Scripture Reference: Mark 2:1-3:6
Who Is He to Forgive Sins? – Continued
Please read Mark 2:1-12 for the background to this section.
From Last Lesson: The Jews were very clear on this: one God; one authority; one place to deal with sins . . . the judgement seat of God. They were right. What Jesus has just said is blasphemy, in their eyes: He is claiming to hold the authority of God.
They don’t say it aloud, but Jesus knows, and perhaps that fact should have suggested something, “Why do you reason about these things in your hearts?” Notice how Jesus says this. He does not condemn the teachers. Their point is a fair one. Any of us who believe in God ought to ask the same question. So in verse 9 Jesus comes back with a question of His own, a technique He often uses. What is the answer? Obviously, it is easy to say words. The question is really: “Which of these is easier to do, to forgive, or to heal an incurable illness with a simple word?” The answer, of course, is that neither is easier, because both are impossible, for a man on his own. Both are impossible, and this is indeed blasphemy, unless Jesus Himself carries the very authority of God.
At this point in Mark’s narrative, a tricky question of interpretation arises. To whom is Jesus speaking in the first part of verse 10? “Son of Man” is a title that Jesus adopts for Himself. It originates with the vision in Daniel 7:13-14, where Daniel sees “one like the Son of Man” coming into the presence of God and being given authority, power and an everlasting kingdom. Understood in that way, the title therefore carries great weight and implies great claims, but on the other hand, the phrase “Son of Man” actually means no more than “member of the human race.” So it is really a rather ambiguous expression, well suited to Jesus, who is being so cautious about revealing His identity. The tricky question here in this verse, therefore, is this: would Jesus, at this point in His ministry, make such an open declaration of His own authority, especially in front of his opponents? Even as late as a few days before His death, Jesus refuses to be so open with them (see Mark 11:33). It seems much more likely, and it makes better sense of the broken sentence structure which comes over even in the English translation, that the first part of the verse is an “aside” by Mark, addressed to his own readers, pointing out to them that the Jesus they follow does indeed possess the authority to forgive. Then in the second part of the verse the story itself resumes.
In front of the whole crowd, in the face of the lawyers lined up by the wall, and without even a touch from the hand of Jesus, the paralyzed man rises to his feet, bends down again, rolls up his mattress, puts it over his shoulder and makes his way out through the throng of people. So which is easier? The point is that the healing proves that Jesus is genuine. Although the Old Testament prophets occasionally healed people, no real prophet ever claimed to forgive sins. But Jesus does! Now it is up to the crowd and the teachers of the law to draw the correct conclusions. The fact that Jesus has healed the man with a word excludes the possibility that He is a harmless madman. The fact that He lives a humble life and accepts the rejects of society excludes the possibility that He is an evil tyrant . . .
To Be Continued
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD 