Luke 5:23-24
"Which is easier to say, 'your sins are forgiven you' or to say 'rise and walk'? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins — he said to the man who was paralyzed — I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home."
Right before this miracle, Jesus healed a leper and now again we see him healing a man that was paralyzed. Jesus was in a house that was very crowded full of people teaching them. This man had his friends bring him to Jesus because they heard he was in town but when they got their they could not get in the house. If you got to a party or an event of some kind hoping to see one specific person, had no way to contact them to find them and saw they place flooded with people I would most likely give up and go home but these men were determined to the point of taking up the roof and lowering the paralytic down in front of Jesus. When Jesus saw the faith of this man he immediately forgave his sins which is once again a good reminder that works do not save us by only faith in Jesus Christ can save us from eternity in hell. After Jesus spoke those words, the Pharisees starting questioning in their minds who Jesus thought he was forgiving sins. They even thought of him to be blaspheming. Then the verses above is how Jesus responded.
Which is easier? Jesus asked that question to the Pharisees and I ask my self the question. Then I realized the power that God has to do both of those things with just a matter of speaking. Man cannot forgive mans sins and man cannot heal a man with words a lone. We can forgive someone who has wronged us but even then, it takes a lot of strength from God to do that sometimes. Can you forgive someone who killed your child or spouse or parent or sibling? Can you forgive someone who sexually abused you? Can you forgive someone who has betrayed you over and over again? Without the power of Christ within you, probably not. We sometimes struggle to forgive one sin someone has done against us and Jesus says that he can forgive all the sins that the man has done against the Father. Now that doesn't sound so easy anymore. Jesus can heal a man by speaking. The paralytic in this story was healed at the command Jesus gave him to get up and walk. I am no doctor so I know for sure that I am not healing anyone but for the doctors and nurses our there, how many years do you spend in school studying so you can heal people? 4? 5? Maybe 6 years? And still you require machines and all kinds of medicines to help a person who is ill. Even after years and years of studying and preparation, you do not have the power to heal someone by simply speaking.
So which is easier? I say neither, they both require more power then I have and so great of power that only God has. So often I forget that I don't have the power in me to get through a day wether easy or hard. With Christ in me, he gives me the power I need to resist temptation and to glorify God in my daily life. I don't have the strength to get out of bed in the morning but Christ gives me the strength I need. I don't have the strength to leave people I have been ministering to and with for the past 6 months. Why do we try to depend on our own strength when God has all the power we need? He created the world by speaking and he can give or take your next breath by speaking as well. Are you "paralyzed"? Jesus wants you to rise and walk and he has the power if only you have faith.
"Which is easier to say, 'your sins are forgiven you' or to say 'rise and walk'? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins — he said to the man who was paralyzed — I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home."
Right before this miracle, Jesus healed a leper and now again we see him healing a man that was paralyzed. Jesus was in a house that was very crowded full of people teaching them. This man had his friends bring him to Jesus because they heard he was in town but when they got their they could not get in the house. If you got to a party or an event of some kind hoping to see one specific person, had no way to contact them to find them and saw they place flooded with people I would most likely give up and go home but these men were determined to the point of taking up the roof and lowering the paralytic down in front of Jesus. When Jesus saw the faith of this man he immediately forgave his sins which is once again a good reminder that works do not save us by only faith in Jesus Christ can save us from eternity in hell. After Jesus spoke those words, the Pharisees starting questioning in their minds who Jesus thought he was forgiving sins. They even thought of him to be blaspheming. Then the verses above is how Jesus responded.
Which is easier? Jesus asked that question to the Pharisees and I ask my self the question. Then I realized the power that God has to do both of those things with just a matter of speaking. Man cannot forgive mans sins and man cannot heal a man with words a lone. We can forgive someone who has wronged us but even then, it takes a lot of strength from God to do that sometimes. Can you forgive someone who killed your child or spouse or parent or sibling? Can you forgive someone who sexually abused you? Can you forgive someone who has betrayed you over and over again? Without the power of Christ within you, probably not. We sometimes struggle to forgive one sin someone has done against us and Jesus says that he can forgive all the sins that the man has done against the Father. Now that doesn't sound so easy anymore. Jesus can heal a man by speaking. The paralytic in this story was healed at the command Jesus gave him to get up and walk. I am no doctor so I know for sure that I am not healing anyone but for the doctors and nurses our there, how many years do you spend in school studying so you can heal people? 4? 5? Maybe 6 years? And still you require machines and all kinds of medicines to help a person who is ill. Even after years and years of studying and preparation, you do not have the power to heal someone by simply speaking.
So which is easier? I say neither, they both require more power then I have and so great of power that only God has. So often I forget that I don't have the power in me to get through a day wether easy or hard. With Christ in me, he gives me the power I need to resist temptation and to glorify God in my daily life. I don't have the strength to get out of bed in the morning but Christ gives me the strength I need. I don't have the strength to leave people I have been ministering to and with for the past 6 months. Why do we try to depend on our own strength when God has all the power we need? He created the world by speaking and he can give or take your next breath by speaking as well. Are you "paralyzed"? Jesus wants you to rise and walk and he has the power if only you have faith.
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