And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” When Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answered them, “Why do you question in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the man who was paralyzed—“I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home.”
Luke 5:21-24 (ESV)
What is sin? The Greek word used in this passage for ‘sins’ is ‘hamartia’, a word that can be translated as missing the mark. Sin, in this sense, is falling short of what God wants from us. It is an act against God. Our sin may well hurt other people. And we can forgive the hurt done to us by others. But ultimately, it is God we have sinned against (Gen. 39:6-9). So the scribes and Pharisees were right in saying, “Who can forgive sins but God alone?”.
What causes physical disabilities? There are a number of reasons that we might identify for being sick or disabled. In the ancient world, sickness was often associated with sin (John 9:1-2). So, at least some suffering was considered a punishment for that sin. In those cases, healing and forgiveness would be somewhat synonymous.
And Jesus seems to be using that thought in his response to both the paralyzed man and the Pharisees in this account. In forgiving the man’s sins, He was going directly to the root of his problem. He brought healing to him, both spiritually and physically. And He challenged the Pharisees’ understanding of who He was.
Many will say that Jesus never claimed to be God. And it is true that in the gospels, Jesus never explicitly said, “I am God.” But that overlooks what this account is telling us. In forgiving sins, Jesus was claiming an authority that, as the Pharisees rightly pointed out, belonged to God alone. So, Jesus’ forgiveness of the man’s sin was an implicit claim to equality with God. And it was made in a way that amazed the crowds and silenced the Pharisees.
