Which is easier, to say, "Your sins are forgiven you," or to say, "Arise and walk"?

 So He got into a boat, crossed over, and came to His own city.  Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed.  When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you."  And at once some of the scribes said within themselves, "This Man blasphemes!"  But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts?  For which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise and walk'?  But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins" -- then He said to the paralytic, "Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house."  And he arose and departed to his house.  Now when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such power to men.

- Matthew 9:1-8

In yesterday's reading, we were told that when Jesus and the disciples had come to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, to the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way.  And suddenly they cried out, saying, "What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God?  Have You come here to torment us before the time?"  Now a good way off from them there was a herd of many swine feeding.  So the demons begged Him, saying, "If You cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine."  And He said to them, "Go."  So when they had come out, they went into the herd of swine.  And suddenly the whole herd of swine ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and perished in the water.  Then those who kept them fled; and they went away into the city and told everything, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men.  And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus.  And when they saw Him, they begged Him to depart from their region.

So He got into a boat, crossed over, and came to His own city.  Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed.  When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you."  And at once some of the scribes said within themselves, "This Man blasphemes!"  But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts?  For which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise and walk'?  But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins" -- then He said to the paralytic, "Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house."  And he arose and departed to his house.  Now when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such power to men.  Jesus and the disciples return to His own city, which is Capernaum -- home to several disciples, and Jesus' ministry "headquarters" is Peter's family house.  Paralysis is often seen as a spiritual metaphor for a state of sinfulness:  we become "stuck" in a place of error or sin.  My study bible suggests that this story shows that faith is an indispensable condition for salvation.   Faith is also something interactive, working something like a network between people, and it can be collective as well as personal -- here the faith of the friends of the paralytic helps in his healing.  This is why prayer for one another is powerful, and may include those living among the "great cloud of witnesses" such as saints and angels.   In this experience, faith is held by no barriers -- neither time nor space restrict its work and effects.  Here in today's reading, there are three signs present that point to Jesus' divinity.  He knows the secrets of hearts (1 Samuel 16:7, 2 Chronicles 6:30), He forgives sins -- a power which belongs to God alone, and He heals by the power of His word. 

What is paralysis?  How should we think of it?  As noted above, "sin" is traditionally seen as akin to a kind of paralysis.  We get "stuck" in someplace, some way of thinking, some habit that isn't really good for us, even a way of being in the world.  Faith, in my experience, is always a journey of forward movement and change; learning new things.  Jesus' powerful work here includes the work of forgiveness.  This gives us a particular perspective on moving forward and out of sin that we might not think about normally.  We think of being stuck in sin as a place where we need some self-correction.  But what role does forgiveness play?  It is also possible to be to stuck on sin oneself:  morbidly guilty about something that isn't necessarily our fault, stuck in self-punishment rather than turning to God.  Sometimes our own blindness keeps us in this place:  fear of guilt keeps us from asking God for forgiveness and being honest about our past shortcomings.  These are tricky kinds of temptations that work against our spiritual health and well-being, and work their way into physical ailment.  We can be stuck also in anger and helplessness; I have found a hidden need to forgive oneself for one's own limitation in order to let the anger go.  In such a circumstance, holding onto anger is also a form of avoiding God's response and answer to the dilemma in which we are stuck.  Many well-meaning people think it's their job to fix the world, but I don't think Christ gives us this assignment.  Paralysis can come in so many forms; sometimes just acceptance of God's grace for wherever we are and whatever the circumstances in which we find ourselves is the truly holistic answer to what ails us, and the accompanying stress that results in physical ill health as well.  Mercy heals and resolves so much; sometimes we are our own worst enemies in our refusal to accept its power at work in us and for us.  A true friend is one who helps us get to that place of faith.