As you said these chapters flows fast and easy, its almost difficult what to pick out to comment on.
5 Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 6 But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” 7 Then the man got up and went home.
Jesus set them up. Its funny how he could have gone straight to healing the man and they would not have said a word. But he says their sins are forgiven and they freak. it had to be one of those things that make you go hmmm moments. For those few teachers thinking the evil thoughts I hope they did go hmmm.
knut
The way he does things makes me laugh sometimes. Exactly to your point. He didn't need to do it that way. But, he knew it would have the greatest impact. The next paragraph in the chapter, I think we read over it and not see the significance. Right after he goes toe to toe with the Pharisees and teachers of the law (to your point)....he goes out and calls Matthew. What does dawn on us right away, is that Matthew was a tax collector. He represented everything that was the "enemy" to the Jews. Almost all of the tax collectors cheated in their business and force-ably collected more than the law dictated. I can only assume that Matthew was no exception. And he represented the Romans! YUCK! That would be like Jesus calling an official of ISIS to follow him. We would say, "WHAT!" That's crazy!
ReplyDeleteWhen you look at both of these things. The real difference is perspective. In our perspective they seems completely insane and unthinkable. But, looking through God/Jesus' perspective, these things are logical and needed.
tp