(V. 17-26). - One day, Jesus was teaching a large crowd of Pharisees and teachers of the law, who had come from all the villages of Galilee, Judea and Jerusalem, "and the power of the Lord was there to heal them", it says (v. 17). Here, the word "Lord" refers to Jehovah. What a priceless privilege for these men to have Jehovah's power in their midst to heal them! If only they had been able to take advantage of what God's goodness made available to them, through faith. If, through unbelief, the leaders did not profit from the Lord's presence, others approached him with faith at that very moment and obtained what they desired: "Behold, men carrying on a bed a man who was paralyzed; and they sought to bring him in and set him before him. And not finding by what means they could bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him through the tiles, with his little bed in the middle, before Jesus. And when he saw their faith, he said: Man, your sins are forgiven you" (v. 18-20).

This fact shows us the perseverance of faith to obtain what is available in Jesus. This Gospel gives us several examples of this perseverance: the case of the widow and the unjust judge (chapter 18); that of the blind man on the road to Jericho (same chapter); that of Zacchaeus (beginning of chapter 19).

Although Jesus is not visibly present on earth today, his power in grace is always available to faith, to meet the material and spiritual needs presented to God in his name. Our prayers may not receive the desired answer; but God will answer according to his thoughts, which are always good and wise, even though they may not always seem so to us at the time.

The scribes and Pharisees having heard that Jesus had said to the paralytic: "Your sins are forgiven you", reasoned, crying blasphemy, saying that God alone can forgive sins, precisely what Psalm 103 quoted above says. But these wise and intelligent wretches of the time did not want to recognize God in their midst in the person of Jesus. The Lord, knowing their thoughts, answered them: "Which is easier, to say: 'Your sins are forgiven you', or to say: 'Get up and walk'? Now, that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins (he said to the paralytic): I say to you, arise, and, taking up your little bed, go to your house" (v. 23-24).

Under God's government, in the midst of his people, sickness was usually the consequence of some sin; so to forgive the sins that had caused the sickness was to accomplish healing. Once the sins had been forgiven, the punishment was lifted. That's why, in John 5:14, Jesus said to the man he had healed: "Sin no more, lest the worst happen to you.

The paralytic got up immediately, took to his bed and went home glorifying God, while the scribes and Pharisees remained indignant. All those present, filled with amazement, praised the Lord and, seized with fear, said: "We have seen strange things today" (v. 26). However, despite these impressions, nothing could be produced in the crowds without faith; this faith, which has Jesus as its object, can alone save, and not impressions, even created by a divine intervention that the natural conscience recognizes.

May God bless you abundantly

Pasteur Clémentine