Outraged (Jesus and the Paralytic)
Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. Some men brought to him a paralytic, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.”
At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!”
Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins....” Then he said to the paralytic, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” And the man got up and went home. When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to men.
Blasphemy or blessing! The words of Jesus fall into either of those two categories. Those who received hope, healing and health from His gracious hand tended to ascribe His ministration to the realm of richest blessing. Those who witnessed His mercy and compassion were too often prone to condemn His words as blasphemy. Indeed, if Jesus is not the Son of God, His words fall into the category of grossest blasphemy. However, if He is the promised Messiah, the One appointed since before the Creation of the world to bring life and light to those condemned to death and darkness, then we do well to heed His words, applying them in our own lives.
One encounter by Jesus with broken humanity had resulted in a response to the suffering of a paralytic, a response which invited condemnation. His Divine assessment and initial response caused deep indignation by the teachers of the law. Though never uttering a word out loud, their thoughts were well known to the Master. In order to demonstrate His prerogative to forgive sin He also healed the man who was suffering the paralysis. Though the crowd witnessing this exchange was awe struck, these religious experts were outraged, as was too often the case. Were the religious leaders correct? Does Jesus have the power to forgive sin? My eternal wellbeing hangs on the answer to this question. Together let’s explore the question to encourage ourselves and to discover in a fresh manner who this Jesus really is.
Jesus’ Response to Human Suffering – Though we preach a Gospel of repentance for the remission of sin, we cannot help but be moved with compassion toward those hurting in our world. It is not an either/or proposition; it is rather a both/and condition. In years past churches identified as liberal focused on the physical and social needs of mankind to the neglect of the spiritual aspects of those same people. On the other hand, the fundamental churches became so focused on the spiritual that they tended to ignore the physical and social needs of their world. Either extreme was in error, though the liberal churches were no doubt in the grip of a far graver error because they forgot their roots.
I suggest that even a casual reading of the Word of God will convince us that we are responsible to demonstrate compassion toward the hurting. I am equally quick to say that we must never compromise our message in a display of misguided compassion, for should we feed the hungry and clothe the naked yet fail to warn them of judgement to come, we are their worst enemy, confirming them in their fallen condition.
Jesus is compassionate. Have you ever noted the number of times that the Gospel accounts, especially Mark’s Gospel, speak of the emotions of Jesus? A leper approached Jesus pleading for cleansing, and the Lord was filled with compassion; reaching out His hand and touching the unclean man He healed him [Mark 1:41]. He had compassion on the crowds because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd, and so He taught them [Matthew 9:36; Mark 6:34]. He saw the sick crowding about Him, and the Lord had compassion on them and healed their sick [Matthew 14:14]. People were hungry after they had been with Him for three days, and He had compassion for these people and fed them [Mark 8:2]. A widow weeping over the death of her only son encountered the Master; the Master’s heart went out to her and He raised her son [Luke 7:13]. He is not an emotionless demigod; He is the loving Saviour whose heart is touched with the feeling of our infirmities [Hebrews 4:15, KJV].
Because He sympathises with our weaknesses does not mean that His priorities are clouded by His compassion, however. The Lord came to seek and save what was lost [Luke 19:10]. He came to give His life as a ransom for many [Matthew 20:28]. The salvation of souls, setting the captive free, describes the heartbeat of the Saviour. In the process of living out His life as His people we will demonstrate compassion on hurting humanity, but if we will honour Him we must ever keep the priority of souls in view.
So, when the paralysed man was brought into the place where Jesus was teaching, He demonstrated that which was of greatest importance to Him and that which is ultimately of greatest importance even to hurting humanity. Go back for a moment in your mind to the incident to grasp the setting. Doing so will give insight into the response of the Master to this man’s situation.
Having freed the demonised men in the region of the Decapolis, Jesus returned to Capernaum, His hometown. Knowing that He was again present, the townspeople crowded about Him until there was no room left to even come near Him. Luke’s Gospel tells us that it was primarily the religious leaders who were crowded closest to Jesus [Luke 5:17]. As an aside, if the preachers would get out of the way many of those who need to hear the message of life would find the Lord. On the other hand, perhaps no one needs to hear the message of life more than religious leaders!
