Trench and camp. [volume] (Augusta, Ga.) 1917-1919, 1918-01-23
JESUS FORGlVlNG SIN
Golden Textile Son of Man hath
power on earth to forgive sins
Mark 2:10
Lesson-Mark 2:1-12.


Capernaum after some days, it was
noiSed that he was in the house. 2 And
many were gathered together, so that
there was no longer room for them,
no. not even about the door: and he
spake the word unto them. 3 And they
came, bringing unto him q man sick
of the palsy, borne of four And when
they could not come night unto him for
the crowd, they uncovered the roof
where he was: and when they had
broken it up, they let down the bed
wherein the sick Of the palsy lay. 5
And Jesus seeing their faith, saith
unto the sick of the palsy, thy sins
are forgiven. But there were certain
of the scribes sitting there, and reas-
oning in their hearts Why doth this
man thus speak? he blasphemeth:
who can forgive sins but one, even
God? And straightway Jesus, per-
Ceiving in his spirit that they so reas-
oned Within themselves, saith unto
them, Why reason ye these things in
your hearts? (Which is easier to say
to the sick Of the palsy, Thy sins are
fOrgiven or to say, Arise, take up thy
bed and walk. 10 But that We may
know that the Son Of Man hath au-
thority on earth to forgive sins Che
saith to the sick Of tie palsy, II [ say
unto thee, Arise, take up thy bed, and
go unto thy house. 2 And he arose,
and straightway took UP the bed, and
that they were all amazed, and glori-
fled God, saying, WE never saw it on
this fashion. american Reyised.)
The public interest taken in the
ministry of Jesus would have ruined
the work of any man. He, however,
never lost an opportunity. When the
throng was too great for the people to
bring their sick 10 him for healing, he
seized this chance Of teaching them.
There were also some men here
whose earnestness was so great as not
to allow them to miss an opportunity.
They had a friend whose healing they
greatly desired, and they believed
with all their hearts that Jesus could
heal him Less believing, or deter
mined, men would have given up
when they saw the 1hrong Of people;
but these men were willing to resort
to unusual meth DDS to secure their
end. They went up on the flat top Of
the house, removed some Of the tiles,
and lowered their friend to the feet of
Jesus.
This is a good illustration of the
way in which we may help our friends
to the blessings which Jesus bestows.
In response to their faith, Jesus
healed the man. Does that mean the
faith of the friends, or their faith to-
gether with that of the sick man?
Probably the latter but even so, the
faith of his friends was doubtless the
cause of the quCkening of his faith.
1t is interesting to know that our
faith may avail for the salvation of
our friends
This man could not have been
brought to Jesus except through this
70 Cf HI frin dc Ia <
poWerless to help himself So there are
thousands of spiritually palsied men
who will never find Jesus unless their
believing friends bring them to him.
The way in which Jesus couples for
giveness and healing raises the cues
ton as to whether there were cas-
ual connection between this mans sin
and his suffering. The question is not
vital, since Jesus taught so clearly
that there was not always such con-
neCtion between sin and suffering, and
since careful observation will make
plain to us when such a relation eX-
lists.
Jesus probably saw that this mans
faith was sufficient to enable him to
receive the forgiveness Of his sins, and
mentioned forgiveness first as en-
phasizing that which was most i'm
portant. The greatest blessing which
can come to any man is the forgive
ness Of his sins. we do not appreciate
this as we should, because Of our
blnnted sense Of sin.
incidentally. this incident is a testi-
mony to the divinity Of jesus. The
scribes were right in their reasoning
that none had power to forgive sins
but God. Jesus way of putting the
case suggested as the only true ex-
PLANTATION Of the power which he show
ed in this and other cases, that Cod
was In him. This case was, a direct
challenge to them 30 accept Jesus as
the Son of God.