Anxious or Depressed? Free coaching: info@wamkuipers.nl

Easy? 5 Jan 2019

What is easier?

My friend Jeroen asked me a question today:
What is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'?
Actually the question is a quote from Matt 9:5 and the question was raised on:
hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/christology

My plain answer:

Saying the words is equally simple!

But ... the question raises a great opportunity to share a few words on forgiveness and on healing.

It took me 7 eggs to take this picture!

The story in short

Jesus says to a paralytic man that his sins are forgiven. When the pharisees complained, he raises the question what easier is. Finally he instructed the paralytic to get up and the man got up and walked.

Your sins are forgiven

1. I believe that Jesus did not blame the paralytic man for his sins. I assume, there may have been sins with the man, e.g. unbelief or bitterness, that hindered his healing. So those sins needed forgiveness for the further healing process.

2. When I had asked forgiveness in confession of sins of many years to a priest, I felt relieved and filled with joy. When I am asked if God can forgive sins, yes He can. Even I can (and need to) forgive a person who has sinned to me.

Get up and walk

It is simple to say to person: you are healed. A question remains: is that man really healed.
The words are not the real issue. The real issue is: does the person feel healed (or forgiven)?

Again: what is harder?

For me it is harder to heal a person with my speaking. I pray for healing for people. But I do not consider myself very successful.
I can however say: I forgive you to my wife or to my friend, and usually the forgiveness is accepted!