Some men brought a friend who was paralysed to Jesus, but they couldn’t get near Him because of all the religious leaders. Desperate for their friend to be in the presence of Jesus, they carried him to the roof and began to remove the tile. As the hole was first opened, plaster and tile began to fall on those below. I think that one large tile fell square on the head of the leader of the synagogue who was sitting right in front of Jesus! Don’t you find it surprising that though the roof was opening up and plaster was no doubt falling that these religious leaders would not yield their place by stepping back?
When the opening was large enough, the men attached ropes to the mat their friend was lying on and lowered him through the roof until he was right in front of Jesus. No doubt that caused the religious leaders to back up. They likely didn’t know what illness confined him to his bed; nor were they likely eager to have him near them. No telling what disease important people like them might catch from such an individual!
Suddenly the man was lying in front of Jesus. Jesus was no doubt amused at the audacity of these men; perhaps he smiled at the thought of them digging through the roof and lowering their friend. When He saw their faith He addressed the paralytic and said, Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.
By His words, Jesus demonstrated that He recognised the greatest need of the suffering man. Secretly, I wonder if we are not just a little offended by Jesus’ words. Lest you think the question frivolous, consider how you would react were your physician to ask whether you were forgiven of your sins when you visited because of some illness. Would you welcome such a probing question? Were you to consult with your pastor because of discouragement and he were to ask whether you are saved or lost, wouldn’t you be just a little put out? Do we really believe that the greatest need of mankind is forgiveness of sin?
The expenditures of Canadians testify that our greatest felt need is personal gratification. We certainly spend more on alcohol than we do on missionary advance. We spend more on dining out than on the spread of the Gospel at home. We spend more on cosmetics than on evangelism. I suspect that our situation is not so terribly different than it is for Americans, or for Britons, or for Germans, or for any peoples in the world.
Even among our missionary agencies, many invest more in relief than in evangelism. We embrace the theology of Big Brother as identified in Orwell’s dark novel and redefine our terms. Teaching people to raise guinea pigs is agricultural evangelism. Teaching people how to sew clothing is economic evangelism. It is not that these acts are bad … they are good! But good is enemy of the best. Our commission is to disciple, to establish churches. Anything which fails to fulfil that commission is opposed to the will of Him who saved us, commissioned us, and called us to His service.
A man whom I greatly respected had served as a missionary in Uganda throughout the sixties and early seventies. He had suffered during the reign of terror unleashed by Idi Ami. At last Jimmy Hooten and his wife escaped with only the clothes on their backs, and returning to the United States Jimmy found a position as a professor of missions in the school where I would eventually teach. In mid-term of the year I began my work with that school he was forced to resign due to his wife’s health. I became the professor of mission and evangelism at that school on extremely short notice.
I spoke with Jimmy before he left town that I might obtain whatever help he could give me as I began the work of preparing those young men and women for service to the Master. Our conversation turned naturally to his work in Uganda. Only a short time before he had returned to survey the field for the Southern Baptist Foreign Mission Board. The people had been so hurt by the tragic tyranny of that wicked ruler. Jimmy talked of the efforts of the missionaries to relieve the suffering of the people.
Then he related one truth which has ever after stuck with me. “All our hospitals were destroyed. The agricultural stations and farms were destroyed. The schools were destroyed. The only thing left of the work of missionaries in that hurting land was the church.” Hospitals and schools and farms are good things, and no doubt the people had benefited for a while because of their presence. Yet in the day of evil, but one institution remained … the church.
Perhaps that is why we are hard pressed to find primary warrant to establish any institution other than churches in the Word of God. Candidly, any missionary enterprise which fails to establish churches is failing the Great Commission and is unworthy of our support. Our first priority, as seen in our support, must be the preaching of the Gospel with the establishment of churches to conserve the results. I do not say that we should not do these other works, but they must never become our primary effort nor consume the majority of our support. It is the salvation of souls which touches the heart of the Master.
Lest someone concludes that I have scant compassion, I hasten to state that I have raised a daughter who is pursuing a degree in medicine to enable her to invest her life in foreign missions. Yet what I say to you I have said to her, the first priority is the salvation of souls and the care for those souls in a church where Christ is preached and the Spirit reigns. All else must assume a lesser priority.
