A man was paralyzed. He couldn’t walk. He depended upon his four friends to carry him around. These four men must have heard that Jesus performs miracles. Just in the area around Capernaum, Jesus turned water into wine at the wedding in Cana. He healed a nobleman’s son and Peter’s mother-in-law. From these reports, the four men believed that Jesus has the power to heal their friend. So, they brought their paralytic friend to Jesus. They wanted Jesus to heal him.
After I was born, I could not walk to the baptismal font. So, when I was twenty days old, my Mom and Dad brought me to Jesus at the baptismal font. There, God saved me through the water and the word. My old Adam was drowned and died, and I received the robe of Christ’s righteousness.
What the four friends did next demonstrates their faith in Jesus. The house where Jesus was teaching was crowded. The four men could not enter through the door. So, they carry their friend onto the roof. They make an opening in the roof, and they lower their friend right in front of Jesus. They want Jesus to heal their paralytic friend. Their faith was made visible in what they did to bring their friend to Jesus.
Even today, your faith in Christ is made visible in what you do for others. Your faith in Christ expresses itself in love toward your neighbor. You pray for others. You call or visit a sick friend or family member. You help someone who needs help. You feed the hungry. You care for those who suffer. Your faith in Christ is visible in what you do for others.
The most surprising thing is what Jesus says when the paralytic is in front of him. Jesus does not immediately say, “Rise and walk.” Instead, He says, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.” Jesus knows that this man’s greatest problem is not his paralysis. It is his sin.
What did you expect when you came here today? Did you expect to receive some spiritual advise? Were you hoping to hear ten steps for successful living or three ways to live a moral life? Are you looking for an emotional high?
Why did you come here today? You came to receive the forgiveness of sins. You came to hear the word of God read and preached. You came to receive the body and blood of Christ in the Lord’s Supper. You came to receive these gifts and to give God all praise and thanksgiving.
The paralytic expected a miracle, but he receive something even better. His sins were forgiven. He now has peace with God. He now has the promise of eternal life. This was his greatest need.
Did the paralytic have sins which needed to be forgiven? Sure. Even as a paralytic, he could have anger in his heart. He could lust with his eyes and steal with his hands. He could gossip with his mouth and resent the fact that other people could walk. He is sinful by nature. He is a child of Adam and Eve.
And we, too, are children of Adam and Eve. We have sins in our lives which need to be forgiven. Sins of the hand, the eyes, the mouth, the ears and even in our heart. We, too, suffer from the consequences of Adam and Eve’s fall into sin.
When we are sick, we seek a doctor. When we have financial troubles, we seek guidance and wisdom from others. When we suffer from various trials and tribulations, we cry out to God in prayer. These concerns are real. We rightly bring our problems before God in prayer. We ask Him to help us. Nevertheless, none of these earthly needs surpass our need for forgiveness and peace with God.
Our greatest problem is not physical suffering or the hardships of this life. Our greatest problem is sin, and our greatest need is forgiveness. Let me say that again: our greatest problem is sin, and our greatest need is forgiveness.
Notice what Jesus does for the paralytic. First, Jesus says to him, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.” Then, Jesus says, “Rise, pick up your bed and go home.” The order is important; first forgiveness, then healing. Jesus is concerned about the body and the soul.
The same is true for you. This morning, you confessed to God that you are a poor, miserable sinner. Then you heard God’s word of forgiveness spoken to you. God also cares about your body. He gives wisdom to doctors who care for you. God hears your prayers. God is concerned about your body and your soul.
The scribes were offended by Jesus’ words to the paralytic. They said within themselves, “This man—this Jesus—is blaspheming. He thinks he is God.” They went on to say, “Who can forgive sins but God alone?” They were right that only God can forgive sins. The Old Testament teaches that forgiveness belongs to God.
The scribes, however, failed to recognize who Jesus is. He is not merely a teacher or a prophet. He is God in human flesh. He is true God and true man. Jesus demonstrates His divinity by revealing that He knows what the scribes were saying within themselves. Jesus then asks them, “Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’?” Forgiveness cannot be seen with human eyes. It is heard and believed. The scribes think that Jesus’ words of forgiveness are empty words. But physical healing can been seen.
