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“Your sins are forgiven”

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The next miracle also shows that there is more to healing than physical health. The story of four men making a hole in the roof to lower their friend to Jesus is well-known, but it’s the conversation which follows that is more important. “The authority of Jesus in religion starts with the forgiveness of sins. He comes to deliver souls from spiritual paralysis” (Manson).

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This statement of Jesus marked the beginning of open conflict with “the Pharisees and the teachers of the law” (17,21). They understood immediately the theological issue involved, for they knew that only God can forgive sins and for any mere man to make this claim must therefore be blasphemy (7). But Jesus demonstrated to them an alternative conclusion.

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His question (23) has the obvious answer that it is easier to speak of forgiveness, as any claim to heal can be easily tested. So Jesus proceeded to do the apparently harder thing in order to show that he had the right to do the apparently easier thing. But there is a deeper meaning too, for in fact to forgive sins is harder – and a greater blessing – than to heal physically. Jesus is far more than a healer – he has God’s own authority to forgive us our sins.

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