TUESDAY, APRIL 5, 2011
“Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.’ So Jesus said to the paralyzed man, ‘I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.’” Luke 5:23-24
READ
Whenever Jesus heals someone He is demonstrating that He has authority over the ailment, condition or spirit. When He heals the blind, He is showing that He has authority over blindness. When He heals the leper He is showing that He has power over diseases. When He casts out demons, He is showing that He even has authority over the spiritual realm. When He heals a paralytic, He is showing that He has power over the physical realm. In this passage, Jesus is confronting the religious leaders over His statement to the paralytic that his sins are forgiven. The miracle is done to demonstrate the divine authority Jesus has as the son of God.
In order to try and give a clearer understanding, Jesus asks this rhetorical question. “Which is easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’?” His point is simply this: if I have the power to make a man walk, this is a power that only belongs to God, then I would also have the power to forgive which also only belongs to God. His critics are refusing to believe in His divinity although He is clearly stating it and verifying it through the miracle.
PREPARE
- Praise God for who He is
- Confess your sinfulness and need for cleansing
- Allow His Spirit to draw you near
- Listen as He speaks to you
PRAY
- Pray that God helps us to understand that He has authority in our world
- Pray that this authority can comfort us
TRUST
- Thank God for hearing you
- Trust that God is at work to accomplish His will
FOLLOW
What’s happening around us?
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