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Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven. Matthew 9:2
D.L. MOODY
That was more than his friends expected; they only thought of his body being made whole. So, let us bring our friends to Christ, and we shall get more than we expect.
The Lord met this man’s deepest need first. It may be his sins had brought on the palsy, so the Lord forgave the man’s sin first of all.
ERWIN LUTZER
Jesus crossed the Sea of Galilee and upon His arrival in Nazareth, He was met by people carrying a paralytic. They expected only physical healing, but the hapless man also, unexpectedly, received the forgiveness of sins.
Should it surprise us that the first words of Jesus were, “Your sins are forgiven”? In Jewish culture, there was a tight relationship between sin and sickness. For example, when Job’s life came unraveled, his three “friends” kept saying, “Job, what sin have you committed? Admit to it!” (see Job 4–37). There are times when physical sickness is brought on because of sin, but this is not always the case (John 9:1–3). But let’s not miss the point Jesus was making: Physical healing is proof that He can do spiritual healing as well.
But—and this is very important—it is possible to have a physical healing without a spiritual one. Modern medicine, surgeries, and a host of other things can often prolong a life, but only God can forgive sins. We must distinguish between the healing of the body and the healing of the soul.
Commercials extol some new remedy for the body: drugs, special foods or vitamins, exercise equipment, and so on. But the conversion of the soul is a miracle only God can do.
What is this generation’s need? They need to hear from Christ, “Your sins are forgiven.” Let’s share the gospel so more people might believe and be saved.
PRAYER
Father, thank you for forgiving my sins and meeting my deepest need: a relationship with you.REFLECTION QUESTIONS
Why do you think Jesus addressed the man’s sins before healing his body?
What do you think is our greatest need? How does Jesus meet this need?