Mark 2 1-12 Scholia

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Dear Baptized,

"In the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ, I forgive you all your sins in the Name of the Father and of the (+) Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen." Those words are stunning and wonderful to the ears of the faithful who congregate to hear that Christ has come to atone for all of their sins and that complete forgiveness is theirs ... is yours. Those words are also some of the most stunning and troubling to those who are in the holy place for they see a man say them with their eyes and they hear him say those words with their ears. The response is likely to be similar to the question asked both by the false-doctrined Pharisees and the uncatechized scribes, "Who can forgive sins but God alone?"

The question in today's Gospel Reading is not primarily about whether one is a sinner or not, nor even about healing of the body of sickness, disease and infirmity. It's about the answer to that question, "Who can forgive sins but God alone?" Please listen to a section of that reading once again and hear the Word concerning ...

... "The Can and May of Forgiving Sins."

"... (Jesus) said to the paralytic, 'My son, your sins are forgiven.' Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts,'Why does this man speak thus? It is blasphemy! 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 thus in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, "Your sins are forgiven," or to say, "Rise, take up your pallet 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, take up your pallet and go home.' And he rose, and immediately took up the pallet and went out before them all; so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, 'We never saw anything like this!'"

Thus far the Word of the LORD our God.

By his own power and strength, the man could not come to Jesus. The man was paralyzed. What was the paralytic's greatest need? Well, look at him; it seems obvious what his greatest need is. He needed to be healed of his paralysis so he could walk. That's why his four friends haul him to Jesus. They knew to whom he should go. Jesus was the great healer - not a great healer - THE great healer. He had the power to make people whole as well as the authority to cast out demons. He exercised that power and Jesus had done these things enough times that there was no room left in the house He entered, nor even outside the door.

So Jesus - Who is the Prince of Peace, the Wonderful Counselor, Almighty God, Everlasting Father (Isaiah 9:6) - seeing the faith of the quintet, "said to the paralytic, 'My son, your sins are forgiven.'" Stunning. For those in attendance, what Jesus said did not appear to have been anticipated by anyone in the congregation. Jesus had just taken care of the greatest need that the paralytic had ... the forgiveness of his sins.

Years later, the Apostle Paul would write of this in his letter to the Church in Corinth: "For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).

The Scriptures do not record a single complaint from the paralytic. He was forgiven and his soul was healed by the absolving Word. The Bible does, however, record the objections of the hearts of the scribes and Pharisees in attendance. "Why does this man speak thus? It is blasphemy! Who can forgive sins but God alone?"

There is a part of their murmurings that is completely true and there is a conclusion that is completely false. Their second question - "Who can forgive sins but God alone?" anticipates the answer that no one can forgive sins but God alone. That answer is absolutely correct. All sins of thought, word and deed - of ones committed and omitted - of ones known and unknown - of original sin and of subsequent sins - even the denial of sin and sins, yours included - all sins are transgressions against God's holy will. The Genesis Joseph told the truth when, in resisting the sinful act of adultery, he said to his temptress, "How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God" (Genesis 39:9). All sins are against God and only God CAN forgive sins.

Thus the scribes conclude that what Jesus has done is blasphemy because only God can forgive sins. With their eyes they see the lowly man named Jesus and they don't know that this is the LORD God Almighty. Jehovah is veiled in flesh and blood. Emmanuel. God with us. The scribes just don't see it. That's because they do theology with their eyes and not their ears. Jesus is Jehovah so that the Word of forgiveness from His mouth is not blasphemy, but the truth of God's Good News. To maintain that it is blasphemy is, itself, blasphemy!

The scribes questioned in their hearts, "Why does this man speak thus? It is blasphemy! Who can forgive sins but God alone?" Now the question, "Why does this man speak thus?" In other words, "Why does Jesus say to this man that he is forgiven?" But of course you know the answer. This was the man's greatest need, and not this man only but also the greatest need of every man, woman, youth, child and infant who ever has, is and/or will be. Sin is what separates us from God; forgiveness is what God provides to bring us back to God. The first part is all our doing; the second part is all God's doing.

Jesus says to the paralytic, "My son, your sins are forgiven." My son, all of your sins have been taken from you - lifted from your soul and I have placed them upon Myself. Your burden is now Mine; I own it and you may not have it back. I will bear your awful load to the cross where the holy wrath of God against all your sins and the sins of the world will be vented upon Me, the Bearer of your burden. "My son, your sins are forgiven."

