The Greatest Miracle Of All
One of the challenges that first responders like paramedics or firefighters face when they arrive on the scene of an accident is to assess quickly what is the injury—the greatest hazard—that poses risk to human life. In Matthew 9, we’re told that Jesus encountered a situation of urgent need—friends brought a paralyzed man to Jesus. Jesus performed an immediate analysis of the situation, and reached an instantaneous conclusion, but it was not the obvious conclusion that others would have reached. It was a surprising assessment that teaches us something about Jesus, and something about ourselves as well.
In Matthew 9, Jesus crossed the sea of Galilee to His own town of Capernaum. Upon His arrival, “some people brought to Him a paralytic, lying on a bed” (v. 2). In that day and age, there was no formalized health care—no social safety net—to provide daily care. This man would have been totally dependent on family and kind friends to meet all his material and physical needs. It was a hopeless situation. But Jesus didn’t consider the paralysis to be the most urgent need. Jesus saw the faith of these men, and was clearly inclined to help them. But listen to His kind, albeit surprising, response: “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.” (v.2) Those are very significant and gracious words. But they are not likely the words this man or his friends came to hear. It was likely a bit of a letdown given the pressing physical issue of paralysis. The friends were likely a bit disappointed. As for the religious onlookers, “…some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, ‘This fellow is blaspheming!’” (v. 3) These teachers knew that only God can forgive sins, and they were shocked (indeed repulsed) by the idea that a mere carpenter—an untrained travelling teacher—claimed to do what only God can do.
Jesus knew what the religious teachers were thinking, and He rebuked them for their “evil thoughts” (v. 4). Then, in order to show that He has authority on earth to forgive sins, He tells the paralytic man to get up, take his mat, and go home (v. 6). And when Jesus says it, the man does it (v. 7). What is the lesson here? It would seem that Jesus wants to teach us something very important about us. That lesson is simply this: our deepest need is the forgiveness of sin. What do you consider to be your greatest need as you head into 2023? What miracle are you seeking? Have you examined your spiritual health lately?
The incident recorded in Matthew 9 teaches us something about Jesus as well. It teaches us that Jesus is in fact divine. He has the authority to forgive sins. How can a mere man claim to perform a divine miracle of forgiving sins? Notice that Jesus refers to Himself as the “Son of Man” (v. 6). He is referring to Himself as a true human being, which of course He is. But, at the same time, He is claiming that He is the human being spoken of in Daniel 7 – the one to whom the Ancient of Days gives everlasting dominion over all the earth. The religious leaders who accused Jesus of blasphemy had vastly underestimated Jesus. This carpenter of little social or educational standing indeed could forgive sins. The second, visible miracle proved the achievement of the first, invisible miracle. Let us be careful to respond like the crowds who saw the miracle and “…were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men.” (v.8)