Friend, your sins are forgiven. (Luke 5:20)
The context of this verse is quite amazing. Jesus is teaching in Capernaum - quite possibly in Peter's house. The place is jammed, including a number of religious leaders who are there to check him out. Suddenly, debris starts to fall from the ceiling. Someone is on the roof, and they are tearing it apart. The hole gets larger until an object begins to be lowered from the roof to the room. The object is a man on a stretcher or small couch. He is paralyzed. Four of his friends have been so committed to getting him to Jesus that they have carried him here, gotten him to the roof, (I wish the text would have told how they pulled that off!) torn the roof apart, and lowered him down in front of Jesus. Every eye in the room is fixed on the man and Jesus. Will Jesus heal him? Jesus speaks, "Friend, your sins are forgiven."
These were not the words the crowd expected to hear. The religious guys were incensed. "Only God can forgive sin!" Of course, this was the point. Then, to prove he had the authority to forgive sin, he healed the paralytic! He walked out of the place carrying his stretcher!
Today, try to hear the voice of Jesus saying this to you: "Friend, your sins are forgiven." And try to find four friends like these guys!!!
Comments