“Do We Miss the Miracle That Is Forgiveness?”

And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.” – Matthew 9.2 (ESV)

Do you find something anticlimactic in what Jesus said to the paralytic?

I was reading this passage of Scripture again this morning, getting ready to preach it to a group of students at a camp I’m at right now. I’ve read this passage before. Many times. I’ve preached Mark’s account of this passage literally hundreds of times over the years. It’s one of my favorites. And yet, something hit me this morning as I was spending time with Jesus in it.

Here’s the question:

Am I more impressed and brought to a truer sense of awe because the man’s sins were forgiven by Jesus or do I see that as a speed bump in the narrative that slows me down from seeing Jesus doing the “truly miraculous”?

Picture the scene. Jesus is in Simon Peter’s home teaching and preaching about the kingdom of God. As he’s teaching, the four friends of this paralytic start clearing away a hole in the roof of Simon’s home to lower their friend down in front of Jesus. They tried the front door but there was no way to get through the crowd that was there. So, they dug a hole in the roof and lowered their friend down to Jesus, “cutting in line” in front of those who had been there long before.

The place is silent. Jesus looks at the paralyzed man with compassion in his eyes. The friends wait in eager expectation, staring at what’s happening through the hole that they had just made in Simon’s roof. Everyone there is focused on this situation.

A woman there says, “Get ready. He’s gonna heal him. I’ve seen him do this before he preached that message on the mountain.” (I made this part up)

Jesus then opens his mouth and says the words that everyone was expecting him to say: “Take heart, my son, your sins are forgiven.”

Nope. That wasn’t it.

“I thought he was going to heal him,” says the woman (I made this part up, too).

It kind of feels like a let down, like everyone was ready to see him do a miracle by giving this paralyzed man the ability to walk. But he didn’t. He simply forgave him.

And that’s what hit me so hard this morning. Jesus forgiving this man of his sins was not a speed bump in the story of seeing Jesus do a miracle. Rather, it was the most important and most incredible act of grace that Jesus could do for this man. It was the most impressive miracle that Jesus could perform. Jesus, as God, forgave this man his sins. Jesus, as high priest, declared this man forgiven without bringing a sacrifice to the Temple. But how could he? Because Jesus is also the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. In other words, he’s the sacrifice.

The religious leaders were furious about this. “And behold some of the scribes said to themselves, ‘This man is blaspheming’” (Matthew 9.3, ESV). Mark tells us a little bit more of the conversation that they had in their minds about what they witnessed. “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (Mark 2.7) And the answer to their question? No one. So in this moment, Jesus was declaring himself to be God.

And then to prove that Jesus had the authority to do this, he said to the religious leaders, in the hearing of everyone there, “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,… I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home” (Mark 2.9-11, ESV).

And the paralyzed man walked home carrying his mat.

And isn’t that what we were waiting for? Isn’t that the main miracle that we needed to see happen?

This morning, I was reminded that it was of second-importance compared to Jesus forgiving this man of his sins. That is so much more impressive than the man walking home physically healed. Think about it: Jesus can speak healing over us and bring about healing. But in order to forgive us of their sins, the incarnation of Jesus had to take place. The death of Jesus on a cross had to take place. Jesus had to take the complete wrath of God in our place. And then Jesus had to come back from the dead. All of these things so that we can be forgiven and in right standing before God.

May we not miss the beautiful and powerful miracle of God forgiving us of our sins. That’s the miracle that cost God so much and yet the one that I think maybe I forget to acknowledge often.

So maybe this is the best way to describe the miracle that happened that day:

And the paralyzed man walked home carrying his mat, forgiven.

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Oh, God, please forgive me for losing sight of the beauty of your miracle of forgiving my sins. Thank you so much for doing that for me. I am forever grateful to you. And please help me forgive others the way you have forgiven me.