Devotion for September 20, 2008

The Ignorance of Blindness

“So He got into a boat, crossed over, and came to His own city. Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you." And at once some of the scribes said within themselves, "This Man blasphemes!" But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts? "For which is easier, to say, ‘[Your] sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise and walk’? "But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins" ——then He said to the paralytic, "Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house." And he arose and departed to his house. Now when the multitudes saw [it], they marveled and glorified God, who had given such power to men.” (Matthew 9:1-8 NKJV)

Here is a case where we can see man’s depravity shroud his understanding like a dark sack being pulled over his head. “Your sins are forgiven,” said Jesus of which the scribes thought evil. Then God in His gracious manner replies, “Why do think evil in your hearts?”

Here was proof enough of His deity for no man can know the inward thoughts of another. Only God can search the heart and mind. Still they might have thought that Christ made a lucky guess as to what they were thinking. Perhaps they thought He read their body language. Therefore, He makes sure there is no misunderstanding as to what He was doing or whom He was.

“Which is easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘arise and walk?’” This almost sounds like a boast because it is impossible to say either if you are a man. However, God is not boasting, but being gracious for He goes on to say He did this that you may know the Son of God has power on earth to forgive sins.

They glorified God for what they had seen, but don’t miss the fact that they still thought of Jesus as only man that God had worked through. The last phrase says, “Who had given such power to men,” reveals their ignorance of Christ.

Even with such a marvelous display of divine power before them, they could not believe. Do you believe that Christ is God in the flesh and has power to forgive sins? If you do it is because God has work a miracle in you. Will you praise God the Father and Jesus today?