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INJ
Forgiveness: Assured
St Mark 2:1-12
Divine Service
Epiphany VII
February 19th, 2006
Dear Saints,
How do you know that your sins are forgiven? This question is terribly important, for the Lord Jesus does not want us to live in doubt or with questions, but rather He desires that we would be sure. This, after all, is what faith is, the assurance and complete confidence in the Words and promises of God. The Lord's desires to give us this confidence, that we would answer with confidence and boldness the question, “Are your sins forgiven?” with a hearty “Yes” and “Amen.” Are you going to heaven? Yes. Amen.
This is exactly Jesus' point in the text appointed today from the second chapter of St Mark. We have been hearing how Jesus was teaching and healing and delivering the demonized from their affliction, and word had spread. In fact, the Gospel text from last week ended noting that Jesus could not go openly into a city, but that the people can out to Him in the desert places. [St Mark 1:45] Now, in chapter 2, Jesus goes into the city of Capernaum, and the crowd gathers so that there is no more room for people to get to Him.
Now, in this city there was a certain man who was a paralytic, unable to move. This man had faithful friends who had heard of Jesus and His miracle working and healing. These friends pick up their friend and carry him to Jesus. When they get there they see the house, surrounded by this huge crowd, but they are not daunted. They will get their friend to Jesus. If they can't get in through the door, they'll go through the roof. The climb on top of the house and start digging through the roof. These faithful friends open up a new sky-light, and lower their friend down in front of Jesus. And here is the wonderful part, for Jesus, seeing the faith of the friends, says, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
We don't know exactly how the man and his friends reacted to this. Is this what they expected? Could not Jesus see that the man couldn't walk? Didn't He want to heal him? That will come later, but Jesus deals with first things first, really the most important thing first: this man needs what we all need, the forgiveness of all sins. For our greatest problem, all of us, is our sin. Our greatest sickness it that we are sinners.
This is the central and most important teaching in the Scriptures, and here in the Lord's Church: the forgiveness of sins. This, in fact, is why the Lord Jesus established His church, so that He could daily and abundantly distribute the free forgiveness of sins, and so that we could be confident and sure that our sins are forgiven.
And listen to what happens in our text when Jesus talks like this, “Your sins are forgiven.” “Some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, 'Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgiven sins but God alone?'” [St Mark 2:6,7] “Who does this Jesus think that He is? He can work miracles, that's plain enough for everyone to see, but to claim that He can forgive sins, now that's going too far.” But this is how far Jesus whats to go, must go, for He came for this very purpose: to bring the forgiveness of sin to all people.
Jesus knows what they are saying, what they are grumbling about, and so He says, “Why do you reason about these things in your heart? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise, take up your bed and walk'?” The first is easier to say, but not easier to do. Anyone can say, “Your sins are forgiven,” but how do you know? Where's the proof? There is no way to verify the truth of the claim. And so to say, “Your sins are forgiven” is easier to say, but much more difficult to do, to make happen, this is something that only God can do.
But so the scribes would know, and so the paralyzed man would know, and so his friends would know and all the people gathered in the house would know, Jesus says the thing that is harder to say but easier to do. “'But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins'- He said to the paralytic , 'I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go your way to your house.'” [St Mark 2:10,11] This is the harder thing to say because there is proof, the witnesses and people gathered around will know immediately if Jesus is speaking with authority or not. If Jesus says, “Get up and walk” and the man doesn't move, then they will know that He is an impostor. But if Jesus says “Get up and walk” and the man does just that very thing, then they will know that this Jesus has authority, that He speaks and it is, and the paralytic will have the sure and certain comfort that his sins are forgiven, on heaven as on earth.
And so it is, that when Jesus speaks it is done. “And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of all of them, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, 'We never saw anything like this!'” [St Mark 2:12] What a wonder! Jesus attaches this miracle, this healing, this sign to this word of forgiveness so that it might be sure and certain. And the Lord does the same for us. He has attached His word of forgiveness, the most important word that we ever hear spoken, to signs, external marks and things so that we might know, and be certain, that our sins are forgiven.
He attached the word of forgiveness to the water of holy baptism. What is baptism? Not just plain water, but it is water included in God's command and combined with God's word. And the water, with this word is a life-giving water, rich in grace, and a washing of the Holy Spirit which works the forgiveness of sins, rescues from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe this. So we can know with certainty, with confidence that our sins are forgiven, the Lord has given us the gift of baptism. He has connected His name and His word to this outward sign and act, promising “He who believes and is baptized shall be saved.” [St Mark 16:16] “Are you born again? Are you saved? Are your sins forgiven?” You can answer this question the unwavering confidence of faith, “Yes, I am baptized.”
And the Lord is rich in His grace, for not only did He connect the promise of forgiveness to Holy Baptism, but also to His Supper. Here, at the altar, He has bound the promise of forgiveness to His very own body and blood. Or, to say it another way, that we might be certain and sure that our sins are forgiven, He gives us His body and blood as a sure seal and sign and pledge. Jesus says, “This is My body, given for you. This is My blood, shed for you for the remission of sins.” How do we know that this food is food for the soul that nourishes and strengthens the new man by the forgiveness of sins? How can we be sure our sins are forgiven? Jesus gives us, as a pledge, His very own body and blood, this very highest heavenly treasure, so that we might know and be confident and sure. We place ourselves in that “you”, the given and shed for you” you, and know “My sins are forgiven.”
“'But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins'- He said to the paralytic , 'I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go your way to your house.'” [St Mark 2:10,11] And, dear saints, that you may know that the same Jesus has the authority to forgiven sins, and that you may know that He has forgiven your sins, He has given you this font, and this altar, and these words, “I, in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ, forgive you all your sins, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.” Amen.
May God grant to each of us, that we know, and are certain and confident in this, the Lord Jesus has forgiven our sins. Amen.
And now may the peace of God, which passes all understanding, guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
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Pastor Wolfmueller