The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-01-25

four bearers now opened space large
enough to let down the sick man into
the chamber where Jesus stood Cords
tied to the couch made the rest easy;
and the paralytic was thus presently at
the feet of Jesus.
2. Jesus Perceives the Spirit
ual Source of the Disease. VS.. 90
%.
There he lay, the living dead. But
his outward troubles were not his great
est Looking upon his calamity as a
punishment from God for past sins, per-
haps feeling that it had been brought
upon him by vicious life, he was even
more sorely stricken in spirit than in
body. To be healed within was even
more with him than to be restored to
outward health. He had nothing to
say; perhaps he could not speak, for
palsy often binders articulation. But
his eyes told his whole story; and he be-
fore whom he had thus strangely come
read it at a glance.
With an endearing word used by
teachers to disciples, or by superiors in
age or rank, Jesus flashed the light of
hope on his troubled spirit. My child,
he said, thy sins are forgiven thee.
1t was a wondrous utterance; and
must have sounded still more strange
when first heard than to us who have
been familiar with it from childhood
No one had ever heard Jesus admit,
even by passing word, his own sinful
ness; he showed no humility before God
as sinner; never sought pardon at His
hands. Yet no rabbi equalled him in op-
position to all that was wrong; for he
went beyond the act to the sinful desire.
The standard he demanded was no less
than the awful perfection of God.
Those around him now hear him par
don the sins of the repentant creature
before him on his own authority. This
would have been contradictory had he
himself been conscious of having sin
and guilt of his own. 1t is clear that he
would have ventured no such assump-
tion of the prerogative of God, had he
not felt in himself an absolute harmony
with him, so that he only uttered what
he knew was the divine will.
The lofty words of Jesus at once
caught the ears of the lawyers on the
watch. They sounded new; and to be
new was to be dangerous. The Law
knew no official forgiving of sins, or alb
solution. Forgiveness was the direct
act of God. Even should mortal man
venture to declare it, he could only do
so in the name of Jehovah, and by lis
immediate authorization. But Jesus
had spoken in his own name. He had
not limited at being empowered by God
to act for him.
| The scribes we're greatly excited.
Whispers, ominous head shakings, dark
looks, and pious gesticulations of alarm,
showed that they were i'll at ease. "He
should have sent him to the priest to
present his sin-offering, and have it &C.
copied. 1t is blasphemy to speak of
forgiving sins. He is intruding on the
Divine rights" The blasphemer was to
be put to death by poisoning, his body
hung on tree, and then buried with
shame. Who can forgive SINS but God
| alone?
1t was the turning point in the life of
Jesus. The association of blasphemy.
now muttered in the hearts of the rabbis
present, was the beginning of the pro.
cess which ended on Calvary. And
Jesus knew it.
The genius of rabbinism was in direct
antagonism to that of his new teaching.
Christ required change Of heart; the
rabbis instruction. He looked at the
motive of an act; they at its strict &C.
cordance to legal forms. He contented
himself with implanting principle of
pure and loving obedience in the breast,
which should make men a law unto
themselves; they taught that every de-
tail Of religious observance, from the
cradle to the grave. to the very smallest,
should be prescribed. and rigidly fol-
lowed in every formal particular. He
promised the Divine Spirit to aid his
followers to perfect obedience by the
terms of the church courts which they
controlled. The wandering Galilean
teacher, who despised long robes and
phylacteries. and associated with the
rude and ignorant, from whom the
rabbis shrank as accursed for not know
ing the rabbinical law; who had no Ii.
eehse as teacher from any rabbinical
counsel, who had attended no rabbinical
school OF the Law, and was thus mere
unframed layman, usurping clerical
( functions. was instinctively suspected
and hated, though they could not affect
to despise him. Only spark was want
ing to set their hostility ablaze; and
this had now been supplied.
Jesus kept his eyes on the scribes and
knew their thoughts. They were still
more confused by his openly asking
them why they were thinking evil in
their hearts. He knew that they put
the worst construction on all he said,
and were laying up matter for future
open attack. But no passing thought