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The Nineteenth Sunday After Trinity
Jesus Heals the Paralytic
September 28, 2008

TEXT:  NKJ Matthew 9:1 So He got into a boat, crossed over, and came to His own city. 2 Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you." 3 And at once some of the scribes said within themselves, "This Man blasphemes!" 4 But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts? 5 "For which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise and walk'? 6 "But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins" -- then He said to the paralytic, "Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house." 7 And he arose and departed to his house. 8 Now when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such power to men.
 
This familiar story of Jesus healing the paralytic is found in two other Gospels—Mark and Luke provide some details that Matthew does not include—for example both Mark and Luke include the detail that the man was lowered through the roof of the room in which Jesus was speaking
 
NKJ Mark 2:3 Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. 4 And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying.
 
NKJ Luke 5:18 Then behold, men brought on a bed a man who was paralyzed, whom they sought to bring in and lay before Him. 19 And when they could not find how they might bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the housetop and let him down with his bed through the tiling into the midst before Jesus.
 
TEXT:  NKJ Matthew 9:2 Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you."
 
Jesus’ priority in this healing is to heal the soul—then heal the body—Jesus sends the sins of this man so far away that they will never be seen again—He sends our sins so far away that we can’t even describe where they are—this man’s sins and our forgiven sins are as far as it is from east to west
 
NKJ Psalm 103:11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; 12 As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
 
This is different than when man forgives the sins of another man—he remembers them again tomorrow—years later we remember that others sinned against us—God does not
 
NKJ Isaiah 43:25 " I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will not remember your sins.
 
Jesus died for the sins of all men—but only those who confess their sins and ask for forgiveness are thus forgiven—that’s why there are so few Christians—a Christian has to believe with all his heart that he is a sinner—he has to confess that to his Lord—he  has to have faith that he is forgiven
 
TOO MANY DENY THEIR SINS—HAVE NO NEED FOR A SAVIOR
 
The work-righteous think they are “good people” who will go to heaven because they are good—an example of the work-righteous would be the Pharisees and the scribes—who thought they obeyed God’s Law and God would not dare deny them access into heaven
 
Before we go any farther with our discussion about the healing of the paralytic man—let’s examine some of the other healings of our Lord
 
 
It is interesting to examine the different ways Jesus healed people—in the case of our text Jesus tells the man being healed that his faith has brought the healing—in another healing of a paralytic man—the healing happened without the man knowing who Jesus was—so the man’s faith was not even involved
 
HEALING AT THE POOL OF BETHESDA
 
NKJ John 5:5 Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, "Do you want to be made well?" 7 The sick man answered Him, "Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me." 8 Jesus said to him, "Rise, take up your bed and walk." 9 And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath. 10 The Jews therefore said to him who was cured, "It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed." 11 He answered them, "He who made me well said to me, 'Take up your bed and walk.' " 12 Then they asked him, "Who is the Man who said to you, 'Take up your bed and walk'?" 13 But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place. 14 Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, "See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you." 15 The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. 16 For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath.
 
The man sinned—and Jesus warned him not to sin again—now let’s look at another healing where there was not a sin to cause the sickness
 
NKJ John 9:1 Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. 2 And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" 3 Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.
 
Jesus healed this man—and He healed him to the glory of God
 
A group of Pharisees and scribes were watching Jesus—following Him around looking for evidence they could use to arrest and destroy Him—they heard Jesus make the statement that He forgives sins—and since God is the only one who can forgive sins—they consider Jesus’ words blasphemy
 
The scribes did not understand what they were watching—the palsied man’s friends have faith that Jesus can heal him—they carry him to the roof and drop him before Jesus (the works of faith)—faith precedes works—works follow faith
 
NKJ James 2:18 But someone will say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe -- and tremble! 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." And he was called the friend of God. 24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. 25 Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? 26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
 
Does the faith of others impact on the salvation of an unbeliever?—there is no clear statement concerning the faith of the paralytic man—there is a statement that Jesus forgave his sins (perhaps one of those sins was his unbelief)—the faith of his friends brought him to the Lord—physically and spiritually
 
We, as humans, cannot see the faith of others—a Pastor refused to bury a “non Christian” because he did not see any indication that the man was a man of faith—you can’t see faith—how can you possibly judge?
 
Some would say we should not baptize babies—we don’t know if they believe—I would answer—let’s not baptize adults either—we know not what they believe—we should follow the example of our Lord
 
NKJ Luke 18:15 Then they also brought infants to Him that He might touch them; but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. 16 But Jesus called them to Him and said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.
 
The Pharisees and scribes declared Christ a blasphemer—they say only God can forgive sins—Jesus—the Son of God—also had that authority—today that authority is extended to us believers
 
NKJ John 20:22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."
 
 
We have declared many times in the past—the Word has power—here we have the power to forgive—we have the power to pray for the faith of others—Jesus didn’t see a look on their faces or hear a tone in their voices—Jesus could see into their hearts—He knew exactly what they were thinking
 
TEXT:  NKJ Matthew 9:4 But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts? 5 "For which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise and walk'?
 
NKJ John 2:24 But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, 25 and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man.
 
Jesus confronts the scribes with their own thoughts—if their hearts were not hardened—and their minds were not made up—this confrontation with their thoughts could have been a convincing witness as to Jesus’ true identity—because only God can truly know our hearts
 
Jesus followed up on His first act—the forgiveness of the paralytic’s sins—the man’s sins were forgiven—but no man could see that—then Jesus says—pick up your bed an walk to your home—this is visible to everyone
 
When the healed man left the house the crowd was afraid—the glory of the healing was indeed God’s—the people who witnessed the miracle knew they were in the presence of God—again we have detail added by Luke’s account
 
NKJ Luke 5:26 And they were all amazed, and they glorified God and were filled with fear, saying, "We have seen strange things today!"
 
This is the same way the toughest of all the disciples behaved when he knew he was witnessing a miracle of God—Peter was afraid and he immediately humbled himself before his Lord
 
NKJ Luke 5:7 So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. 8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!"
 
Being in the presence of God is both an awesome experience and a fearful one—we are awed by God’s power—and we are aware of our sin and the knowledge of what we deserve as punishment for those sins
 
The common men who witnessed this glorious healing knew that Jesus was filled with God—He was a man—and He had all the power of God—the scribes saw Jesus not as the Son of God—but as a threat to their worldly power and social authority
 
Let us all leave today pondering the awesome power of God that has been entrusted to each of us
 
ALL GLORY BE TO GOD!