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"I could beat Usain Bolt if I really tried." Easy to say, right? Nobody can check it. But "Watch me do ten push-ups right now" is different. Everyone will see straight away whether it's true.
In Mark's Gospel, the first thing people noticed about Jesus was his authority. He taught like someone in charge, and even evil spirits obeyed him (Mark 1:21–28). In today's story, Jesus makes a claim nobody can see or check. Then he does something everybody can see, to prove it. It's one of the biggest clues yet to Mark's question: "Who is this?"
What you'll learn
- What happened when four friends brought a paralysed man to Jesus
- Why the religious leaders said Jesus was insulting God
- How the healing proved that Jesus could forgive sins
Through the roof
Jesus is in a house in Capernaum, so crowded that nobody can get near the door. Four friends arrive carrying a paralysed man on his mat. They can't get through.
So they climb onto the flat roof, made of beams, branches and packed mud, dig a hole right through it, and lower their friend down in front of Jesus. Everyone expects Jesus to heal him. Instead, he says this:
"When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven.’" (Mark 2:5)
Imagine the friends' faces. They've just wrecked a roof to get their friend healed, and Jesus talks about his sins! Jesus saw that the man's biggest problem wasn't his legs. It was the gap between him and God.
(It's important to know that the man's illness was not a punishment for something he had done. Jesus deals with sin first because sin is everyone's deepest problem, not because this man was worse than anyone else.)
Who can forgive sins?
Some teachers of the law are sitting there, and they are not happy:
"‘Why does this man speak like this? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?’" (Mark 2:7)
Blasphemy means insulting God, for example by claiming to be God or to do what only God can do. And here's the thing: the teachers were right about one part. Only God can forgive sins.
Think about it like this. If someone broke your window, you could forgive them. But if a stranger walked past and said, "I forgive the person who broke your window," that would be strange. You can only forgive wrongs done to you. Every sin is, first of all, against God. So when Jesus forgives sins, he is acting as if he is the one who has been wronged most: God himself.
That leaves only a few options:
| Step | Statement |
|---|---|
| 1 | Only God can forgive sins. |
| 2 | Jesus forgives this man's sins. |
| 3 | So either Jesus is lying and insulting God, or he has God's own authority. |
The proof
Jesus knows exactly what they are thinking, and he asks them a question:
"Which is easier: to say to a paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, pick up your mat, and walk’?" (Mark 2:9)
Saying "Your sins are forgiven" is easier, because no one can see whether it worked. Telling a paralysed man to walk is much harder, because everyone will see straight away whether it happens. So Jesus does the hard one:
"But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins...’ He said to the paralytic, ‘I tell you, get up, pick up your mat, and go home." (Mark 2:10–11)
The man gets up, picks up his mat, and walks out in front of everyone. The crowd is amazed and praises God, saying they have never seen anything like it (Mark 2:12). The healing everyone could see proved the forgiveness no one could see.
Son of Man is Jesus' favourite name for himself in Mark. It comes from Daniel 7:13–14, where a heavenly figure who looks like a human being is given authority and a kingdom that lasts forever.
"Who is this?" clues
| Verse | Clue about who Jesus is |
|---|---|
| Mark 2:5–10 | He forgives sins, which only God can do. |
| Mark 2:11–12 | He heals with a word. |
Key words
- Authority: the right and power to be in charge.
- Paralysed: unable to move part or all of the body.
- Blasphemy: insulting God, such as claiming to do what only God can do.
- Forgive: to cancel a wrong and not hold it against someone any more.
- Son of Man: Jesus' favourite name for himself, from Daniel 7.
How this points to Jesus
Way back at the start of the Bible, sin and sickness both came into the world when people turned away from God. Here Jesus deals with both, but he deals with sin first. Christians believe that later in Mark, at the cross, Jesus does what makes this forgiveness possible for anyone who comes to him. His healings were also previews of the day when God will end all sickness for good (Revelation 21:4).
Think about it
What did the four friends' actions show about their faith?Show answer
They were sure Jesus could help, so sure that they wouldn't let a crowd or a roof stop them from getting their friend to him.
The teachers of the law said only God can forgive sins. Were they right? Where did they go wrong?Show answer
They were right that only God can forgive sins. They went wrong by not considering that Jesus might actually have God's authority.
Why do you think Jesus forgave the man before healing him?Show answer
Because the man's biggest need was to be right with God. A healed body lasts a lifetime, but forgiveness lasts forever.
Take it further
The four friends couldn't heal their friend, but they could bring him to Jesus. Who could you be a good friend to this week? That might mean helping someone, praying for them, or just being there. Your worksheet helps you retell the story and follow the teachers' question to its answer.
If you'd like to, you could pray:
Lord Jesus, thank you that you have authority to forgive sins. Thank you that you see what we need most. Help me to be a good friend who brings others to you. Amen.