Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, "Your sins are forgiven you," or to say, "Arise, take up your bed and walk"?

 And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house.  Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door.  And He preached the word to them.  Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men.  And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was.  So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying.  When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven you."  And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, "Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this?  Who can forgive sins but God alone?"  But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, "Why do you reason about these things in your hearts?  Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise, take up your bed and walk'?  But that you may know that the Son of Man has power of earth to forgive sins" -- He said to the paralytic, "I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house."  Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, "We never saw anything like this!"

- Mark 2:1-12

Yesterday, we read that as soon as Jesus and the others had come out of the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.  But Simon's wife's mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once.  So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her.  And she served them.  At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed.  And the whole city was gathered together at the door.  Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him.  Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place;  and there He prayed.  And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him.  When they found Him, they said to Him, "Everyone is looking for You."  But He said to them, "Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth."  And He was preaching in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and casting out demons.  Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, "If You are willing, You can make me clean."  Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed."  As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.  And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once, and said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."  However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could not longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction.

 And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house.  Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door.  And He preached the word to them.  Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men.  And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was.  So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying.  When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven you."  And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, "Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this?  Who can forgive sins but God alone?"  But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, "Why do you reason about these things in your hearts?  Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise, take up your bed and walk'?  But that you may know that the Son of Man has power of earth to forgive sins" -- He said to the paralytic, "I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house."  Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, "We never saw anything like this!"  There are many things we can see in today's reading.  We first notice how the crowd now gathers for Jesus.  As characterizes Mark's gospel, His fame has been "immediate."  All come to Him, and here in Peter's house, their Capernaum headquarters, they are so crowded that no one can even be received into the house.  The desire to see Christ is so great that the friends of this paralytic uncover the roof to get him to Christ.  It is a great symbol for prayer.  What my study bible notes is that one purpose of Christ's coming into the world is to forgive sins.  This is liberation, a freeing of humanity from its bondage.  To forgive sins really is a greater power than physical healing, because -- as the scribes do know -- God alone can forgive sins (as God alone is judge).  In this true perspective, it really is the easier task to grant physical healing.  My study bible says that although Christ is fully God and holds the authority therefore to forgive, He condescends to those gathered and heals this man in order to draw people to God, whom they glorified. 

One aspect of paralysis in Gospels is its analogy to sin.  Sin is a kind of paralysis in the sense of becoming stuck.  In the brain, one imagines sin as a kind of endless loop -- a pattern of behavior that becomes ingrained.  Whether this can be a form of sin such as exploiting and harming others, the habit of selfishness, or whatever form that sin may take, it is a kind of rut.  It is a limited way of functioning in life, and it is a type of handicap.  To know the greater fullness of what we can be with God's help is to function in fuller levels, to become more "enlightened," to learn flexibility and growth -- all a kind of opposite of what paralysis suggests to us.  Forgiveness itself, as a sign of love, is a great form of flexibility, of growth, and of movement forward.  It indicates "not being stuck."  It means that one has many options open -- an expanded and enhanced sense of what is possible and open to oneself.  Again, we see the contrast with the symbol of paralysis. Perhaps sin is above all a type of ignorance, a way of remaining limited, locking possibilities away from oneself.  Patterns of behavior that are selfish tend to be like this; they are extremely limiting to a person in terms of who they are, who they think they are, and particularly in terms of how they may relate to others -- and especially whether or not they increase their capacity for growth and love and potential in relationships of all sorts.  The four friends who help this paralytic get to Christ tell us a tremendous story of the communion of saints, and the relationships that love can create.  For one who may be "stuck," prayer is perhaps the only answer, reaching to the One who can truly heal, as my study bible indicates about the forgiveness of sins.  In this sense, forgiveness become liberation, a freedom from our paralysis -- but of course, only if we can embrace it, accept it.  In another sense, we can see paralysis as affliction that results from being sinned against and hurt.  The need then for forgiveness becomes one that we must work at ourselves, giving sin to God so that we are healed, even praying for our enemies so that we are not limited by the cruelties or sinful behaviors of others.  If this seems paradoxical, consider that forgiveness is a kind of contract one makes to give up sin ("forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors")  to God, and allow God to negotiate the outcome.  In this is freedom and healing, and growth in love.  As limitation, sin is a kind of paralysis, an affliction we hold onto or not.  As healer, Christ brings a better way, a state of grace, a negotiation, if one may see it that way, in order to free us from our limits and set us apart for His love instead.