Mar 2:7 | KingComments | STEP | The first words the Lord speaks to the paralytic are not ‘get up and walk’, but are words of forgiveness of sins. He speaks to him first as “son”. This testifies of His love. The paralytic also believes, but his real problem is deeper than his body. It seems that the paralysis is caused by a certain sin. The Lord knows the real cause of all ailments and provides the remedy: forgiveness of sins. His words must have been balm for the soul of the paralytic. Forgiveness means that God no longer sees sins and even no longer remembers them. For God, forgiveness is the door through which He gives all blessings to His ‘son’. The Lord’s presence and actions reveal not only faith, but also unbelief. The scribes who are there react in their hearts. They cannot confer with one another in the crowd, but they all have the same thought. They hear something that does not fit into their theology because they do not acknowledge Him Who is the Son of God. They rightly judge that only God can forgive sins. But they err greatly by accusing Him of blasphemy because they do not see that God is among them in this serving Son of Man. Every sin is always a sin against God and therefore forgiveness through Him is needed above all. Because of that forgiveness, people can also forgive sins to each other ( ). Only faith sees God in the Lord Jesus. That He is God the Son is also shown by the fact that He knows the deliberations of their hearts. He looks into the heart of the paralytic and sees His sin. He sees faith among friends. He sees in the scribes what they think. He is the incarnate Word to Whom all things are open and laid bare ( ; ). He speaks to them concerning the deliberations that they have in their hearts. He does not enter into discussion with them, but asks questions and performs an act that shows Who He is. He asks them to judge which is easier: forgive sins or heal? To them both are impossible, and to God both are possible. One of the evidences of the apostasy of the roman-catholic church is the audacity to claim the power to forgive sins and perform it in the practice of confessing sins to an ecclesiastical representative. Forgiveness can be expressed in words, but they are only presumptuous words without any power. The Lord Jesus calls Himself “the Son of Man”. That name speaks of His rejection now and of His glory over all creation in the future. He has power on earth to forgive sins. Forgiveness of sins happens on earth and not in heaven. It happens on the whole earth and is not limited to Israel. He adds to His word of power of the forgiveness of sins, His word of power of healing. When He is on earth, forgiveness and healing belong together. He is Yahweh “Who pardons all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases” ( ). Then He lets the man pick up his pallet, which has carried him for so long, and go to his house. There he may show and tell what the Lord has done to him. At the same time as he is instructed to get up, pick up his pallet and walk, the Lord gives the man the strength to do so, with the ability to use that strength. He therefore gets up and goes outside. At first he was lying on his pallet in outward peace, but inside he was restless. Now he is calm inside and outwardly full of activity. Now he can walk and serve with peace in his heart. This is how it should be with us. The people who have seen all this are all amazed. Many of them had come to the house where He was because they had heard of Him. Now they have also seen what He is capable of. They glorify God for this unprecedented wonder. Any wonder that enables a person to serve is a reason to glorify God.

‏ Mark 2:7

Forgiveness of Sins and Healing

The first words the Lord speaks to the paralytic are not ‘get up and walk’, but are words of forgiveness of sins. He speaks to him first as “son”. This testifies of His love. The paralytic also believes, but his real problem is deeper than his body. It seems that the paralysis is caused by a certain sin. The Lord knows the real cause of all ailments and provides the remedy: forgiveness of sins. His words must have been balm for the soul of the paralytic. Forgiveness means that God no longer sees sins and even no longer remembers them. For God, forgiveness is the door through which He gives all blessings to His ‘son’.

The Lord’s presence and actions reveal not only faith, but also unbelief. The scribes who are there react in their hearts. They cannot confer with one another in the crowd, but they all have the same thought. They hear something that does not fit into their theology because they do not acknowledge Him Who is the Son of God. They rightly judge that only God can forgive sins. But they err greatly by accusing Him of blasphemy because they do not see that God is among them in this serving Son of Man.

Every sin is always a sin against God and therefore forgiveness through Him is needed above all. Because of that forgiveness, people can also forgive sins to each other (Eph 4:32). Only faith sees God in the Lord Jesus. That He is God the Son is also shown by the fact that He knows the deliberations of their hearts. He looks into the heart of the paralytic and sees His sin. He sees faith among friends. He sees in the scribes what they think. He is the incarnate Word to Whom all things are open and laid bare (Psa 94:11 ; Psa 139:2; Heb 4:12-13).

He speaks to them concerning the deliberations that they have in their hearts. He does not enter into discussion with them, but asks questions and performs an act that shows Who He is. He asks them to judge which is easier: forgive sins or heal? To them both are impossible, and to God both are possible. One of the evidences of the apostasy of the roman-catholic church is the audacity to claim the power to forgive sins and perform it in the practice of confessing sins to an ecclesiastical representative. Forgiveness can be expressed in words, but they are only presumptuous words without any power.

The Lord Jesus calls Himself “the Son of Man”. That name speaks of His rejection now and of His glory over all creation in the future. He has power on earth to forgive sins. Forgiveness of sins happens on earth and not in heaven. It happens on the whole earth and is not limited to Israel.

He adds to His word of power of the forgiveness of sins, His word of power of healing. When He is on earth, forgiveness and healing belong together. He is Yahweh “Who pardons all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases” (Psa 103:3). Then He lets the man pick up his pallet, which has carried him for so long, and go to his house. There he may show and tell what the Lord has done to him.

At the same time as he is instructed to get up, pick up his pallet and walk, the Lord gives the man the strength to do so, with the ability to use that strength. He therefore gets up and goes outside. At first he was lying on his pallet in outward peace, but inside he was restless. Now he is calm inside and outwardly full of activity. Now he can walk and serve with peace in his heart. This is how it should be with us.

The people who have seen all this are all amazed. Many of them had come to the house where He was because they had heard of Him. Now they have also seen what He is capable of. They glorify God for this unprecedented wonder. Any wonder that enables a person to serve is a reason to glorify God.