Be of Good Cheer, Your Sins Are Forgiven!
Nineteenth Sunday After Trinity
Matthew 9:1–8
And getting into a boat [Jesus] crossed over and came to His own city. And behold, some people brought to Him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Take heart, My son; your sins are forgiven.” And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.” But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—He then said to the paralytic—“Rise, pick up your bed and go home.” And he rose and went home. When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men. (ESV)
Prayer: Heavenly Father, You delivered Your Son for our offenses and raised Him for our justification. Grant that we may also trust in the word of forgiveness, which You have given Your pastors and our fellow Christians to proclaim, that clinging to Your good and gracious promises, we might be brought to eternal life; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Dear Friends in Christ,
“But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, ‘Why do you think evil in your hearts?’” This is just one of many examples in the Bible where we see that Jesus is omniscient—he is all knowing. Since Jesus is both true man and true God, he knows all things. Nothing can be or has been hidden from him—even our thoughts. Does that make you feel comforted or worried, happy or terrified?
Jesus knows everything you have ever thought, said, or done. There is nothing he doesn’t know about you. Scripture says, “[he] will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart” (I Corinthians 4:5). Any sin you’ve committed is a rebellion against God. Sin is an offense to God and there is nothing that will be hidden from him. On the one hand, this is very alarming. Who of us would want even our closest friends or spouse to know our every thought. But it’s not your friends who know all, it’s the almighty God of heaven and earth who will judge us. Jesus said, “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”
So, it is troubling to think God knows all things if we are trying to hide our sins. But on the other hand, it is very comforting. Because Jesus, who knows everything about you, still suffered and died for you. He knew the sins you would commit, the rebellion against him you would show, but that did not prevent him from laying down his life for you to pay for your sins. Why? Because he loves you. Those who come to him in repentance and faith will be forgiven. What’s more, Jesus doesn’t just love you, he actually likes you. And so, to know Jesus knows everything about you is a great comfort! He knows your needs better than you do! As both God and man, he has the power to do something about it. That’s exactly what we see in our lesson this morning.
I. The Most Pressing Need
Matthew gives us the spark notes of this amazing miracle. In Mark and Luke’s Gospel, we are given a little more background to the events that day. They describe the impressive efforts the friends of this paralytic man made. We are told that there was a great crowd who had come to see Jesus—there were so many that the friends of this man couldn’t even get him inside to see Jesus. Therefore, they went to the top of the house and removed the covering, so that they could lower the man down on his mat through the ceiling. It must have been quite the sight! When Jesus saw their faith, their trust and confidence that Jesus could help their friend, Jesus said, “Take heart, My son; your sins are forgiven.”
The first thing Jesus did was forgive the man’s sins. This is interesting. It’s interesting because it’s not what you would expect Jesus to do first. When we hear about this man, who was paralyzed it doesn’t take a doctor to know what his most pressing need was. He couldn’t walk! That was a terrible plight. He wouldn’t have been able to provide for himself or even take care of himself. It would negatively affect his entire life. But that is not the need Jesus addresses first. First, Jesus forgives him. Though his bodily suffering had been great, his spiritual affliction was greater still. If this account ended here and Jesus didn’t heal him, would that be a let down? Would that make this account less amazing? No! The most important thing we need is forgiveness. However, sometimes we forget this.
Forgiveness provides healing to the soul as medicine provides healing to the body. The value of medicine greatly depends on whether or not you need it. I have a friend who has lived a completely healthy life with no medical complications besides a broken bone when he was a kid. If you were to have asked him about his need for medicine and doctors ten years ago, he would probably be fine with never seeing one the rest of his life. But that wouldn’t be the case today. After getting married to a completely healthy wife, they had two children. These children have unfortunately both been born with a terrible genetic disorder. Usually, those who are diagnosed with this disorder do not live past their 20s with difficulty. Yet, it so happened, that a year before his first child was born, a new drug was developed which virtually takes all symptoms and early causes of death away. It really is a miracle drug. He and his wife were faced with a terrible challenge, but the doctors had good news—they were given hope for their children. If you were to have asked him if this new medicine mattered to him a year before his child’s birth, he would have said no because he didn’t need it. But not anymore. It has helped save two of his children. It changed that family’s entire life and outlook.