The Evangelists are united in identifying the faith of the friends as the motivation for Jesus to address the paralysed man’s greatest need. Here is an interesting thought; the faith of another can move the Master to speak to the heart of the needy. No doubt the paralysed man was willing to be carried into the presence of Jesus, but the men carrying him dared believe that if they could but bring him near Jesus he would be healed. Perhaps they did not recognise that the healing of the soul was of greatest importance, but they were united in their belief that Jesus would do what was best.
I draw great encouragement from this thought. You see, I have family members who are yet lost in their sin. I have friends who have yet to receive Christ as Lord. I have neighbours who are unsaved. I think that sometimes I am suffering from lockjaw around them. I want to speak, but I cannot. I long to speak of Christ and His love, but my mouth won’t work. I am not saying that I never speak, for those who know me know that I am rather vocal in my faith, but sometimes I long to speak and I am restrained.
I take comfort in this knowledge that I can bring those I love into the presence of the Master. I can have faith that He will receive them and speak precisely that word which is most needed when I am unable to speak articulately. I can invite my loved ones and my neighbours to join me in worship, knowing that Christ will be present among His people. I can carry them before Him through prayer, knowing that He will never turn aside the seeking soul. If I will but seek their welfare, the salvation of their souls, asking that He show them mercy, I know that in His time He will hear and address their greatest need. Perhaps it will be that He looses my tongue to speak in power, perhaps it will be through a demonstration of His deep love by some act I perform, perhaps it will be through another word or action unrelated to me, but He will address their need. When He speaks, they will listen.
If your loved ones and your friends and your colleagues are lost, and some are, and you are discouraged because you do not speak as you know you should, take heart from these men. Gather about you some friends and ask that they join you in prayer to bring those for whom you are concerned into the Lord’s presence. Gather a few friends who believe in the power of prayer and carry your loved ones into the presence of the Christ that He might speak the precise words they most need to hear. As you pray, offer yourself to Him to be an instrument of grace. Perhaps He will direct you to invite those for whom you pray to join you in a service of worship. Perhaps He will lead you to be His voice to speak His Word to them. Perhaps He will Himself speak to their spirit by that still small voice which arrested so many of us. One thing is certain, your loved ones will never be quite the same after you have brought them into the presence of the Lord.
The Religious Leaders’ Response to Jesus’ Words – If the falling tile and plaster had not caused indignation and consternation among the religious leaders, the words Jesus spoke certainly did cause such anger. They considered His words to be blasphemous. Have you ever noticed that when these religious leaders were angered, they never spoke openly, but their thoughts were as apparent as though they had spoken?
Notice a few instances where the thoughts and private conversations of the religious leaders were as apparent as though they spoke aloud. In Mark 3:23-29 Jesus gave the religious leaders a parable concerning Satan driving out Satan. Mark states that He said this because they were saying, “He has an evil spirit” [Mark 3:30]. Matthew informs us that Jesus knew their thoughts [Matthew 12:25]. Another account is given in Luke 6:5-11. There the religious leaders were watching to see if Jesus would heal on the Sabbath. The Divine Author takes care to inform us that Jesus knew what they were thinking [Luke 6:8]. It is dangerous to assume that God does not read the heart; He knows our very thoughts.
In meetings where ministers representing a range of religious positions are present, I have sometimes had that uncomfortable sense that the smile pasted on the face of some of those present masked a bitter heart. Did Judas smile when he betrayed the Lord? Certainly the religious leaders smiled. Their mockery at the Cross must surely have been conveyed through smiling lips. Their smiles didn’t reveal joy, but rather grim satisfaction at besting the One whose words had often singed their souls; and that thought forced a smile through their drawn lips. Their eyes no doubt betrayed the evil behind the smile. Thus it is too often at meetings when I have met men and women opposed to righteousness but who nevertheless wear the livery of a spokesman of God.
