AUTHORIZED TO FORGIVE SINS

Posted by Pastor Greg Allen on January 15, 2020 under AM Bible Study |

AM Bible Study Group: January 15, 2020 from Luke 5:17-26

Theme: The Lord Jesus has proven that He has the power to forgive sins.

(All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version, unless otherwise indicated).

In our last study of Luke’s Gospel—in Luke 5:12-16—we saw how sin was compared with leprosy. Leprosy was a terrible disease that was infectious, and was pervasive, and that rendered its victim utterly defiled. And so is sin. But Jesus healed a leper who came to Him—showing that He can not only heal leprosy, but moreover heal the ravages of sin in us.

As we read on in Luke, we now encounter another physical ailment. This one is referred to in the King James Version as “palsy”—but in the original Greek, it is described as paralusis. It was a disease that was characterized as an extreme loss of the power of motion. It rendered its victim completely helpless. This physical condition also gives us a picture of sin—this time, of the complete inability of the sinner to do anything to help themselves. Dr. Luke does not tell us why this man was paralyzed. But then, he didn’t need to … because Jesus healed paralytic.

But the healing of the man is not even the main point of the story. As you read it, you can see what the main point is; because Jesus Himself tells us. In Luke 5:17-26, we read;

Now it happened on a certain day, as He was teaching, that there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present to heal them. Then behold, men brought on a bed a man who was paralyzed, whom they sought to bring in and lay before Him. And when they could not find how they might bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the housetop and let him down with his bed through the tiling into the midst before Jesus. When He saw their faith, He said to him, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, He answered and said to them, “Why are you reasoning in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise up and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the man who was paralyzed, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” Immediately he rose up before them, took up what he had been lying on, and departed to his own house, glorifying God. And they were all amazed, and they glorified God and were filled with fear, saying, “We have seen strange things today!” (Luke 5:17-26).

Jesus lets us know very plainly what this story is about. It’s “that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”. We have no power to make ourselves pure and righteous in God’s sight. The apostle Paul wrote, in Ephesians 2:1, about how we “were dead in trespasses and sins”. Spiritually, we are like the paralyzed man. But Jesus can help us in our helplessness. He alone has the authority on earth to declare us forgiven of sins committed against God.

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There are several fascinating lessons to learn from this passage. We can see, first, that …

1. JESUS NOTICES EARNESTNESS OF FAITH.

Mark’s Gospel tells us that Jesus was in Capernaum when this event happened. We’re told that “it happened on a certain day, as He was teaching” (v. 17a). Even today, in the ruins of the city of Capernaum, you can see stone foundations of large houses that could have held a crowd of people. The only thing that remains of these houses is the stone walls; because the roofs would have been made of thatch and tiling that would have long since crumbled and disappeared.

As Jesus was teaching in one of these houses, we’re told that “that there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem” (v. 17b). This was at a time that was still very early in Jesus’ earthly ministry; and these religious leaders may have been listening and evaluating—like everyone else. Mark, in his Gospel, tells us that there were so many people there that there wasn’t any room—not even at the door. And what’s more, we’re told that “the power of the Lord was present to heal them” (v. 17c)—the “them” most likely being all the people who were gathered. (The New International Version has it, “And the power of the Lord was present for him to heal the sick”.) It was not only a time of teaching, but also a time of miracles. People would have been pressing in to come to Him with their needs—seeking to hear Him, and seeking to be healed by Him.

And that’s when we read of a small group of men—four in number, according to Mark’s Gospel—who brought their needy friend. Luke tells us they “brought on a bed a man who was paralyzed, whom they sought to bring in and lay before Him” (v. 18). You can’t help but think of the love these four friends must have had for this poor man. Perhaps he himself had heard about Jesus, and hoped that Jesus could heal him; but he had no way of getting to Him. But his friends were determined to bring Him before Jesus. They must have believed in His power to heal as well. You can’t have better friends than friends who will bring you to Jesus!

But their efforts were frustrated. There were so many people in the house that they couldn’t find a way to get their friend in. The doorways were crowded; and perhaps the window sills—if there were any—were spilling over with people as well. But this didn’t stop these four men. Luke tells us, “And when they could not find how they might bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the housetop and let him down with his bed through the tiling into the midst before Jesus” (v. 19).

Can you imagine the people in the house looking up, and moving out of the way, and perhaps even laughing, as they would have felt bits of tile falling on them? They would have watched as a hole large enough to lower a bed was being made; and they would have seen how the man in his bed was dangled down to where Jesus stood. These four men could have quit. They could have told their friend, “There’s just no way to get you in to see Jesus. We’ll have to try some other time.” But no! They went to great lengths to get their friend to the only one who could meet his need. And this caught Jesus’ attention. He didn’t just see their efforts; but, as we’re told, “He saw their faith”.

Our Lord always notices when people have outstanding faith in Him.

