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 on 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 they had come out of the synagogue (where Jesus cast out an unclean spirit), 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 no 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 on 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!"  My study Bible asks us to note here that one purpose of the coming of Christ into the world as the incarnate Jesus is to forgiven sins.  This is to free humanity from its bondage.  To forgive sins, it says, is a greater power than physical healing.  As the scribes correctly note, God alone can forgive sins.  So, therefore, the easier task is to grant physical healing.  Although Christ is fully God and holds the authority to forgive, He condescends to those who are gathered in the crowded house in Capernaum (St. Peter's family home, His ministry headquarters) in order to draw people to God, whom they glorified.  

 

 Jesus asks the scribes, "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 on earth to forgive sins" -- He said to the paralytic, "I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house."   Although we're told that all were amazed and glorified God following this miraculous sign, we really don't know if the scribes were convinced and came to believe that Christ (the Son of Man) truly had the power on earth to forgive sins.  Jesus offers a crossroads to the people who witness this healing of the paralytic, because it takes one more step from simply witnessing the miraculous healing to truly believing that He is God, and has the power to forgive sins.  That one more step is the step of faith.  As shown by this healing, faith is an indispensable condition for salvation; the text tells us that this forgiveness was extended when He saw their faith.  My study Bible comments on this note that faith is collective as well as personal, which we can see here as the faith of the paralytic's friends which helped in his healing.  Additionally, regarding the power to forgive sins, there are other signs of Christ's divinity on display in this story.  First, He knows the secrets of hearts (when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, the text tells us).  This is a quality that also touches upon the power to forgive sins as it is essential for the One who will judge.  See also 1 Samuel 16:7; 2 Chronicles 6:30.  Moreover, He heals by the power of His word (as in the story of Creation, when God spoke the cosmos into existence; see Genesis 1:3).  All the people can see His miraculous healing.  But will all -- including the scribes -- believe that He has the power to forgive sins, and that as Son of Man He is fully human and fully divine?  Throughout the Church's history, we find that so many of the heresies ruled on by Ecumenical Council really had to do in some way or another with this question of the divinity and humanity of Christ.  For whatever reason, it is this paradox of our faith that seems to be the most difficult for many to accept, and this has been true throughout the history of Christianity.  But, nevertheless, this is our faith, and this is the claim Jesus makes in the healing of the paralytic.  It's perhaps extraordinary how Christ presents His claim to the power to forgive sins couched within the healing of the paralytic, for it cracks open the question of whether to believe or not to believe in His divinity.  The human Jesus they see before themselves; can they also believe that He has the power to forgive sins?  In this action, Jesus confronts everyone with an immediate choice.  And this is really our choice, for without faith there is no healing, either physically of the paralysis, or spiritually in the forgiveness of sin and salvation in reconciliation with God.  For the power of judgment and Resurrection is given to Christ, as He teaches in John 5:22-27.  The power to forgive and the authority to judge go hand in hand, and there is only One who can do both.