Daily Devotions
Matthew
No Answers from the Scribes
Text: Matthew 9 : 1 - 8
The scribes were silent as they listened to the challenging words of Jesus! They had no answer to His statements. They had been taught the doctrine of sin. They had been taught that only God could forgive sins. They were not wrong in having such thoughts. But how were they to make out who Jesus really was?
He taught brilliantly, even though listening to Him was always an unnerving experience. One always feels so ignorant in His presence. There was no denying His knowledge and skill. He fathomed Scriptures in a way that astounded all His hearers, no matter what their theological training may have been!
What was even more significant was that Jesus always practiced what He taught with the greatest consistency! That made it hard to find a chink in his armor! Thus the scribes could not answer the challenge Jesus issued to them.
THE HEALING OF THE PARALYTIC
What was most important to the paralytic? Jesus addressed the issue of forgiveness of sin with him. How did Jesus know that that was THE problem that troubled the paralytic? Of course it would be wonderful to be able to walk again, and being paralysed was a worrying issue. But the problem of sins was indeed an even more troubling matter.
1. Illness associated with sin
It was a common thing to associate illness with sin. Was illness a punishment from God? If so, then his sins must have been grave and the fact that he had lain paralysed for so long would mean that his sins had not been forgiven!
2. Forgiveness from God
Forgiveness from God was taught in the Scriptures. However, it seemed that this was taught with reference to going to the Temple to make appropriate sacrifices as atonement for sin. How could the paralytic do that? He only had his friends to depend upon. He was grateful for such friends. The trouble they took to bring him to Jesus was astonishing. They broke the roof and then lowered him to see Jesus! What more could he ask from such friends? But friendship did not take away the heavy burden of sin.
3. In the presence of Jesus
The weight of sin must have been heavier as the paralytic came into the presence of Jesus. As the Roman centurion recognized his personal unworthiness in the Presence of Jesus, so the paralytic knew just how sinful he really was when he found himself in His presence. Yes, he would very much like to be healed, but first there was that awful need to be cleansed and forgiven of all his sins. The desire to be clean and holy never became more prominent as those few moments in the Presence of Jesus.
LOVING BUT POWERFUL WORDS
The paralytic may not be able to walk, but that does not mean that he was unable to hear. What precious words he heard that day!
“‘But that you may know that the Son of Man
has power on earth to forgive sins’ – then He
said to the paralytic, ‘Arise, take up your bed,
and go to your house.’ ”
Matthew 9:6
“Power on earth to forgive sins…”
How precious those words were! There was Someone right there who could forgive sins. It wasn’t just a ritualistic act of cleansing either! Suddenly the burden of sin was lifted from the heart. All the fears and tears were gone now with these words!
“Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house”
Those were not the only words Jesus said to him! But if Jesus had given him forgiveness alone, that would be present enough! He would never despair and worry about the problem of sin anymore!
“Arise…” and with that one word, new strength came to his limbs! How his eyes must have been filled with tears as he found that he was restored to health! Not only was there forgiveness, there was an extra blessing! Yes, physical healing was secondary. It was an “extra blessing” indeed.
“Take up your bed, and go to your house.” Those words would have been cruel if there hadn’t been power to back them up! How can you speak such words to a paralytic unless you had the power to bring about a miracle?
THE CONCLUSION OF THE MATTER
Without hesitation, the erstwhile paralytic responded to the words of Jesus.
“And he arose and departed to his house. Now
when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and
glorified God, who had given such power to men.”
Matthew 9:7-8
“And he arose and departed to his house”
His life would never be the same again. To be able to rise up at all, let alone walk home was a dream come true! But he must not forget what Jesus said before He healed him. He had pronounced him forgiven of his sins!
“The multitudes… marveled and glorified God, who had given such power to men”
It was right that God’s Name should be glorified when miracles are performed! But Matthew seemed to have noted that the crowd failed to understand what Jesus had said in the most controversial manner. He had declared Himself as One who had power to forgive sins! Yet, the crowd was only able to marvel that God had “given such power to men”. The crowd had failed to recognize who Jesus really was.