Thought for Thursday
Whether is easier to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee, or to say, Rise up and walk? Luke 5:23
It’s not a hard question to answer, is it? For the palsied man in the account from which our text is taken, his palsy was just a symptom of his greatest problem, and a temporary symptom at that. His sin was an eternal issue, and without forgiveness of sins, he would be forever doomed. But the palsy would go no further than to the grave, and then be gone; there is no palsy in Heaven, and as far as we know, none in hell either. So by declaring the man’s sins forgiven, the Lord Jesus was responding to the highest priority. Maybe somebody could explain that to the so-called faith healers who still try to peddle their wares these days. It is certainly something that we need to keep in mind when we present the Gospel.
The man with the palsy, and those who brought him, were undoubtedly more concerned about the palsy than the sins. They are like many around us who complain about all of the illness, all of the crime, all of the unfairness and unkindness that they encounter. And yes, those are all very real problems, just as real as the palsy that the man in Luke 5 was suffering from. They are like the vapours that escape from a poison-gas well; they cause death and discomfort, but they will never be ended until the well is capped. Yes, we all get sick, and we are all going to die, unless the Rapture occurs first. Yes, we all suffer from crime and cruelty and unpleasantness. But the problem lies deeper: all those things are just the result of the one great problem of sin. The destruction of our bodies and our property are serious enough, but they are not eternal problems. Sin drags humanity down here on earth during our lifetimes, and then it drags the unforgiven sinners down to hell forever. That is why forgiveness of sins is so important.
There is nothing wrong with Christians helping those around us who are suffering and in need. In fact, that is critical to our testimony, to our showing the love of Christ, to our working out our salvation before a world of needy sinners. But even as we help people, we need to understand their greatest need. For some of their physical needs we might be able to supply a solution, but they need more than physical help. And that is something we can’t provide. We need to introduce people to the only One Who can meet their greatest need. And we can do that best when we try to be more like Him. As He showed love and compassion, so should we. As He spoke of the need for forgiveness of sins, so should we.
The greatest blessing we have received from the Lord Jesus is the forgiveness of our sins. And it is the greatest blessing that we can tell others about. – Jim MacIntosh