Matthew 9:5-8

Matthew 9:5-8

“For which is easier to say: ‘Your sins are being forgiven’ or ‘Get up and walk around?’  But in order that you all should have known that the Son of Man has authority upon the earth to forgive sins,” He then says to the paralytic, “Be raised up, take up your bed, and go away into your house.”  And after being raised up he went away into his own house.  And after the crowds saw they were afraid and they glorified the God who gives authority such as this to men.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

 Jesus heals the man.  This healing would have been a demonstration of the man’s forgiveness in the eyes of the scribes.  This is not to say that all infirmities are the direct result of sin.  Sometimes people just get sick.  But in this scenario and especially in that culture, this healing would have been the demonstration that Jesus was capable of forgiving sin.  Which means that Jesus is making the subtle claim to be God – or at the very least the Messiah, the Son of Man.  This is not just a miracle story, this is a story of Jesus rising up to the challenge and being the man that He claims to be.

When in your life has Jesus proven to be the Messiah that He promised to be?  How did you react to such an event in your life?

Second Thought:

The paralytic obeys.  Matthew actually makes the obedience seem rather dull and ordinary, too.  You would think that a man paralyzed for any length of time would rejoice profusely when cured.  You would think this would be especially true if the cure came on suddenly and miraculously!  But we are told of no spectacle.  The man is healed.  He gets up.  He goes to his home.  He does what Jesus tells him to do.  Such is the spirit of obedience in those who respond to the hand of God upon their life.

Are you obedient?  Are you obedient without the spectacle?  Are you obedient whether people notice you or not?

Third Thought:

I think that there may be two reasons for fear in the closing verse.  First of all, it is not every day that people see a paralytic man simply get up and walk.  That would be pretty awe inspiring.  I could see how that would bring about fear.  However, I think the people also had some fear because they realized that a confrontation was just had by this beloved itinerant preacher and the official scribes.  I actually think this is why we hear the note about them praising God, too.  If the people respect Jesus and want Him to stay around, they may feel the need to protect Him.  They may feel the need to reflect that the result of Jesus’ action is the glorification of God.  After all, how could the Sanhedrin dispute Jesus’ words and actions if it led to God receiving praise and honor and glory?

Have you ever been afraid because of something unsuspected and very cool happening in your midst?  Have you ever been afraid because you felt the need to diffuse tension that is brewing?  How do you react in each of those situations?

Passage for Tomorrow: Matthew 9:9-13