Matthew 9:1-8

Mat 9:1-8 The King continues to display his Royal Power 1. And he entered into a ship, and passed over and came into his own city.

Many times he crossed the lake of Galilee; but this time, more in sadness than in anger, he left a people behind him who had prayed him to depart. He had made Capernaum his own city by the privileges wherewith he had exalted it. What a name! "His own city" It was its highest honour that he came sailing into its port, even he who was Lord High Admiral of all seas. Yet the favoured city refused him, and knew not its day. May none of us be thus favoured, and prove thus unworthy!

2. And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.

Here our King displays his power over weakness. The man is sad and paralyzed; the weight of sin is on his conscience, and his body is in bonds. Yet he has good friends, who band themselves together, and four of them carry him up to the roof of the house wherein our Lord is preaching, and let him down, in his bed, by ropes. They have faith in Jesus, and so has he; and the Lord answers to their faith with a cheering word, in which he called him "child." How sweet a word for a young man, and for one so feeble! His mental distress was the hardest to suffer, and our Lord removed it with a word. Perhaps the youth's sin had some connection with his palsy, and hence his double distress. None but Jesus could pardon sin; but with a royal word he pronounced effectual absolution. This he gave first, because most longed for by the paralytic, because the greatest boon, because the evil it removed lies at the root of every other, and because he thus unveiled his majesty, and had an opportunity to instruct opposers. How the youth's face brightened as he felt the comfort of that effectual forgiveness! He could not as yet walk, but he felt more happy than tongue could tell. "Thy sins be forgiven thee" is a note which never fails to bring "good cheer " to the saddest heart.

3. And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth.

They were afraid to speak out, but "said within themselves." Each one of these law-writers felt a bitter feeling towards the Lord Jesus, and by their looks they conspired in the charge against him. They did not call him "man"; the word is in italics in our version. They did not know what to call him even in their hearts: they meant—"this"—this upstart, this nobody, this strange being, who is so great that wo fear him, so good that we hate him. They were blaspheming him by their agnosticism, and yet these blasphemers charged the Lord with blasphemy. Yet, supposing our Lord to be only a man, they were right. Pardon of sin is the sole prerogative of God: who dares to usurp it?

I know that none but God can forgive; yet Jesus has forgiven me, and in so doing he did not blaspheme, for he is most truly God.

4. And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?

He is the great thought-reader. Just now we met with the expression, "seeing their faith", and now we read, "knowing their thoughts." He puts the questioners to the question. His whys and wherefores go to the root of the matter. We are responsible for secret thoughts, and the Lord will one day call us to account concerning them. Accusations against Jesus are always unreasonable, and when fairly faced are put to silence. It would be well if many of our Lord's enemies today could be brought to ponder the question, "Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?" What is the cause of it? What is the good of it? Why not cease from it?

5. For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins he forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk?

He answers their evil thoughts by a question which was to them unanswerable. Surely the two things are equally beyond human power to work. But to say, "Thy sins he forgiven thee", is the easier to all appearance, because no apparent result is expected to follow by which the reality of the speech can be tested. Thousands have pretended to absolve a man from sin, who would not have dared to command a disease to disappear. The difference in merely saying is all in favour of the first speech. If we compare the two miracles, it would be long before one could arrive at an answer as to which is the easier; for they are both impossible with men. In some respects the pardon of sin is the greater work of the two, for its accomplishment requires the whole apparatus of incarnation and atonement. Our Lord wrought both miracles, and thus confirmed his claim of power by a visible sign which none could question.

He that can pardon my soul can heal my body; for that would seem to be the easier of the two deeds of mercy. I may bring both forms of malady to Jesus, and he will deal with them. Lord, heal my spirit and cure my flesh! Yea, thou wilt do this work most effectually by raising my body incorruptible as thine own.

6. But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the. sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. The second part of the miracle was for the silencing of those cavilling scribes: "That ye may know." Did they ever come to this knowledge? The case was made clear for them, but they would not see it. Jesus, "the Son of man ", was yet "on earth "; but in his lowly condition he had authority and power to forgive sins against God, for he was God. He would prove that he had "power on earth "by healing the paralytic. By exerting what they thought the greater power, he would prove his possession of the less. He bids the man "Arise", or bestir himself. He further says, "take up thy bed", or roll up your mat, and lift it to your shoulders, and then "walk." Thus would the obedient patient, by the free use of his limbs, prove himself to be wholly recovered. This was a great word to speak; but he, who had already received pardon from our Lord's lips, felt no difficulty in believing it, and he found his faith justified. If sin be forgiven, nothing is impossible. Surely it follows that if Jesus had power on earth to forgive sins, he can abundantly pardon now that we see him as the Son of God, enthroned in Heaven.

7. And he arose, and departed to his house. His limbs had received strength, and he did what Jesus bade him do, at once. Faith grasped the Saviour's command, and obeyed it. There was no delay, no deviation from orders, no failure in the performance. It must have seemed hard to leave one to whom he owed so much, and go at once to the retirement of his house; but he did as he was bidden, and therein he is an example to us all. He did not go to the temple with the sacramentarian, nor to the theatre with the man of the world: he went to his home. His palsy had made his house sad, and now his healing would cheer his family. A man's restoration by grace is best seen in his own house. Lord, let it be seen in mine. Whether I carry my bed, or my bed carries me, may I do all to thy glory!

8. But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men.

It was openly seen by all "the multitudes.¹¹ Crowds heard of the marvel; it was town talk. It was evidently no delusion: the hopelessly palsied had been assuredly healed; for he had carried off his mattress, and was gone home. The common people did not cavil; but they wondered, and then they trembled, and were overawed, and driven to the adoration of God. So far so good; but it did not go far enough, nor last long enough.

Men may see, marvel, and even in words glorify God, and yet may not accept his Son as their Lord. The multitudes had common-sense enough to give the glory of such a work to God, and to be struck with surprise that he should "give such power unto men.^" Evidently they viewed Jesus as a man on whom God had bestowed special gifts; a prophet who had received miraculous power and used it on the behalf of men. They went as far as they knew: we wish we could say the same of many who, in this day, refuse to give our Lord the divine honours which he claims and abundantly deserves. If "the Son of man "had all this power, how can we limit him as "the Son of God"? Lat us not leave the narrative till we have glorified God for all the many ways in which he gives power to those who have no strength, raises believers out of the paralysis of sin, and makes them blessings to others.