They are too nice to ever say what is in their heart. They are too polite to ever reveal their condescension by turning away in a display of utter rage. Strip away all the politeness from the excuses and it is their sheer cowardice which freezes the smile on their face. Just so, the religious leaders in Jesus’ day dared not speak out strongly against Him lest He should publicly expose them as the religious frauds they were. Who in his right mind would invite the excoriation such as that recorded in Matthew 23:1-39. Hypocrites! You snakes! You brood of vipers! No wonder they shrank from confronting Him openly and sought a way to secretly take Him hostage.
Think about the issue for a moment. If Jesus was not God, His words were indeed blasphemous. If, on the other hand, He had exercised Divine prerogative in previous instances before these same religious leaders, He had every right to lay claim to Divinity. He had only recently gone throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the Good News of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people [Matthew 4:23]. He had healed leprosy [Matthew 8:1-4], raised the paralysed with a word from afar [Matthew 8:5-13], and continued his healing ministry even setting free those enslaved by demonic powers [Matthew 8:14-16]. Men surrendered by society to the power of the dark lords of the netherworld were set at liberty [Matthew 8:28-34]. These religious leaders had seen all this for an extended period of time. They knew that He had authority over the dark powers of this fallen world, that He had power to heal the broken of humanity, and that He displayed the love of God. They were also aware that He had power over nature, having changed water into wine [John 2:1-10] and no doubt knowing that He commanded the winds and the waves to meekly obey His word [Matthew 8:23-27].
You will no doubt remember the exchange between Jesus and the religious leaders of Israel which is recorded in the tenth chapter of John’s Gospel. The Lord had clearly presented Himself as the Son of God only to have the religious leadership respond by attempting to stone Him. As they picked up stones the Lord challenged them with these words, I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me? Those self-righteous men retorted in the arrogance of their hearts, We are not stoning you for any of these, but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.
Scope in on the Master’s response to their myopic theology. Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are gods’? If he called them ‘gods,’ to whom the word of God came—and the Scripture cannot be broken—what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’? Do not believe me unless I do what my Father does. But if I do it, even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father [John 10:31-38].
No wonder Jesus wept over Jerusalem. The people to whom He was sent had rejected every evidence that the Kingdom of God was at hand. They had, in the pride of their own hearts, rejected divine grace. They had refused His Divine credentials as the Son of God. Surely we would not be so blind! Surely we would not act so arrogantly! Surely we would not error in such an arrogant manner!
Jesus’ Answer to the Mutterings and Thoughts of the Religious Leaders – Jesus asked two questions of the religious leaders: “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts?” and, “Which is easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’?” The first question is vital since it exposed the heart of these religious leaders. They were grumbling. Did you realise that grumbling is a serious sin before the Lord God? Grumbling is tantamount to charging God with being evil, equal to charging Him with being unfair, the same as charging Him with not being good.
James, in one of the earliest writings of our New Testament, warned readers, Don’t grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged [James 5:9]. Paul, writing the Corinthian believers, warns in no uncertain terms against grumbling. Do not grumble, as some of [the people of Israel] did — and were killed by the destroying angel [1 Corinthians 10:10]. Grumbling apparently invites the Lord’s strictest judgement. After being delivered from Egypt, the Hebrew people were characterised as a nation of grumblers. The Hebrew people grumbled about insufficient water [Exodus 15:24; 17:3], grumbled about the quality of divinely appointed leadership [Exodus 16:2], and grumbled about the need to face difficult opponents in order to possess the land God was giving them [Numbers 14:2-4]. Judged because of their constant complaining, they grumbled again [Numbers 16:41].
Note God’s appraisal of the complaints of His people in the wilderness.
They despised the pleasant land;
they did not believe His promise.
They grumbled in their tents
and did not obey the LORD.
So He swore to them with uplifted hand
that He would make them fall in the desert,
make their descendants fall among the nations
and scatter them throughout the lands
[Psalm 106:24-27].
To grumble against God – against His provision or against His appointment – is to reveal an evil heart which invites His judgement. To grumble against the words of the Master is to entertain evil thoughts in your heart inviting His rebuke. Don’t grumble!
