Winter, Jetties and Clerks.

I have just had one of those little thoughts. I was going to add a second reading from the daily office, but then I thought… the ESV is copyright. Stay within fair use. Do not needlessly offend the clerks, for they have lawyers, and a court case lasts forever.

What we have in this passage is people thinking a jetty is a bridge. For those who do not know, this is a Jetty.

Ah, the joys of Auckland in late Autumn (read June). That part of the world only has one month of cold: further south we expect snow on the hills by the end of the day, and June, July and August function as winter.

Jesus Heals a Paralytic

And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? But 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, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

(Mark 2:1-12 ESV)

I have written about this passage before, and I think on more than one occasion, a quick search for Capernaum brings up a number of posts.

Unlike a number of other bloggers I don’t mind if I repeat myself. repetition, in the sake of the gospel is good, and being reminded of the same thing is important. We need to let the Spirit of God drive some things through our brain and into our bones. In this fallen age, we have to reach the point where the flesh is unthinkable. I am, in no way, near this. I fall daily, I fail daily. I still need the spirit beating the word through my stubbornness, my intellectualism, my thick skull

The question that the clerks asked was on the lines, to Christ, of “are you nuts? Is this hyperbole?.”

And the answer from Christ is it is not. He is being literal. He has the power to forgive sins. The Jews knew their law, and knew that God was a jealous God, and one should worship him alone. They knew that such a claim indicated that Jesus was claiming to be more than a prophet — for the prophets, from Joseph to Elijah had not claimed that. They had told others to worship God, not them.

Christ is claiming divine power and the audience knew it. Healing the paralytic was a demonstration. The act caused the crowd to praise God, as they knew they ought to. But the idea that one’s sins could be healed by the word of God, without being in a vision, (as Isaiah was) was not thinkable. That was not merely heretical speculation or pagan syncretism, for both existed in that time. It was literally a thought no one could comprehend. We, rightly, concentrate on the saving work of Christ on the cross, but his incarnation was as miraculous, and as much a mystery.

So let no one claim that Jesus was just a prophet. We have the words of the prophets, and they do not claim this: do not let him just be a good teacher, because teachers acknowledge those who came before.

And neither claim to be able to forgive sins. But Christ is God incarnate, and that allows for him to do what we cannot.