"And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?"
Luke 5:21
What a tremendous truth from a story in the life of Jesus Christ that our verse for today comes from. When I heard this story as a child, I’m afraid the “event” made more of an impression on me than the “person” did at the time. How exciting it is to think of those four friends who cared so much for their paralyzed friend, and the monumental effort to get him to Jesus where he might be healed. (If you haven’t read this story in a while let me invite you to read it now in Luke 5:17-26.)
We can only imagine the surprise the four friends must have felt when after all of their effort to get their buddy to Jesus, He said, “Man thy sins are forgiven thee,” (Luke 5:20). “What? We brought him here to be healed, and Jesus has forgiven his sins!” What they might not have understood is that Jesus took care of the man’s greatest need first, his sin. The same is true with us and with all people, the greatest need we have is our sin problem. We are all born sinners. We here see that Jesus wasn’t just interested in making the man a physically whole sinner, but He made him complete, healed spiritually and physically.
The Pharisees who were watching Jesus intently so they could use His words and works against Him, had difficulty with Jesus telling the man that his sins were forgiven. Did you notice that their theology is correct, at least in this point? There is only one person who can forgive sins—God.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness,” (1 John 1:9).
The only One we can approach to help us with our sins is God. And He has provided for us through the work of Jesus, His Son on the cross. Sin is paid for, forgiveness is possible through Jesus.
That day, Jesus saw their unbelief. He asked them, “What reason ye in your hearts? Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house,” (Luke 5:22-24). And the man got up and carried his bed home.
What the Pharisees couldn’t reconcile in their thinking was the fact that Jesus can forgive sin because He is God! He healed the paralyzed man, body and soul.
This event teaches us a powerful lesson about forgiveness of sin and our God. Have you been to Jesus to have your sin forgiven? We can do nothing to correct our own sin. Jesus is God. He alone can forgive your sin! Turn to Him in faith, ask Him to cleanse you.