You and I are sick with sin and that sin brings eternal death in hell. If you do not realize what your sin deserves, then Jesus’ words to the paralytic mean very little. But if you are aware of your sin and what it truly deserves, then you don’t need anyone to explain to you why you too should be of good cheer—because your sins are forgiven by Christ who has the authority to forgive them. Forgiveness is the miracle drug to our sin sick heart. It changes our life not just for the next forty years, but for eternity.
II. The Most Merciful Lord
The scribes didn’t believe in Jesus, but at least they understood that only God can forgive sins. This is why they were so offended that Jesus forgave the paralytic. Yet, they weren’t saying this out loud because they didn’t want to be attacked by the crowd. But Jesus knew their thoughts. He knew they wanted to accuse him of blasphemy. And so he said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—He then said to the paralytic—“Rise, pick up your bed and go home.”
Jesus proves that he has the power to forgive sins because he is God. He did what no ordinary man could do. He knew their thoughts. He commanded storms to cease and cast out demons by his word. He healed the sick and the man of his paralysis. But most importantly, he forgave sins. As the doctor of our souls, he has gotten to the root cause of our condition. He knows what plagues our heart and claims our souls to hell. This is why our Lord Jesus became man, so that he could live the holy life God demands and take the punishment that you and I deserve on the cross. He suffered the pangs of hell so that we could be forgiven. By his stripes, we were healed. And by his resurrection, we are given the confidence that death is not the end for the Christian, but a new beginning. Jesus will raise our very bodies from the grave and grant us eternal healing. The miracle Jesus performed that day for the paralytic is a preview of the healing Jesus will grant to all people—when the blind will see, the lame will walk, and the deaf will hear. Because of Jesus, we can declare with Job, “For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth; And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!”
When Jesus told the man, “Take heart” or “Be of good cheer,” “your sins are forgiven,” the gates of heaven were opened to him. Jesus showed him mercy and grace. To confirm to him and all others that this was true, Jesus said, “Pick up your bed and walk.” And he did! So, he was forgiven. You also have this same assurance. This is why Jesus has given to his church what we call the Office of the Keys. Keys are for opening. Jesus gives us these keys so that we can open heaven to penitent sinners and close it to the impenitent. Jesus said, “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld” (John 20:23).
As a Christian, you have been given the greatest blessing from God. When you go to your Pastor or come to church and confess your sins and the pastor says, “I forgive you.” It’s as if Jesus himself were speaking to you. The pastor says these words, but Jesus is the one doing the talking. He has paid for your sins, and he has the right to forgive them. When the pastor says the words of absolution, it is as if the gates of heaven are being opened for you. It looks so insignificant and uneventful to have a preacher stand up and say these words, especially to this unbelieving world. But by faith, we realize the lifesaving medicine this is. By faith, we are of good cheer. Whether or not Jesus heals you from your diseases or sicknesses, you know that eternity awaits where there will be no more sin, sickness, or sadness.
If you were to offer a young child a piece of paper with a receipt for a college savings account that they can access in 15 years or a toy they can play with now, the child would not have to think long about it—obviously, the toy! They can’t see the value of the college savings account because it is years away. Christians can sometimes act like little children. We can get caught up in this world and hyper focused on the here and now. But none of these things matter in the long run. One Thing is Needful. Only Jesus can give us lasting peace and happiness.
You and I need forgiveness because we are sinners. You come here today as people who live in this sinful world. We sin and we are sinned against, we have wounded others and we have been wounded, we feel the weight of our sins, and at times scream out in despair. We then feel more guilt about our sin, our pride, our shame, our worry. And this is why you need go to Jesus. This is why you need to bring your friends to Jesus. Because when we go to him for help, when we cry out to him for mercy, he hears our prayers. He sees our faith. He forgives.
3. O Love, Thou bottomless abyss,
My sins are swallowed up in thee!
Covered is my unrighteousness,
Nor spot of guilt remains on me,
While Jesus’ blood, through earth and skies
Mercy, free, boundless mercy! cries.
4. With faith I plunge me in this sea,
Here is my hope, my joy, my rest;
Hither, when hell assails, I flee,
I look into my Savior’s breast.
Away, sad doubt and anxious fear!
Mercy is all that’s written there.
Dear people of God, be of good cheer, take heart, your sins are forgiven! Amen.