Absolution: Blasphemy or Authority of God?
"Jesus Heals the Lame Man" Used with permission of WorldMissionsClipart The text for today is our Gospel lesson, Matthew 9:1-8, which has already been read. Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God the Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! The house is packed, because Jesus is there. Four men come to the house with their paralyzed friend because they believe the Word they’ve heard about Jesus and His miracles and believe He might help their friend. The Savior, seeing their faith, says to the paralytic: “Take heart, My son; your sins are forgiven.” “My son, your sins are forgiven”? Now, what kind of a thing is that to say? The teachers of the Law have a word for it: blasphemy. “This man is blaspheming!” they say to themselves. What they mean is: “This mere man is claiming divine authority. We all know that only God can forgive sins.” Like all effective lies, there is an element of truth here. O...