A Paralytic Healed
Matthew 9:1-7 New King James Version (NKJV)
So He (Jesus) got into a boat, crossed over, and came to His own city. Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you.”
And at once some of the scribes said within themselves, “This Man blasphemes!”
But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said “Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise and walk’?
But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—then He said to the paralytic, “Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.”
And he arose and departed to his house.
I this passage we can see two reasons why Jesus came to earth. The first reason was to reveal God the Father to mankind, and the second was to save His people from their sin.
We see both of these purposes displayed in these few passages.
First, noticed the faith of the friends who brought the man to Jesus. If it wasn’t for them the paralytic would not have met Jesus and would not have been healed. No doubt, they had heard about Jesus and His miracles in other places, and they hoped for a miracle for their friend.
But Jesus knew that this man’s problem was the sin in his life, and so Jesus publicly forgave him.
Of course the scribes (experts in the Law of Moses), accused Jesus of blaspheme because only God could forgive sins. On their admission, Jesus then heals the paralytic from his disease to show that He had the power to forgive sin (He was God), and He proved it by healing the man.
To put it another way, the power to heal was the sign that Jesus could forgive a man’s sin, which showed that He was God!
Who do you put your trust and faith in? Is it in men and science, yourself or in God our creator?