Our Greatest Need!

“But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.” (Mt 9:6 AV)

This is an amazing truth.  Remember, this event was rather early in His ministry.  Remember that the foundation of the ministry of Christ was not medicinal.  It was spiritual.  In particular, the foundation of the ministry of Jesus was repentance and faith toward God.  The body will perish.  Those who are redeemed will receive a perfect and eternal body.  There is no deaf, dumb, or lame saints in glory.  When Jesus healed the sick, it was only temporary.  Eventually everyone whom He made whole would die of something.  Above, we see the real power of Jesus Christ.  We see the eternal power of Christ.  We see what matters most.  We see that the Son has power to forgive all sins.  The Father has bestowed upon the Son the privilege of judicial forgiveness.  The Son will sit upon His white throne and look upon those who have trusted in His grace.  He will say one word which opens the gates of heaven – FORGIVEN!  This word is uttered on earth before it is uttered in heaven.  The day a lost soul chooses to trust in the grace of his Creator and the gift of salvation bought by the blood of the Son is the day the Son shouted from glory – FORGIVEN!

Forgiveness is a natural human desire.  It is stronger in some than others, but it is there.  It is closely associated with our need to be affirmed.  We want someone to accept us regardless of what we have done or what we are.  If we are unacceptable, we turn to other means to drown out the sorrow.  But forgiveness is what we need and what we want.  One of the saddest circumstances I have ever had to deal with was that of a dying patient who was estranged from her daughter.  She was dying from emphysema.  It is a particularly cruel way to go.  The patient is slowly dying from oxygen deprivation.  She could not breathe.  One of her last wishes was to be reunited with her estranged daughter.  Apparently, they had a falling out decades earlier.  As to the measure of fault each held, that was not a detail divulged to me.  It really didn’t matter, anyway.  In any failure of relationship, the fault is usually shared.  This dear lady was in tears.  She simply wanted a brief visit from her daughter so she could gain forgiveness for whatever part of which she was responsible.  There was no manipulation.  There was no pretense.  She simply wanted her daughter to forgive her.  The daughter would not even speak to her mother on the phone.  As far as I know, this greatly humbled lady died as an unforgiven mother.  More time was not her greatest need.  Her greatest need was her daughter’s forgiveness.

The reaction of those assembled to the miracle they had just witnessed is very telling.  There were some who were deeply offended that Jesus forgave the sins of the lame man.  They would be right to be offended if Jesus was mere man.  If Jesus is not the Lord Jesus Christ, they would be righteous to be angry.  But then there were those who rejoiced that such power was given to man.  Some suggest the power to heal was that to which Matthew we referring.  But the context lends to eternal forgiveness being the power given to man.  In particular, the power was given to Jesus Christ who came in the form of a man.  Why?  Because forgiveness, and specifically eternal forgiveness, is man’s greatest need.  I can rest my head upon my pillow is peace every single night because I know that I have been forgiven!  I can walk upon this earth with no fear of death because I know I am forgiven.  I did not earn it.  I cannot earn it.  I am no better than anyone else and must worse than most.  But this saint has trusted in the grace of God by which forgiveness comes.  He does not owe it to me.  My faith in Him does not entitle me to His grace.  Rather, my Creator took pity on me and accepted the blood of His Son as full payment of all that I have or will do and for that which I have or will fail to do.  FORGIVENESS!  My greatest need met in the person and offering of the man who came with the power to forgive.  JESUS CHRIST!