Only God MAY forgive sins. Jesus MAY do this because He has the authority to do so and the forgiveness of the world has been wrought by Him. Because of the Incarnation and the Atonement, all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Him. "My son, your sins are forgiven."

Thus the paralytic had what each and every person in this world needs - the forgiveness of sins. To be right with God, that that paralytic truly didn't need anything else. Eternal life and salvation were his. Indeed, there are thousands of people today who, though plagued with paralysis, disease, ailment and/or pain, are right with God through the forgiveness of all their sins. For eternal life and salvation they do not need to be healed of their various and many physical conditions.

But you children remember the account of this man. "And immediately Jesus, perceiving in His Spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, 'Why do you question thus in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, "Your sins are forgiven," or to say, "Rise, take up your pallet 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, take up your pallet and go home.' And he rose, and immediately took up the pallet and went out before them all; so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, 'We never saw anything like this!'" He was healed and one may wonder why he was healed that day and others are not today. The Bible tells us the reason, though we may have to think about it a moment.

"But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins." Jesus healed the man, not primarily for the sake of the paralytic, but on account of the others, especially and particularly for the sake of those unbelieving scribes. The faithful hear the Word and trust in Him Who takes away sin. The unbeliever must see the deed and have the basis of their unbelief taken away. For the miracle does not create faith; rather it silences the particular argument. That you scribes might know that I have the authority to unbind and loose sin from an individual by My Word; watch with your eyes as I demonstrate that I have the authority to unbind and loose the physical ailment of this paralytic.

A man once wrote that what Jesus said and did left a person with only three alternatives concerning who Jesus is. He is either the LORD, or he is Lucifer's agent, or he a lunatic. The healing of the paralytic demonstrates that Jesus is not a lunatic. Each scribe and Pharisee was faced with the reality that day. Rather than be convicted of their sin by the Holy Spirit and rather than receiving the gift of repentance, most of those men opted to pursue the course of confessing that Jesus was a demon-possessed agent of Satan. What a blessing that you have because the Holy Spirit has worked faith in your heart through the Word to confess that Jesus is LORD!

Ah, but wait. There may be a question that lingers or that you will wonder about later in the day or in the course of the up-coming night. "Who can forgive sins but God alone?" The paralytic was brought into the Presence of the LORD and Jesus said to him, "My son, your sins are forgiven." That was then and there; what about here and now?

Dear baptized, this question goes directly to the authority of Jesus. He had and has the authority to forgive sins just as He had and has the authority to heal the sick. Concerning the authority to forgive sins He has given His Word to His Church: "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore, as you are going, disciple all nations" (Matthew 28:18) by baptizing and teaching.

This is a wonderful doctrine known as the Office of the Keys and this authority to forgive (and also to retain) sins has been given to His Church. Each Christian has the right and the responsibility to forgive the sins of others. You can and you may forgive sins. The Bible tells us to "therefore confess your sins one to each other" (James 5:16). Jesus told His people to pray, "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us" (Matthew 6:12). You can and you may forgive the sins of someone who is sorry for his sins and seeks God's forgiveness.

The Risen Redeemer instituted the Office of the Holy Ministry when He spoke with and gave His authorization to His undershepherds to absolve the penitent, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained" (John 20:). Throughout the centuries the Lord of the Church gives pastors as gifts to His Bride and the Church calls these men to exercise the Office of the Keys publicly in the Divine Service and individually in private confession and absolution. So it is in the stead and by the command of Christ that forgiveness is declared. A pastor can do this because Christ has accomplished it. A pastor may do this because he is called to announce it.

God's forgiveness of sins is the greatest need of the individual. Its announcement brings eternal life and salvation. Its reality sustains the Christian in this life and gives hope and comfort in the midst of trial, suffering, paralysis and pain. And if the LORD grants relief and healing in this life through the means of creation, well, thanks be to God. If the healing must wait until the Resurrection when all disease will be gone and all ailments will be no more, well, thanks be to God. In either case, dearly beloved by God, please continue to hear the truth that you can and may hear today; namely, you are forgiven of all your sins in the Name of the Father and of the (+) Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.