Who can forgive sins but God alone?

And it happened when He was in a certain city, that behold, a man who was full of leprosy saw Jesus; and he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean." Then He put out His hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing; be cleansed." Immediately the leprosy left him. And He charged him to tell no one, "But go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as a testimony to them, just as Moses commanded." However, the report went around concerning Him all the more; and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities. So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.

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 up 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 5:12-26

In yesterday's reading, Luke's Gospel gave us the story of Jesus with the fishermen of Galilee. He told Simon Peter to put his nets down in a certain place, despite the fact that they'd already been fishing all night without luck. There were so many fish the nets were breaking -- Simon Peter called his partners John and James Zebedee and they began to empty the nets into their boats. There was such a catch that the boats began to sink. Simon Peter said, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!" Jesus told him, "Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men."

And it happened when He was in a certain city, that behold, a man who was full of leprosy saw Jesus; and he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean." Jesus continues on His ministry, and is by now well-known as a healer. Leprosy, my study bible says, was one of the most dread diseases of the time -- causing great suffering and total banishment from society. In the context of Jewish society, it was also seen as an affliction of the spiritually "unclean."

Then He put out His hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing; be cleansed." Immediately the leprosy left him. And He charged him to tell no one, "But go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as a testimony to them, just as Moses commanded." As it is not yet time to be revealed as Messiah, Jesus instructs the man to tell no one. But there is one exception: in order to be admitted back into the community, he must have a certificate from a priest. So, Jesus instructs him to follow the laws of Moses, and be restored to the society. It's important in the context of the reading that we are taught that Jesus obeys the obligations of the laws of Moses that form the backbone of religious life. My study bible says, "Jesus touched this man, both sick and an outcast. In the healing of this leper, the Lord also demonstrates there is no one in society who is to be left untouched by His gospel."

However, the report went around concerning Him all the more; and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities. So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed. The "uncontainable" cannot be contained in the context of the society, either (just as we read of the abundance of fish yesterday). Despite Jesus' instructions to tell no one, He becomes even more known as a healer in a world desperate for His touch. But note Jesus' response, seemingly "paradoxical" -- it is to withdraw further into the wilderness for prayer. He always returns to the Father, the first place He goes for His life and mission and sustenance. So we should do likewise.

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. Jesus' ministry also includes the important work of teaching -- it is not simply a healing ministry, responding to the immediate demands of the multitudes. There is also needed time for praying and for teaching. I love this phrase, and am intrigued by it: "And the power of the Lord was present to heal them." It gives us a sense again of everything in its time, and all as a gift from above -- not our will, not our timing nor expectations, not our thoughts, but the work of God. Note that Jesus' ministry and fame have spread, so that now it is not only Galileans present, but also those from "every town" of Judea, and Jerusalem.

Then behold, men brought up 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." This is an important story, because it illustrates another aspect of faith -- persistence. And not just persistence, but also the help of others that can be employed in bringing us to the place of reconciliation that we need to be. Everything works toward this gift, and all our efforts on behalf of getting there -- including help such as prayer from others -- are emphatically approved of in this story. We need to show our part, our desire too. We keep trying. We must really want it. And, there may be obstacles to overcome to get there; that should not discourage us.

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. We have just read of the "unclean" man, the leper, who has been healed. Affliction was commonly seen as the result of sin in some form or another, either personal or perhaps parental. So, the forgiveness of sin was linked with curing of illness and disease. Those skilled in the knowledge of the Scripture are all too aware of this, and so they unwittingly reveal another facet of Jesus' identity: the ability to forgive sins. In Him, every part of us is reconciled; there is nothing in us that is to be neglected. As the leper was restored to society, so is this man -- albeit in a highly spectacular way. He is able to take up his bed and walk home, once again upright, in his place, as was Simon Peter's mother-in-law in a recent reading. Note that the paralytic gives thanks where thanks is due -- he knows from whence his healing comes. He goes home, glorifying God.

And they were all amazed, and they glorified God and were filled with fear, saying, "We have seen strange things today!" This word "strange" in the Greek is the same root word from which we derive the word "paradoxical." It means that which is unexpected, astonishing because it is contrary to expectation or opinion. And so it is, truly, even to the experts, when the work of God is among us. The work of the holy "blows where it wishes." It is not something we expect or know beforehand, and it is possible that we might miss it in its "unexpected" and paradoxical nature. It is outside of the box. A revelation, then, is just that: something that will astonish, and perhaps create conflict and debate -- a sword.

It is into the realm of mystery that we dive today -- into the unexpected, the strange, the "paradoxical." We can't predict the work of God. We might expect Jesus to step up his healing ministry when there is so much demand, but instead we are told that He withdraws increasingly into the wilderness to pray. To forgive sins is astounding to those who understand the law and Scriptures, but the healing becomes even more spectacular when "the power of the Lord is present to heal." God's revelation in our lives may also take on what we find paradoxical and astonishing qualities. We may fight with all our might against what we believe cannot or should not be so. But the holy is uncontainable -- God's thoughts are not our thoughts, nor God's ways our ways. And when it breaks into our world, it must be against our own barriers and understanding, and it is our faith that teaches us in what we trust, what we accept. Are you ready for that mystery and that faith? Will you do what it takes to get there, despite the obstacles?