So, Jesus commands the paralytic saying, “Rise, pick up your bed and go home.” The man got up and went home. Everyone can see the miracle. The miracle proves that Jesus has power over paralysis and, more importantly, that He also has authority to forgive sins. He is the eternal Son of God.
It is easy for Jesus to perform a miracle. He speaks, and it is done. But for sins to be forgiven, He must do the harder thing, namely, to suffer and die upon the cross.
Jesus took our place. He fulfilled the law which we cannot fulfill. He suffered on the cross in our place. He took upon Himself our sins and the sins of the whole world. He endured God’s wrath against sin. He shed His innocent blood as a payment for our sin. His saving work is finished. So, He bowed His head and died.
Then, Jesus rose from the dead. His resurrection demonstrates that death and the devil are defeated. Therefore, when Jesus says to you, “Your sins are forgiven,” His words are not empty words. These words are true because Jesus died and rose again for your salvation.
Forgiveness is completely free. It is free because Christ paid the full price for your redemption.
The paralytic could not heal himself. He was completely helpless. He contributed nothing to his healing or forgiveness. Jesus simply spoke. “Your sins are forgiven. Rise and go home.” Likewise, we cannot pay for our sin. We cannot earn our salvation by our own reason or strength. Yet, God declares you righteous for Christ’s sake. You do not make yourself worthy. Rather, Christ’s righteousness is freely given to you as a gift through faith in Christ.
Faith does not earn forgiveness. It receives what Christ has promised. Faith believes in what God said. Your troubled conscience finds comfort in the promise of the Gospel. You who are burdened by guilt are set free. God is merciful to you in Christ.
God does not promise us a life without problems. The Gospel does not mean that all of our problems will immediately disappear. In the midst of our sickness and suffering, however, God’s promise of forgiveness is certain and it remains forever. The world may be filled with uncertainty, but the Gospel is certain. Our emotions may change, but God’s love toward us in Christ will never change.
After Jesus rose from the dead, He said to His apostles, “If you forgive the sins of anyone, they are forgiven” (John 20:23). Even today, Christ appoints pastors to proclaim His forgiveness. Pastors serve as Christ’s spokesman. When a pastor says, “I forgive you all your sins” he speaks in the stead of Christ and by His command. Jesus once said to His disciples, “He who hears you hears me” (Luke 10:16). Therefore, when you hear forgiveness spoken by the pastor, you are hearing Christ. It is as if Christ Himself were standing here speaking to you.
In the Divine Service today, Christ’s forgiveness is applied to you personally. It was put on your head in baptism. It is put your ears in preaching, and it will be put in your mouth in the Lord’s Supper. God’s grace and mercy in Christ were given to you at the baptismal font. It is given to you now from the pulpit, and it will be given to you from the altar. God uses water, word, bread and wine to give you His grace and mercy in Christ.
This Gospel changes your life for the better. As a forgiven sinner, you forgive those who trespass against you. This Gospel strengthens your faith toward God. It helps you to love the neighbor. You care for those who need help and for those who suffer. You pray for your family and friends. You tell others about God’s love for them in Christ Jesus.
If you asked the paralytic, “What was the greatest blessing in your life?” he would surely be thankful that he could walk. But he might also say, “My greatest blessing was that God in Christ Jesus forgave all my sins.”
Likewise, the greatest blessing in your life is not something material or physical. The greatest blessing in your life is the forgiveness of sins that you receive in Christ. Whether you can walk or not, whether you are sick or healthy, nothing is more important than the blessings God gives you in the Gospel through faith in Christ.
On the last day, our Lord will say to you, “Rise out of your grave and go to your eternal home.” Then you will rise with a new body, an immortal body, and you will enjoy eternal life forever. There will be no paralysis, no sickness, no cancer, and no death. We look forward to that wonderful day.
But while we remain here on earth. May God continue to bless us with His Word and Gospel and may we continue to love one another. Amen.
