2/17/21

"Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed and walk?
But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,)
I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house.
And immediately he arose,..." (Mark 2:9-12)
P. T. Barnum is credited with coining the phrase, "Talk is cheap..."
But, Jesus said it here in my A. M. reading assignment. That was long before P. T. Barnum.
Remember this heart-warming passage?
1) Four men bring a paralyzed man to Jesus.
2) They carried him in his bed.
3) They couldn't enter the house where Jesus was because there were so many people in the way.
4) They went upon the roof of the house, and made a whole large enough to lower the man through, in his bed!
5) When Jesus saw the effort they made to get this man unto Him, He reacted immediately reacted. (God honors our efforts to bring people to Him.)
6) Jesus said, "...Son, thy sins be forgiven thee." (v. 5) (We need forgiveness worse than we need physical health.)
Well, now! That opened a can of worms! Some scribes were sitting in the crowd. They took offense at what Jesus said. (Scribes were experts in the law. They were lawyers! To finish what P. T. Barnum said, "Talk is cheap, until you hire a lawyer.")
These lawyers said, "...Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only?" (v. 7) They were so smart that they didn't know that they were speaking to God when they spoke to Jesus!
So, Jesus said to these attorneys, "What is easier to say, Your sins are forgiven?, or, Rise up, and carry your bed back home?" ( I paraphrased that.) (v. 9)
'Talk is cheap! (P. T. Barnum)
But, "Action speaks louder than words". (Mark Twain) Mark Twain also said, "Put up, or shut up!"
Again, Jesus said that long before Mark Twain. Reckon these fellers were reading their Bibles?
Jesus proved that He not only could forgive a man of his sins, but that He could also heal a man that was paralyzed!
That man was carried in the house by four others, but walked out of the house carrying his own bed!
Jesus has the power to forgive sin, and to change lives!
From my heart to your heart.