An Incredible Moment with a Paralytic (Mark 2:1-12)

I've always enjoyed the aspect of this story which relates to the paralytic's friends and their faithfulness to get their friend healed. Since his paralysis was a direct result of sin I wonder if his friends knew which sin caused his condition. No matter.

However, in reading Gire's account this time I was drawn to the part where Christ healed the man of his sin and the reaction of the religious leaders. They realized by Christ saying, "Son, your sins are forgiven," that He was claiming to be God. For God alone was the One who could forgive sins. While these leaders were pondering these thoughts in their hearts Christ knew what they were thinking. It is this story in which Mark first refers to Christ as the Son of Man rather than the Son of God.

Here are men who knew the Scriptures and what has been said of the Messiah. They are intelligent men. It continues to amaze me when intelligent people miss Christ. They are caught up with Jesus' claims that He has power to forgive sins. Not only did He claim to be able to forgive this man's sins but He heals him in the process. By Christ performing these deeds He was claiming to be God. What blasphemy to the religious leaders!

I love how Gire states it, "Precisely the point. Their reasoning was exact. It brought them to the right conclusion, but it didn't bring them to Christ. If that hole in the roof teaches us anything, it's that faith is what brings a person to Jesus, not intellectual reasoning. Curiosity crowded the classroom, but it was faith that dug through the roof to bring the paralytic to the feet of Christ." Beautifully explained.

Once He has forgiven the paralytic's sins He "crosses His 't's," so to speak, by healing the man. Christ didn't reach out and touch this man, just as He spoke creation into existence, He tells the man to "get up, pick up your pallet and go home." He didn't even say, "You are healed." Just get up and go home. This is such a vivid example of the power Christ has.

Why would my faith ever falter as I understand His power? I take my eyes off of Him. May I be ever mindful that His reality is the ultimate reality, and His truth is the ultimate truth, now and forever.