Authority and Power – March 26, 2023, Fifth Sunday in Lent

Psalm 89:5-18, Matthew 8:14-17, 9:1-7
March 25, 2023

This story of the paralytic is an interesting one.  And I read both stories for a reason.  In the first one, Jesus heals yet another person.  This time it’s Peter’s Mother-in-law.  If you remember from last week, we are starting to see his encounters with actual people, not just reports that “he went around the region preaching and healing.”

Well, I love this first story because healing Peter’s Mother-in-law prompted all the people in Capernaum to bring their sick and infirmed to him!  Try to picture that!  It turned into a mass healing!  I’ve talked about that before.  I can see people crowed around the house, with maybe some more coming all the time!

The same story is told by Luke in his Gospel. (Luke 4:38-41)  But here in this account, Matthew puts his own twist – his own commentary on it.  He tells the story, then he quotes Isaiah.  Remember that Matthew was written to a Jewish audience, attempting to prove to them that Jesus was the Messiah prophesied in their scriptures – the Old Testament.  So, in Matthew, we often see this phrase.  “This happened to fulfill what was written by the prophet…”  Well, in this case, “What was spoken by the prophet Isaiah,” was that “He took our infirmities and bore our diseases.”  That’s Isaiah 53:4.  Matthew links Jesus to those words!

So, through this first story, Jesus’ fame and popularity were still growing.  We can’t imagine anybody not liking this guy!  And that’s why I read that first part. Io wanted you to keep in mind how popular Jesus was becoming when we now turn to chapter 9.  Because here Jesus meets his first opposition.  And you guessed it.  His first opposition came from the scribes.  It came from the religious authorities, the “scriptural experts,” if you will.  And the way it happened has always been the most interesting thing in this story to me.

And don’t forget here that two major miracles took place in between these two stories.  Jesus calmed the storm on the sea, and then when he came ashore, he cast out a legion of demons, sending them into a herd of swine.  Do you remember?  Then the swine ran down into the sea and drowned.  That was such a powerful and fearful event that the people who saw it were scared and begged him to leave.  (Either that, or they were angry that they had just lost their herd of swine!)

So, he leaves, and now he’s back on the other side of the sea, in Capernaum.  And there they brought him this paralyzed man.  And here Jesus did something very unexpected.  Think about this.  This is the interesting part to me.  He said, “Take heart, my son.  Your sins are forgiven.”  Now, try to imagine how unusual that sounds!  We might have expected him to say, “Rise up and walk.”  Or maybe even, “Your faith has made you well.”  But no.  He starts by saying, “Your sins are forgiven.”

Now, who knows.  This might not be the first time he said this.  Remember all the people he has healed so far, especially the ones that were just part of the reports about him going around the region and healing many.  But this is the first time this is recorded.  And it leads to the first time we hear an objection to his actions.  So it’s important that we have this story.

We could easily miss that importance!  Because this is one of those things we, the readers, know about Jesus.  We know he’s God incarnate.  We know of his atonement.  We know of his redemption from sin.  These people didn’t know those things.  Oh, they knew he was special.  They knew he had amazing power.  But they didn’t know about his “authority to forgive sins.  And I have to think that these scribes, who said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming!” weren’t the only ones there who were thinking that!

We know he wasn’t.  We know he was who he said he was.  And he still is!  And that’s what focuses us in on we’re thinking about today.  That’s what we consider during Lent, as we take a look at our faith and think of our failings, our transgressions, our weaknesses.  We know Jesus has the authority to forgives sins!

But what would we have thought if we had been there that day?  Would we have believed him?  And do we still believe that today?  Do we know that Jesus has the authority to forgive sins?  That’s a good question for Lent.  Because sometimes we doubt God’s power in our lives.  Oh sure, he can do the big miracles!  He can part the sea.  He can raise the dead.  But our problems, they’re the hard ones to believe that God can solve.  Aren’t they?

Well, it’s the same with our sins.  We know Jesus’ atonement was for the sins of the world – big picture.  But it’s hard to believe for us.  And we sometimes doubt his atonement for the things we have done in our lives!  We’re still burdened by the guilt of them, because we doubt that authority, that power.  Isn’t that true sometimes?  If we’re really being honest with ourselves, especially during Lent, don’t we have doubts about that?

I think we need to think seriously about that, especially during the introspective season of Lent.  I think we need to try to probe the depths of Jesus’ atonement for sins, and we need to be sure we believe that he can and does forgive us!  Because our “feelings” will betray us.  They will tell us otherwise!  And Satan, who among other things, is called “the great accuser,” will try to convince us otherwise!

We don’t know why, in this story, Jesus started this encounter by forgiving this man’s sins.  But I’m glad he did.  Because the way the story unfolds, he then proves he has that authority, by healing the man.  Make no doubt about this.  Verse 6 is the key here.  Jesus is answering the objection of those scribes, when he says, “So that you may know that the Son of Man (meaning himself) has the authority on earth to forgive sins, I’m doing this!”  And he turns to the man and says, “Take up your bed and go home!”

He healed this man because it was good to heal this man.  He healed this man because he needed to be healed.  He healed this man because he had compassion for him.  But, he also healed this man to prove his authority to forgive, and he did that by showing his power!  Do you get that?  He proved his authority by showing his power!

Those cynics who were there that day – whether that was the scribes or the doubters in the crowd – needed to see that proof, and we do, too!  And as you go through Lent, as you prepare for that great celebration of Easter, it is my hope that you are more sure, every day, of Jesus’ atonement in your lives.  It is my hope that you will listen less to your feelings of doubt and guilt, and remember this story about Jesus’ authority and power!

Prayer

Eternal God, we are overwhelmed with the story of your Grace!  It is your favor so very much undeserved by us.  Help us to be sure of that Grace, and help us to be ever aware of your forgiveness and redemption in our lives.  Teach us to live all of our lives in the power of your forgiveness, and in the joy of your kingdom.  For this we pray in Jesus’ name, Amen!