Thursday - Who Can Forgive Sins But God Alone? Exactly!

Day 8

Don’t Presume to Know What I’m Feeling or Thinking!

As a biblical counselor and prior to that, a discipler of women, I’ve learned to be careful with people’s thoughts and emotions. Even when I have shared experience, I cannot fully know how the person sitting across from me is experiencing his/her story. And so, I’ve come to use what my dear friend, Buck Black, refers to as “my sanctified imagination.” I listen to what the suffering friend, child or client is saying, observe what is going on physiologically, perhaps ask a question or two, then respond, “I imagine that you might be feeling vulnerable and out of control. I wonder if some of these thoughts are running across your mind and perhaps getting stuck…’I’ll never be enough’…’it’s all my fault’…’I’m not allowed to ask for what I need’…” 

In today’s story, there are many people who are thinking and feeling significant thoughts and emotions, and are trying to keep them to themselves. Jesus is able to not just use a “sanctified imagination;” rather, He perceives in His spirit their thoughts and responds, “Hey! Can we talk about this?”

Read Mark 2:1-17

Eventually Jesus returned to His homebase of Capernaum and word spread quickly! Everyone in the village came to visit, to hear and see what Jesus had to say, but more importantly, what He might do! The home where He was staying was bursting at the seams, with folks looking in through the windows and lined up down the sidewalk, just trying to hear what the Teacher was saying and if they were lucky, catch a glimpse of Him and His eyes of compassion. When friends of a paralytic get creative in order to hear Jesus, they take him up on the flat roof of the home, remove the clay tiles and dig through the sticks and straw, creating an opening large enough for the man and his mat to be lowered down right in front of Jesus. Seeing the friends' (and the paralytic’s) faith, Jesus called him “Son” and forgave his sins. While we don’t know how much time followed that declaration of forgiveness, which by the way only God could do, there is no mention that the paralytic or his friends desired anything more than what Jesus had given them. There is no hint of disappointment on the part of the paralyzed man or his friends that he was still helpless to walk on his own.

Some of the Jewish scribes, who had a front row seat to all of this, were shocked at Jesus’ audacity and thought, “This guy is a blasphemer! Who can forgive sins but God? Who does he think he is?” Jesus had not made a throw-away comment in forgiving the man. It was intentional and He knew where their suspicions and fears were taking them. This type of presumption should result in a death sentence for Jesus! 

Right away, Jesus perceived in His spirit their thoughts and called them out, “Which is easier, to forgive sins or heal the body?” Obviously, neither is easy, but saying the words, “Your sins are forgiven” is easier to say because forgiveness isn’t tangible and is impossible to disprove, while a bodily healing is something you can see. Jesus was clearly aware of what He was claiming - divinity - and therefore, in order to prove that He had authority on earth to forgive sins, tells the paralytic to get up, take up his mat and go home. This man was just hoping for Jesus’ presence. Forgiveness of his sins would have been more than enough, but then for Jesus to heal him? That was more than he hoped for or imagined!!

Jesus Adds to His Team

A little later, Jesus and His four fisherman/students are passing by the toll booth in town, where the people were required to pay their taxes to Rome. These tax collectors, while representatives of Rome, were usually Israelites. They were viewed as traitors and exploiters of their Jewish heritage. Most likely they would have been disowned by their families and certainly not allowed access to synagogue. So imagine the thoughts running through the minds of James and John, Simon and Andrew when Jesus stopped outside the Levi’s toll booth (we know him as Matthew, the gospel writer) and called him to join His band. Levi, who was a disgrace and disappointment to his father, Alphaeus, and his fellow Israelites, got up from his toll booth and followed Jesus! I imagine the first four were flooded with many emotions all at once: shock and confusion that Jesus would bring this traitor into their small group, fear and anxiety of what the religious leaders as well as the common people would think of Jesus and them, since they all hated and resented their resident tax collector. In fact, because Jesus was beside the sea teaching, when He called Levi, it is likely that Levi’s toll booth was positioned there in order to tax the fishermen! Imagine the eye-rolling and comments made to one another behind Jesus’ back, “Are you kidding me?”

And it gets worse when Levi hosts a meal in his well-appointed home (funded by skimming money for himself off the top of his neighbor’s taxes) for Jesus, and invites some of his fellow tax collectors as well as other blatant sinners who had begun to follow Jesus. The Pharisees who were watching Jesus closely got wind of this dinner and asked His disciples why He would disgrace Himself to eat with these lowlifes? As the disciples were new to all of this, they were perhaps wondering too. They had been raised NOT to associate with blatant sinners or those who were unclean. Yet Jesus heard and answered for His disciples, “It is not those who are well who need a doctor, but those who are sick. I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Mk. 2:17) Oh, and by the way, you’re all sick sinners!

Jesus was able to walk a life of personal purity while simultaneously offering mercy, compassion and fellowship to everyone God placed in His path. He was modeling that for His students, calling them, and us, to do the same.

Big Picture Questions for Today:

• What do you do with your uncharitable thoughts and attitudes towards others? How do your attitudes affect how you treat others?

• Where do you bring your questions about God’s purpose and plan for your life and the world? Do you push those questions down or do you speak to a wise friend, pastor or friend?

• In today’s story, we see Jesus beginning to draw all types of people to Himself. Do you find yourself uncomfortable when not in situations where everyone looks and acts like you?

Pray for the Lord to grow in you a desire to see and love others as He does.

Blessings,

Gay B Brown