The Authority to Forgive

Isn’t it great when things turn out better for you than expected? Certainly this was the case when the friends of the paralyzed man bypassed the crowd, lowered him through a hole in the roof, and set him before Christ. They wanted physical healing for their friend, but didn’t know how his unconventional entrance might be received. Jesus reassured the man and then forgave his sins, knowing the confrontation it would bring. The scribes accused Jesus of blasphemy, and He responded with a challenge to their unbelief and an irrefutable demonstration of God’s power to heal. No one should have missed the implications. Jesus forgave the man’s sin, something only God could do, and then demonstrated His authority with an authenticating exercise of power that only God could perform. None of them should have missed it; but they did. The recalcitrant scribes rejected Him, and even the awestruck crowd didn’t understand that they were in God’s presence. How about you? Do you recognize Christ’s authority and power, or have you been missing the truth that’s been right before your eyes?