Friday, January 22, 2016

Luke 5

"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.” vv.21-24

Read chapter 5
Which do you think is easier to say in this scenario of the paralyzed man needing healing: "your sins are forgiven" or "rise up and walk"?  In man's eyes it's easier to say your sins are forgiven because no one can really see sins forgiven and hard to know if it happened or not  for sure.  We as men and women are to forgive others who sin against us but we do not have the power to forgive man's sin against God (all sins are ultimately against God).  The scribes and Pharisees know that only God can forgive sins and so when Jesus says this they, rather than thinking He is God, think He is blaspheming.  Even after Jesus proves the harder of healing the paralytic by just speaking the words "Arise," they still don't believe.  They remain stubborn in their thoughts of who they want the Messiah to be than Who was right before them.
Well sometimes for us it seems more impossible to forgive someone in our lives than to miraculously heal.  Of course we don't have power to heal with just a word like Jesus did, neither do we have the power to forgive man's sin, but we are called to forgive others as the Lord forgave us.  Who and why are you making it seem like it's harder to forgive than performing a miracle?  Prove it if you think so.

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