XIX

FORGIVING SIN AND HEALING THE

PARALYTIC

Mark 2:5. "And Jesus seeing their faith saith unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins are forgiven."

(Mat. 9: 1-8; Mark 2:1-12; Luke 5:17-26.)

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FTER cleansing the leper Jesus dwelt for a time

in a "desert place" and then entered into Capernaum secretly. Mark says, "After some days it was noised abroad that he was in the house," or "at home." This was equivalent to saying that he was in the home of Peter, and that he had been there some days before it was known that he had returned to the city. As soon as it became known, the place was besieged by multitudes from Capernaum and from every city of Galilee, from Judea and from Jerusalem, so that there was no room, even about the door. While he was preaching, probably in the gallery of the house, where he could be heard by the multitude that barred the entrance to the door, four men came carrying a paralytic. When they could not come near for the crowd, they succeeded in reaching the roof of the house, and, having broken a way through the roof, they let the paralytic down on his couch "in the midst before Jesus."

It is not necessary to explain the peculiar construction of this particular house in order to show how this paralytic was brought to Jesus. The only fact that needs to

be noted in order to learn the lessons that this miracle is designed to teach is the fact that there seemed to be insurmountable difficulties in the way of reaching the great Physician. This man was utterly helpless. It required the united efforts of four men to carry him, and, when they reached the place where Jesus was, it seemed utterly impossible for them to come near because of the crowd. The man could never have reached Jesus himself, and no one man could have brought him. This man's healing was made possible by the united, persevering effort of five men. It is therefore an acted parable showing the necessity of united, harmonious and persevering effort in order to help the helpless.

Instead of touching and healing this paralytic as he had touched and healed the leper, Mark says, "Jesus, seeing their faith, said unto the sick of the palsy, Son thy sins are forgiven." Every word of this record by Mark seems wonderfully suggestive. Jesus saw, not only the paralytic's faith, but he saw "their faith," and, seeing "their faith" he said, not to all, but to the paralytic, "Son, thy sins are forgiven." It was their faith, as well as their united effort that secured for this man the forgiveness of his sins.

When the scribes and Pharisees, who were present, heard Jesus' words, they began to reason in their hearts, saying, "Who is this that speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?" Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said to them, "Whether is it easier to say, thy sins be forgiven thee, or to say, arise and walk?" It was evidently as easy to say one as to say the other, but a man might say the first and those who heard might question whether he had authority for saying it, while a man saying the second without authority would only bring ridicule on himself. If Jesus had said to the para

lytic, "Arise and walk," and the paralytic had not obeyed, the reasonable inference would be that the declaration that sins were forgiven was also without authority. But if Jesus, who had declared that this paralytic's sins were forgiven, were to say to the paralytic "Arise and walk," and the paralytic instantly obeyed, it would be just as reasonable to infer that the proclamation of forgiveness was equally authoritative. This would be the judgment of every unprejudiced, intelligent mind, and Jesus left his critics without excuse, when he said, "That ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins," and then turning to the paralytic, said, “Arise take up thy bed and go unto thy house. The paralytic arose instantly and the beholders glorified God and said, “We never saw it on this fashion."

This was Jesus' conclusive answer to his critics. The reasoning of the scribes and Pharisees had been correct. No one has power to forgive sins but God. Jesus had claimed that power and now he has vindicated his authority by working the works of God. His works were his credentials proving his authority. It was not a direct claim of divinity, but it was a condensed proof of it; and, if the beholders did not now believe on him they had no excuse. They should have believed for the very works' sake, and should have said, with Nicodemus, "No man can do the signs that thou doest except God be with him." This miracle, accompanied by the claim of authority to forgive sins, is an evidence of the dvinity of Jesus Christ.

This was a definite advance on Christ's recorded teaching up to this time, and the miracle seemed more suggestive of great practical truths and Christian doctrines than any that preceded it. At the same time, this event shows the use that is to be made of human instruments

as well as of divine power. It indicates the necessity for organized Christian effort, and throws on Christians the greatest possible responsibility for the salvation of their sinful associates, and especially for the salvation of those who seem utterly paralyzed by sin. It furnishes a complete and most convincing refutation of the claim that a man can perform his whole duty as a Christian without becoming a member of any church organization. The Christian church is a divine institution for united work and worship. In the divine economy every man is his brother's keeper and, ordinarily, no man can do his whole duty to his fellow men without being associated with others both in work and worship.

XX

THE CALLING OF MATTHEW

Luke 5:32. "I am not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance."

(Matthew 9:9-17; Mark 2:13-20; Luke 5: 27-39.)

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HE evangelist John tells of Jesus calling the disciples Andrew, John, Peter, Philip and Nathanael when they were in the wilderness of Judea, where John the Baptist was preaching. The synoptic writers give an account of a second call to Peter, Andrew and John, as they were in their fishing boats on the sea of Galilee, and of a call to James, the brother of John. The synoptic writers also give an account of the call to discipleship of Matthew or Levi, the publican. The narratives differ only in the one point that Mark and Luke give the name Levi, while Matthew gives the name Matthew, and adds the despised title or epithet "publican.” While there is no definite information as to the exact time when Matthew was called, there is as good reason for placing it immediately after the healing of the paralytic as there is for giving it any other place in the history of the Galilean ministry.

Matthew was the son of Alphæus, and he was a publican or tax gatherer for the Roman government. He belonged to a despised class. The terms "publican" and "sinner" were regarded as applicable to men and women who were on the same social and religious plane. There is always a tendency to regard tax as exorbitant and op