“This man is blaspheming.”
They weren't wrong in their presupposition, which Mark made explicit, "Who can forgive sins but God alone?" (see Mark 2:7). They were, however, quite mistaken about the identity of the man in question.
Although they never said any of this directly to Jesus, nevertheless they could not hide it from him.
Why do you harbor evil thoughts?
It was shocking to see someone who appeared to be a man like any other claim to forgive sins. It wasn't really why the friends of the paralytic brought him to Jesus either, but since they came with faith it did not cause them offense or scandal. It certainly wasn't the response the scribes expected. It was provocative, but necessarily so. For Jesus was not content to treat the superficial symptoms when the power to treat the deeper underlying problem was in his hands.
Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’
or to say, ‘Rise and walk’?
Both of these things are easy to say and both are equally impossible for a mere man to accomplish. The external healing was granted by Jesus to give testimony to his power to effect the interior healing as well.
But that you may know that the Son of Man
has authority on earth to forgive sins”–
he then said to the paralytic,
“Rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home.”
How do we respond when Jesus comes to bring us healing, at whatever level he brings it? Do we harbor evil thoughts or do we respond with faith? Jesus may shock us as well by offering to solve seemingly intractable problems, releasing us from burdens that it seemed we would carry forever. But we must come to him with faith if we want to receive these blessings. Yet even if we will not believe it for ourselves he will still show us his power at work in others because he really does want us to be convinced about his identity and mission.
When the crowds saw this they were struck with awe
and glorified God who had given such authority to men.
Abraham was the archetypal example of someone who approached God with faith and was able to receive blessing in return. Like the friends of the paralytic who offered their friend to Jesus, Abraham was expecting one thing for his only son, but was gifted something greater because he was willing to offer him. He expected to raise Isaac to receive blessings of the natural order, of many descendents, but received instead the supernatural blessing foreshadowed in Isaac, seen at a distance, of the lamb of sacrifice who would conquer sin and open for all nations the resurrection of the dead.
“Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” He [Abraham] considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back (see Hebrews 11:18-19)
These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar (see Hebrews 11:13).
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