sins were forgiven. Some Pharisees were present, and because Jesus was claiming to speak on behalf of God, they believed he was breaking the religious law (called the Torah). Jesus knew what they were thinking, turned to them, and asked them directly if it was easier to say, “your sins are forgiven,” or, “get up and walk,” and to show that he had authority to do both, he turned to the paralysed man, spoke with direct authority, and told him to, “Get up!” The man was miraculously healed and the Pharisees were left with their jaws dropping on the floor.

When Jesus was explaining that he had authority, he used the title ‘the Son of Man’ to talk about himself. Now, Son of Man literally means ‘human being’ but he was using the phrase as a title, and his listeners would have recognised this title as it came from the book of the prophet Daniel — one of the books that made up the Hebrew scriptures or holy writings. In Chapter 7 of Daniel there was a vision of a great time of trouble in the world and Daniel then said this:

“In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven… He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshipped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.”

In Jesus’ day, the title ;Son of Man’ from the book of Daniel, was thought to refer to God’s ‘anointed one’, the coming Messiah or Christ, and Jesus used this title for himself. So in effect, he was saying that he had authority, glory, sovereign power, was to be worshipped, and had an everlasting dominion and kingdom! And Christians make the same claim about Jesus today.

Jesus had performed a physical sign to show he had the authority to forgive sins. We too can receive that forgiveness of all our sins — everything we have ever thought, said or done, that has dishonoured ourselves, others, or God. All we need to do is ask.

Do

Today, exercise your faith, by asking God for forgiveness, trusting in Jesus, who has all the authority and willingness to forgive.

Pray

Holy God,
You have all the authority, glory and sovereign power.
Your dominion is everlasting and your kingdom infinite.
I give you my worship.
Lord, forgive me of my sins;
for everything I have ever thought, said, or done
that has dishonoured myself, others, or you.
Thank you for your love and forgiveness
this day and for ever.
Amen.

Think

I know it was a rhetorical question, but which was easier to say, “your sins are forgiven” or “get up and walk”?