September 9 Questions Answered

Luke 5:21 The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, “Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
 
THE Pharisees asked two good questions. Questions are good for understanding the truth. We must ask with a heart to listen, understand and adjust our lives as appropriate to the answers.
    First, these “law protectors” wanted to know Jesus’ true identity. And second, they wondered about the source of his authority to declare the crippled man forgiven. This was a momentous change in how the Pharisees had learned to know of God’s forgiveness. His laws they fervently upheld specifically instructed the Jews to go through a ceremonial process of sacrifice and repentance to be forgiven. The Pharisees were correct to know that any reference to forgiveness came directly from “God alone” as in Isaiah 1:18 “Come now, let us reason together,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” As we have learned the Pharisees primary purpose was to protect God’s law from those who abused and threatened to destroy it. They asked a very good, law-protecting, God-affirming question. I’m sure the Lord was even hoping they would do so as faithful stewards of God’s law.
    To help the Pharisees know he is surely the God who forgives, Jesus responded to their questions with his own question: Luke 5:22 “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts?”  To help the Pharisees answer his question, Jesus demonstrated God had come to earth. He proclaimed the Lord’s power and favor over the man as he said in Luke 5:24 “But that you may know that the Son of Man (a direct reference to God) has authority on earth to forgive sins.” He said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” 
    The man’s restored physical body affirmed Jesus’ power to heal the man’s soul. Physical healing, miraculous and wonderful, is but a small picture of God’s healing forgiveness. We can more easily believe, “Your sins are forgiven.” when we see the results of “Take up your mat and go home.” Jesus was clear that he was “the Son of Man” – God incarnate – to heal and to forgive the sins of those who faithfully came to him.
    Luke closes this manifestation of God’s kingdom come to earth with the crowd’s response. Luke 5:25 Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God. 26 Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, “We have seen remarkable things today.”
    What do you say when the Lord manifests his healing of soul and body? Do you keep asking, “Who is this?” wondering of his authority to do such things? Or do you praise him to proclaim, “I have seen remarkable things today. Let me tell you of the Lord’s forgiveness and healing into my life.”
 
Prayer: Open my heart, eyes, mind and soul, Spirit to always seek the Son of Man to rejoice in God’s saving, healing authority in my life. In Jesus’ name I rejoice, amen.