And then, notice that …

2. JESUS PLACES THE PRIORITY ON FORGIVENESS.

Some people have mistakenly believed that you can have saving faith for someone else. And those who believe this have sometimes looked at this passage for proof. After all, it was the faith of the four men that Jesus noticed, and that moved Him to action. But it must be that the man on the pallet had faith too; because it was to him that Jesus spoke directly—not to them. We’re told, “When He saw their faith, He said to him, “Man, your sins are forgiven you” (v. 20).

Do you suppose that the men on the roof—when they heard those words from Jesus—were a little confused? It might have been that they would have waved to Jesus as He stood below them, and said, “No, Lord! We didn’t bring him to you for that! We brought him to You to be healed of his paralysis!” But Jesus knew what the man’s real need was. The Lord knows that, even if our bodies are healed of a temporal disease, the real problem is still the condition of our eternal soul. We shouldn’t assume that the man was paralyzed because of his sin. But we should understand that he was a helpless sinner—just as all of us are before God. He was simply a vivid illustration of our true condition—and of our true need. More than anything else that we need—even more than anything else we might think we need—we most of all need to be forgiven of our sins. That’s something that no doctor can give us. That’s not something that we have any power to get for ourselves. That’s something that only Jesus can give us. And who knows? Perhaps when Jesus spoke those words to that poor man, it made his heart thrill with joy. Perhaps this poor man on a bed also knew that forgiveness was what he needed most of all.

The Lord Jesus puts the priority on the needs of our soul. When He came to this earth, He said, “the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10).

Now; it may be that the poor man thrilled to hear these words from Jesus. But not everyone was excited. In fact, the Pharisees seemed quite disturbed by what Jesus said. Mark’s Gospel tells us that they were reasoning “in their hearts” about the matter—turning it over in their thoughts, but not necessarily aloud. Luke tells us, “And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, ‘Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?’” (v. 21).

They were thinking very logically about the matter. You could say that their first premise was correct—that only God could forgive sins committed against God. But their second premise was entirely wrong—that Jesus was a mere man, and that He had no authority to forgive sins committed against God. Therefore, they concluded—incorrectly—that He was committing ‘blasphemy’ in presuming to forgive sins committed against God.

But it was then that …

3. JESUS PROVES HE HAS THE AUTHORITY TO FORGIVE SINS.

Our Lord knows what is in the heart of all people (John 2:24-25). And so, we’re told, “But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, He answered and said to them, ‘Why are you reasoning in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, “Your sins are forgiven you,” or to say, “Rise up and walk”?’” (vv. 22-23).

It would be very easy for me to pretend that I have divine authority and could say to someone, “I forgive all the sins that you have committed against God.” It would be a blasphemous thing to say; but humanly speaking, it would be easy to say. No one would be able to tell whether or not I actually did have such authority. My claim to forgive sins committed against God would be humanly verifiable. But it would be much harder for me to pretend to have the power to heal paralysis, and to say to a paralyzed man, “Rise up and walk”. Everyone could immediately see whether or not I had such authority—just by whether or not the man got up and walked. Jesus was thus giving empirical proof to the Pharisees with regard to the ‘easier’ claim by doing the ‘harder’ thing right before their eyes. He said, “But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”; and then He turned to the paralyzed man and said, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” (v. 24).

We’re told that “immediately”—apparently without any slow progressive improvement over time; and without any struggle to stand on quivering legs or any period of weakness that began to strengthen; without having to be helped up or to be helped in lifting his pallet—“he rose up before them, took up what he had been lying on, and departed to his own house, glorifying God” (v. 25). Can’t you just hear the man? And do you suppose that he went home and told his family and friends that not only was he healed, but he was also forgiven? That would have been his greatest joy of all! We’ll meet him in heaven one day—and we’ll rejoice with him!

The man’s healing was so sudden that it shocked everyone. We’re told that “they were all amazed, and they glorified God and were filled with fear, saying, ‘We have seen strange things today!’” (v. 26). Isn’t that the truth! But most of all, they would have known that they were in the presence of the Son of God who has the authority to forgive sins committed against God.

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Those five men—one on the pallet and four carrying him—had to work hard to get to Jesus. And that was just—as they understood it—for a temporal healing. But we today don’t have to work our way through a crowd, or dig our way through the roof of a house, to undertake a laborious journey to the forgiveness of sins committed against God. As Paul puts it in Romans 10:6-11;

But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ down from above) or, “‘Who will descend into the abyss?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame” (Romans 10:6-11).

Jesus has already paid the debt for us. He forgave that paralyzed man with a view to how He would soon pay that debt for sin on the cross; and He will forgive you and me today with a view to how He has paid it already.

If we will simply place our faith in what He has done for us, then we poor, helpless, spiritually paralyzed sinners are—by His great authority, and because of His faithful sacrifice on the cross—completely forgiven before God.

EA