We've Never Seen Anything Like That Before!

 

And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!” (Mark 2:1-12 ESV).

 

I have often preached from these verses. Most of the time the focus was on the faith of the four friends who brought the man to Jesus. However, today I want to look at what Jesus said to the paralytic. Jesus said first, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Those words caused a stir among the people in the house. They believed—correctly—that only God can forgive sins. So, Jesus was clearly making the claim to be God. It is no wonder that the people exclaimed they had never seen anything like that before.

 

Jesus knew what everyone was thinking, and he taught some great lessons here. First, he taught that the greatest need in everyone’s life is forgiveness. Second, Jesus showed that he had divine authority both to forgive sins and to heal. “Which is easier,” asked Jesus, “to forgive or to heal?” Then, to show that he had the authority to forgive sins, he said to the lame man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” The man got up and walked out of the house in full view of everyone.

 

Like all the other miracles of Jesus, the healing of the man who was lowered through the roof pointed to Jesus’ identity, authority, and saving purpose. Jesus meets every believer’s needs, the greatest of which is the forgiveness of sins. That’s the greatest of miracles.