"Which is Easier?"
Mark 2: 1-12
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 Good Morning!
Have you thought about the conversations you will have today?
I believe you will find that most people will allow you to bring up
the topic of God and to a certain point be happy to discuss it. It
is an entirely different scenario when you bring up the Son of God -
Jesus Christ. Most will try to avert the subject or attempt to bring
Jesus down to a mere man. They will try to undo His deity. Salvation
and freedom from sin comes through the name of Jesus - none other!
Jesus is God. The record
of His earthly ministry contains many declarations of this. Though men
may say that He nowhere claimed to be God manifest in the flesh, today's
text clearly contradicts such foolishness.
Jesus' ministry
was characterized by physical healings. The people throughout Judea
had come to expect Him to deliver them from blindness, demonic possession,
leprosy, as well as many other afflictions. On this occasion in Capernaum,
there was another large crowd gathered to receive healing and to hear
the Word of God preached (vv. 1-2). As usual, a man afflicted in his
body was brought to the Lord (v. 3-4).
Unlike the other instances
recorded in God's Word, the Lord did not initially heal this man.
Instead He, with all authority, made this pronouncement: "Son, thy
sins be forgiven thee" (v. 5). There can be no clearer testimony
of the person of Jesus, for we read that the religious in attendance
perceived Christ's presentation of Himself as God (vv. 6-7). Who can
forgive sins? The scribes were correct, God only. And what had our Lord
just done? "Son, thy sins be forgiven thee." Jesus had just
done what only God could do.
What follows is an
unequivocal statement of Christ's deity. Jesus perceived that these
scribes were accusing Him of blasphemy - in their hearts. Then
He posed this question: "Is it easier to tell a palsied man, "Your
sins are forgiven," or "Your body is restored"? By what standard
could these acts be compared to determine relative "ease"? Neither
is easy. It requires the omnipotence of God to realize either spiritual
healing or physical healing. Perhaps these religious leaders thought
it was "easier" to perform healings. They did not seem too ruffled
at Christ's work in healing, as long as it wasn't on the Sabbath.
Gathered was this crowd
of seekers and skeptics and one sick of the palsy. So that all present
would know that Jesus was God manifest in the flesh, with "power on
earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,) I say unto
thee, Arise, take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house" (vv.
10-11). He immediately arose, before them all, and went out in perfect
health (v. 12).
This is the Christ
of the Bible. Not a social activist, angel, or secondary god. He is
Eternal, the Lord Who alone has power to forgive sins. Without this
Jesus, we cannot be saved and without this Jesus we cannot be made free. Talk to someone about Jesus today!
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