Forgiveness or Healing – Which is Better?

ALL – Psalm 65:1-13
ALL – Proverbs 11:23
OT – Numbers 33:40-35:34
NT – Luke 5:12-28

When I began to work at Toccoa Falls College as an Application Coordinator in the Admissions Office, my supervisor was already a very sick lady. She had been battling cancer. Courageously. She was a Christian, and her trust was in her Lord Jesus Christ. She had found forgiveness of her sins through Him. But now she was sick, and growing more sick. And she wanted to be healed. We prayed for her to be healed.

Often when we read about Jesus’ ministry to the sick or disabled, we hear Him say, “I am willing to heal you. Rise and walk,” or something along those lines. We get used to those words. We find them to be extremely comforting. Jesus seems to put such a priority on healing people’s sick bodies. We know Jesus cares.

But in Luke we read the story of a paralyzed man. His friends had to work extra hard to bring him to Jesus. Jesus was inside a house, and they couldn’t even approach Jesus because of how crowded the place was. Their creative solution? This paralyzed man’s friends lowered him on his mat through a hole they made in the roof of the house! Obviously they were hoping for healing.

But Jesus’ first words to this paralyzed man weren’t, “Be healed.” Instead, Luke records this:

Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the man, “My friend, your sins are forgiven!” – Luke 5:20, The Living Bible

Jesus first words to the man were not healing, but forgiveness. It is only after some religious leaders challenge Jesus’ authority to forgive sins that Jesus turns to heal the man. The way the story reads, Jesus actually heals the paralyzed man more as evidence of His own authority to forgive sins than anything else. But finally the paralyzed man hears the words from Jesus’ lips:

Pick up your stretcher and go on home, for you are healed! – Luke 5:25, The Living Bible

The response?

And immediately, as everyone watched, the man jumped to his feet, picked up his mat and went home praising God! – Luke 5:26, The Living Bible

Our attention is usually drawn to the fact that this man was healed. That’s what impresses us: the reality that he jumped to his feet, picked up his mat and went home. But what about the last two words in Luke 5:26, “praising God.” Do we notice those? Perhaps the man was praising God merely for his healing. But what if those two words are meant to indicate that his relationship with God had been healed? What if the fact that he was praising God had more to do with Jesus’ words, “Your sins are forgiven,” than His words, “You are healed”?

Which is better? Forgiveness? Or healing? A restored relationship with God or a restored body? If you say “healing,” what makes it better? If you say “forgiveness,” do you really believe that? Seriously? How often do we thank God for His forgiveness?

The Rest of the Week's Readings:
March 23, 2010

ALL – Psalm 66:1-20
ALL – Proverbs 11:24-26
OT – Numbers 36:1-Deuteronomy 1:46
NT – Luke 5:29-6:11

March 24, 2010

ALL – Psalm 67:1-7
ALL – Proverbs 11:27
OT – Deuteronomy 2:1-3:29
NT – Luke 6:12-38

March 25, 2010

ALL – Psalm 68:1-18
ALL – Proverbs 11:28
OT – Deuteronomy 4:1-49
NT – Luke 6:39-7:10

March 26, 2010

ALL – Psalm 68:19-35
ALL – Proverbs 11:29-31
OT – Deuteronomy 5:1-6:25
NT – Luke 7:11-35

March 27, 2010

ALL – Psalm 69:1-18
ALL – Proverbs 12:1
OT – Deuteronomy 7:1-8:20
NT – Luke 7:36-8:3

March 28, 2010

ALL – Psalm 69:19-36
ALL – Proverbs 12:2-3
OT – Deuteronomy 9:1-10:22
NT – Luke 8:4-21

To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.