Forgive Us Our Trespasses

When Jesus returned to Capernaum after some days, it became known that he was at home.  Many gathered together so that there was no longer room for them, not even around the door, and he preached the word to them. They came bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. Unable to get near Jesus because of the crowd, they opened up the roof above him. After they had broken through, they let down the mat on which the paralytic was lying. 

When Jesus saw their faith, he said to him, “Child, your sins are forgiven.” Now some of the scribes were sitting there asking themselves, “Why does this man speak that way?  He is blaspheming. Who but God alone can forgive sins?” Jesus immediately knew in his mind what they were thinking to themselves, so he said, “Why are you thinking such things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, pick up your mat and walk’?

But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth”–he said to the paralytic, “I say to you, rise, pick up your mat, and go home.” He rose, picked up his mat at once, and went away in the sight of everyone. They were all astounded and glorified God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this.” (Mark 2:1-12)

Quite the story!   Four men reported to have cut through a roof to lower a mat on which lay a man who was paralyzed.  They expected Jesus would heal the man so he could walk again.   And, it worked; he picked up his mat and walked away to go home.  Everyone saw the miraculous healing.

Did this really happen?  Likely not, for with most of Jesus’ stories or those told about him, there is meaning that for Jews of Jesus’ time, they would have understood.  But when heard by those unfamiliar with Jesus’ teaching about the importance of forgiveness and the Jewish belief about the cause of many illnesses, it would have been astonishing, such as for all of us today about 2,000 years later.

Jesus made it clear that it was not God alone that forgave sins.   We simply need to say and listen to the words of the Lord’s Prayer to understand his belief: forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.   Couldn’t be any clearer.

Through forgiveness, we make people walk again – to not be paralyzed by guilt, sadness, and fear.   They can pick up their mats and walk home, quite a reminder that our children, perhaps our spouses, can come home when they know they are forgiven; otherwise, they are not “healed” when received back into the arms of those they have hurt through word or action.

Jesus said, “Child, your sins are forgiven.”  We must say the same by taking our Lord’s Prayer seriously.

Deacon David Pierce