Lk.5:20 – And seeing their faith, He said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven you.”
Forgiveness is where everything starts. Can you remember the struggle you went through to come to the conclusion when you finally yielded your heart to the Lord? It seems so foolish now but I really did not want to acknowledge my sinful condition and acknowledge I needed a Savior. I seemed to think I was sort of philosophically advanced above most people and that I was on a noble spiritual quest for enlightenment that only added to my arrogance. What changed all of that in a moment of time for me? I somehow saw Christ on the cross connected to my sins. I was undone, humbled myself and gave my heart to Jesus. That’s what this story is about with this paralyzed man. His paralysis from sin was physical, for myself and for many others it was a more subtle emotional paralyzed condition. Here is how Matthew Henry describes all of this.
“What an encouragement this is to poor sinners to repent, that the power of forgiving sin is put into the hands of the Son of Man, who is human like us! If he had this power on earth, then much more now that he is exalted to the Father’s right hand. How he proved it by his power in the kingdom of nature. Is it not as easy to say, Thy sins are forgiven thee, as to say, Arise and walk? He who can heal the disease can forgive the sin. This was a general argument to prove that Christ had a divine mission. The power that appeared in his healings proved he was sent by God, and the compassion that appeared in them proved he was sent by God to heal and save. Paralysis was only a symptom of the disease of sin; he now made it clear by immediately removing the symptom that he could powerfully heal the original disease. The One who had power to remove the punishment no doubt had power to forgive the sin. His great mission in coming into the world was to save his people from their sins.”
If you find yourself in some sort of paralyzed state unable to maneuver through life like you should – look to Jesus. He will forgive your sin and heal you in your body and your soul. This man had to be carried to Jesus by his friends because he had fallen into such a miserable state. He found himself unexpectedly laying at Jesus feet looking into His eyes of mercy and love. He is saying to you just like He said to this man so many years ago, “Your sins are forgiven, pick up your pallet and go home”.
Awesome Pastor