When He had come back to Capernaum several days afterward, it was heard that He was at home. And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room, not even near the door; and He was speaking the word to them. And they came, bringing to Him a paralytic, carried by four men. Being unable to get to Him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Him; and when they had dug an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic was lying. And Jesus seeing their faith said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven." But some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, "Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming; who can forgive sins but God alone?" Immediately Jesus, aware in His spirit that they were reasoning that way within themselves, said to them, "Why are you reasoning about these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven'; or to say, 'Get up, and pick up your pallet and walk '? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins "— He said to the paralytic, I say to you, get up, pick up your pallet and go home." And he got up and immediately picked up the pallet and went out in the sight of everyone, so that they were all amazed and were glorifying God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this."
The paralytic, as well, was considered judged by evil spirits because of his sin. Certainly he was not allowed to enter the temple to pray to God there (Leviticus 21:18-20—although this passage is specifically speaking about priests), and he was unable to work, unable to be married—unable to participate in society. But he had friends, or at least people who had pity on him, who decided to work for him. Jesus was teaching in Peter’s house, and it was so crowded, no one could get in. So these men decided to do something outrageous—to tear up Peter’s roof, and lower the handicapped man through. Jesus didn’t rebuke them for their impropriety, but rewarded it instead.
But he didn’t immediately heal the man. Instead he said, “Your sins are forgiven.” To say this, Jesus was recognizing that his handicap came because of evil he did before God, it was an indication that he was exiled from God’s presence, separated from God. But now, Jesus said, because of the outrageous act of faith of his friends, he is accepted back in God’s presence, released from exile.
Scribes were literally, “those who could read and write” in ancient society, and this indicated that they were educated. In this case, they flexed their educated muscles, declaring that Jesus could not say who was forgiven and who was not—only God could. Jesus couldn’t hear what they said, but he knew what they were talking about. So to indicate that God supported Jesus’ words, Jesus healed the man by the power of God. Jesus’ healings were not just about making people better, they mostly indicated that the one healed was not condemned by God, but accepted by him.
The main point of Jesus' ministry was opening doors to people so that they could connect to God. That's what forgiveness really is-- an open relationship. Jesus was more concerned about the paralytic's relationship to God than about his healing. Why? Because his healing could happen in the resurrection, or it could happen now, but if he has no relationship with God, then there is no healing, ever.
But it is just as important for everyone to know that he is right before God as well as for God to allow that relationship to exist. That's why Jesus healed him-- so that the religious leaders had to admit that God is connected to the poor. Even today, the religious leaders deny that the poor and hurting truly have faith. For some reason, they think that only the healed and the rich have a good relationship with God. They seem to have ignored both the gospel and James-- "It is the poor who are rich in faith."
It is our responsibility as religious people to draw people to God. It is also our responsibility to not put blocks in the ways of the poor and hurting to keep them thinking that they are separated from God, when they are not.
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