Impact of Forgiveness

“Jesus … said to the paralyzed man, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven.’ […] The scribes … ‘Who can forgive sins except God alone?’ […] He said to the paralyzed man, ‘I say to you, get up, pick up your pallet, and go home.’” – Mark 2:5-7, 10-11 NASB

The paralyzed man needed to be healed. Yet before addressing his physical problems, Jesus first forgave his sins. To the scribes in the room, this was blasphemy!

Jesus asked if they thought it was easier to forgive sins or heal the man. The scribes might have thought there were degrees of difficulty. But Jesus demonstrated that, with Him, there was no barrier. He had full authority (vs. 9-10). As proof, He healed the man. He could both heal and forgive.

Jesus was demonstrating the connection between the physical and emotional parts of our lives. Today, doctors can confirm this connection. Recent studies reveal that unforgiveness causes stress and leads to emotional, physical, and mental problems. But forgiveness leads to healing.

For the sake of our health and our testimony, we need to seek forgiveness in our relationship with God. We are promised that if we confess our sins, He will forgive and cleanse us (1 John 1:9). This also is an important part of our relationships with others. As Jesus taught, we are to be forgiving people. If fact, before asking God for His forgiveness we first need to forgive others (Matthew 6:12).

Remember, there is no limit to the forgiveness process. No matter what we do, God is ready to forgive us. No matter how often someone sins against us, we are to forgive them (Matthew 18:21-22).

Reflection Question: Do you need to forgive someone else today?