A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” 
Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”
-Mark 2:1-12

The Need for Forgiveness

Jesus wants to say that the man’s biggest problem isn’t his physical condition, but his sin (vs 5). As humans we’re looking for a deeper satisfaction-- that’s why Jesus says our deepest need is forgiveness from God; we came from an infinite good, but we are alienated from an infinite good.

The Source of Forgiveness

After Jesus tells the man that his sins are forgiven, the teachers of the law say Jesus is blaspheming (vs 6-7). Only the offending party can forgive-- God is the one who gave the law, and has the authority to forgive. Jesus has a God-given authority to forgive, that’s what the miracle shows (vs 8-12).

If God is perfectly just, how can He mercifully forgive? There is a cost to sin: Jesus’ death on the cross absorbs that cost.

How to Forgive

  1. Forgive as God forgave you: because God forgave us, we can extend that same love and power to others.
  2. Forgive for the good of others. 
  3. Forgive with condemnation: not “forgive and forget”, but condemning evil in the world and overcoming it not with more evil, but with good.
  4. Forgive without discrimination.
  5. Forgive in time: the first thing a person needs to do if they’ve experienced trauma is not to forgive but to heal, to be loved and held by God. In time, they may be able to forgive.
  6. Forgive with wisdom: Jesus says forgive seventy-seven times, forgive endlessly-- but that doesn’t mean letting people trample all over you. God forgives us, but He also transforms us; forgiveness is completely compatible with discipline and setting boundaries.
  7. Forgive in community: when you’re part of community whose master says “forgive as God has forgiven you”, “turn the other cheek”, “forgive them for they know not what they do", then when the moment comes we might have the ability to forgive.

Society needs forgiveness to work, not vengeance and not pure justice. 

 

Missed this Sunday's sermon? Watch it here!

 

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