Seventh Sunday After Epiphany, Feb. 23, 2003
Isaiah 43:18-25; Psalm 32 or 32:1-8; 2 Cor. 1:18-22; Mark 2:1-12
We often find it harder to “remember not the former things” than does the Lord himself. The psalmist tells us “as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12). We are told that the Lord blots out our transgressions and does not remember our sins (Isaiah 43.25). The marvel of the biblical revelation is that the Lord will forgive and forget our sins. And as the psalmist says, “Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven” (Psalm 32).
The precious gift of forgiveness is the theme of Mark 2. Jesus tells the paralyzed man, “Your sins are forgiven.” In this dramatic encounter, Jesus asserts the prerogative to forgive sins as only God can do. The irony in this encounter is that the paralyzed man received what he was not looking for. He wanted to get up and walk, but he is first forgiven. To demonstrate the veracity of Jesus’ claim, the man does rise and walk, to the amazement of all. The first and obvious lesson is that Jesus is exercising divine authority. Second, it shows us what our greatest need is, and that Jesus has come to meet that need. That need is forgiveness, a need many do not recognize because of the hardness of our hearts. The attitude of many is like that of the skeptic, Voltaire, “God will forgive us; that is his business.” However, the gift of forgiveness comes with a price tag — the death and resurrection of Christ, and for us, the willingness to be counted as a sinner in need of God’s grace, and active trust and dependence upon the Lord Jesus.
Later in chapter 2, Jesus says, “those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners” (2:17). The person for whom Jesus has nothing to say is the “righteous” person, the person who believes he or she can claim at least some credit in establishing a relationship with God and a place in heaven.
Look It Up
Psalm 103:12, Jeremiah 31:34, and Isaiah 43:25. What do we learn about the Lord's forgiveness from these passages?
Think About It
Paul says in Romans 10:3 “being ignorant of the righteousness that comes from God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness.” In what ways do we attempt to establish our own righteousness? How can we cover our own sins?
Next Sunday
Last Sunday After Epiphany, March 2, 2003
1 Kings 19:9-18; Psalm 27 or 27:5-11; 2 Pet. 1:16-19 (20-21); Mark 9:2-9