God is big enough that He can withstand our hard questions; He is not shaken by our queries. The sin of the religious leaders was not that they questioned Jesus’ words, but that they did so with a censorious spirit. God can withstand our hard questions, but we cannot give an answer for our spirit if we are critical toward Him or toward the work He performs before us. When you have hard questions of God – ask Him for an answer! The great sin of the liberal is that he does not question, perhaps considering himself too pious (or too unconcerned) to ask such a thing of God. The great sin of the fundamentalist is that he does ask hard questions but harbours a censorious spirit. There is a middle ground which seeks understanding and endeavours to honour God through growing into the answer. Don’t fear asking God hard questions; just insure that such questions are asked in a spirit of humility.
That second question Jesus asked was unanswerable by these religious leaders. “Which is easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’?” Without waiting for an answer from those to whom He spoke, for there could be no answer, Jesus proceeded to demonstrate that He could assuredly provide an answer to the second part of that question. If He were to enable the paralysed man to walk, then what was at first unseen – the forgiveness of sins – must also have been performed just as He had said.
Of course, it is easier to command a paralytic to get up and walk than it is to announce the forgiveness of sin. From man’s perspective the healing of withered legs is impossible, but the forgiveness of sin is an even greater barrier to surmount. Sin is an awful contaminant which destroys relationships, beginning with our relationship with God and continuing through every relationship we should otherwise enjoy. Without the forgiveness of sin, we are estranged from God and can never know the most intimate of relationships, for there will always be a barrier between those with whom we wish to enjoy spiritual communion.
Though man has acquired a degree of knowledge and can effect a measure of healing, for which we praise God and rejoice in His goodness, the healing of the sin sick soul is an impossibility. Do you perhaps remember this word given in the Psalms?
No man can by any means redeem his brother,
Or give to God a ransom for him—
For the redemption of his soul is costly
[Psalm 49:7,8 NASV].
The New International Version treats that verse in this fashion.
No man can redeem the life of another
or give to God a ransom for him—
the ransom for a life is costly,
no payment is ever enough—
that he should live on forever
and not see decay.
[Psalm 49:7-9, NIV].
No man can redeem another. The redemption of a soul is costly.
Think with me for a moment. If sin is an offence to Holy God, then sin – all sin – is infinite in its impact. Since every sin is ultimately against the infinite God, there is no such thing as a little sin. Thus no mortal sacrifice would be sufficient to put away sin. To bring about the forgiveness of sin it is necessary that the One against whom I have sinned be willing to extend me that forgiveness. Since my sin is against the Living God, then only God can forgive sin and that through an infinite sacrifice.
Jesus the Son of God has provided that sacrifice, and in the presence of Holy God that sacrifice has been provided since before the creation of the world [cf. 1 Peter 1:20]. Since Jesus is very God, His is an infinite sacrifice. If my sins will be forgiven, it is He who must forgive them. When He spoke the gracious words of forgiveness to that paralysed man it was with the knowledge both that He had the power to forgive sin and that He would provide the means by which those sins would be forgiven.
The question confronting each of us is whether we have received the forgiveness of sins. Are we perhaps church members and yet in our sins? The religious leaders were undoubtedly respected within the religious community, but they were in the grip of an awful sin – the sin of blasphemy against the revealed Son of God. The responsibility of each of us is to examine our lives to insure that we have placed faith in Christ Jesus.
Listen to these words. If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” [Romans 10:9-13].
He has given proof that He is Lord through the resurrection from the dead. Thus we are assured that His sacrifice is sufficient. He has presented His life as a substitute for each of us. Since He is God, infinite and holy, we can have confidence that there need never be another sacrifice for sin. This being true, I need but believe that He died because of my sin and that He raised that I might be declared free of guilt before the judgement seat of God. I believe in my heart that He presented Himself as a sacrifice for my sins and that He raised that I may be presented without fault before the Father, and believing I must openly confess that He is Lord that I might be forgiven sin.
Will you call on the Name of the Lord? Will you believe that He died because of your sin and raised to declare you free of guilt? Have you confessed Him since you believed? We invite all who believe to identify with Him through submission to His command to be baptised. If you have believed, have you obeyed Him through identifying by baptism? We invite you to be forgiven of sin and to receive the life which is in Him. Let those who do not know Him be outraged. You do what He calls you to do, which is to be set at liberty from sin, guilt and condemnation. Amen.