Matt. 9:2 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”.
I recently preached on the miracle Jesus performed on the paralytic that was let down through the roof. There is a lot about this story that is mind blowing but the most amazing to me is what Jesus said first, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven”. Jesus didn’t approach the problem like anyone else did because he saw what no one else could see. He saw not only the condition of this man’s body, He also saw the condition of his heart. He needed forgiveness even more than he needed healing. The beauty of the miracle; healing and forgiveness are connected. This man’s healing flowed out of the forgiveness of his sin. Here is how Charles Spurgeon describes it.
“Now, at this time, you may have many troubles; and perhaps you are eager to spread them before the Lord. The sick child, your dear husband, who is at home ill, that business which is flagging and likely to fail, that disease of yours which is weakening you, and makes you scarcely fit to be in the Lord’s house tonight. Now, waive all those things, for heavy as they are, they are inconsiderable when compared with sin. There is no venom as poisonous as that of sin; this is the wormwood and the gall; this is the deadly fang of the serpent whose sting infects and inflames our whole being. If this evil be removed, then every ill has gone, therefore Christ begins with this, “Thy sins be forgiven thee”. Breathe a prayer to Him now for the forgiveness of your sin: “Jesus, Master, forgive me! With a word Thou canst pardon all my sin; thou hast but to pronounce absolution, and all my iniquities will be put away at once and forever. As my Lord, wilt Thou not put them away tonight?”
Sin is always our biggest problem. Sin is why Jesus came, sin is what nailed Jesus to the cross. I love the beauty and power of the gospel, not only did Jesus carry my sins in His body to the cross, He also bore my sicknesses. This is how Isaiah described it, Is. 53:4,5 “Yet he himself bore our sicknesses, and he carried our pains; but we in turn regarded him stricken struck down by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced because of our rebellion, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment for our peace was on him and we are healed by his wounds”.
Bring your sins to Jesus, not only will He forgive, He will make you whole.