I can say all kinds of things about my abilities,
but the only thing that proves it is when I do what I say. Right?
In this passage, Jesus said He could do something that is impossible to see – forgive sin.
How can THAT be proven in an objective way, a way that others can see?
The answer was lying before Him. The man who He’d just forgiven was also paralyzed.
So He said,
Which is easier? To say, “Your sins are forgiven,” or to say, “Rise and walk?”
And to prove that He COULD do what He said (forgive sins), He commanded the man to rise and walk.
And he did.
DON’T MISS THE POINT: Jesus can and does forgive sin.
Your sin. My sin. The sin of the world.
Do you get how HUGE that is?
All of us have sinned (the Bible says so – Romans 3:23). We all bear a very real weight of guilt before God. And in one way or another we all know at least some of the negative impact that fact has on our lives.
We wrestle with self-condemnation. We struggle daily with personal insecurities. We experience the tug of war between wanting to be more than we are and feeling consigned to much less. It’s a daily emotional battle that stems from our sense of personal guilt.
Those are indicators – warning lights on the dashboard of our souls – screaming to us that we need forgiveness.
But we don’t want to admit it. We don’t want to feel “bad” about ourselves. So we enthrone self-esteem and turn away from the need to be honest with ourselves. We join the voices of our culture that minimizes sin. We categorize things the Bible clearly calls “sin” as alternative lifestyles, personal freedoms, and how we “identify.” Instead of admitting our sin and turning from it we celebrate it as who we are.
And our guilt problem gets worse.
It’s no coincidence that our bent toward normalizing sin coincides with the highest incidence of psychological and emotional struggles in the history of the world.
We are not making things better. Only Jesus can do that. And like the man in this account, we have to find a way to get to Him in spite of the obstacles.
I beg of you – as I have to urge myself every morning – turn TO Jesus. His willingness to love and forgive sinners like us is astoundingly limitless. His ability to bring true healing and fulfillment to the human soul is verfied by millions.
Which is easier? To say, “Your sins are forgiven,” or to say, “Rise and walk?”
Jesus has proven that He can and will forgive sin. One day, we will all see that fact with ultimate clarity.