<< Back |
Chosen no: R-3314 b, from: 1904 Year. |
Change lang
| |
Power On Earth To Forgive Sins
--MARK 2:1-12.--FEBRUARY 14.--
AFTER the busy experiences of the Sabbath day, referred to in our last lesson,
our Lord withdrew from Capernaum to a desert place for private communion with
the Father. Later his four disciples joined him, as also others, who urged his
return to Capernaum, but instead he went for a time to other cities and
villages of Galilee. Our lesson marks his return to Capernaum, where the people
soon learned of his presence and gathered in large numbers to see and hear him.
It was probably at Peter's house, which in construction was
LIKE OTHER ORIENTAL HOUSES,
that the gathering was held. Many of these houses are built with a
central court or yard, from which access is gained to the various rooms, which
receive their light and ventilation from the yard and are usually one story in
height. Oft-times a part of this yard is covered with a tile roof, making of it
a kind of veranda. The outside wall extends two or three feet above the roof,
which is reached by an outside stairway and in summer is the usual sleeping
place. Some of the incidents of this lesson imply that this was the arrangement
of the house in which our Lord was stopping, the multitude coming around by the
door in the courtyard, and our Lord probably addressing them from the further
end of the veranda or covered part of the court.
"He preached the Word unto them." How we would have enjoyed
hearing him! how we would like even now to have a stenographic report of his
"Wonderful Words of Life"! His text must have been from the Old
Testament, as the New was not yet written. Quite probably his message was
respecting sin and the defilement which comes to humanity through sin, and the
penalty which God has prescribed, namely, death. We can mention many excellent
texts for such a discourse, as, for instance, "Though thy sins be as
scarlet, they shall be as white as snow." Or the types of sin and its
cleansing, as represented in the treatment of the lepers under the Mosaic Law;
or the types of the Law showing the necessity for the sin offerings and the
work of the atonement day, as being the blotting out of sins and the
reconciliation of the people to God; or the type of sin represented in the
fiery serpents of the wilderness and the cure for their venom in a look at the
brazen serpent on the pole, typifying our Lord. In any event we may be sure
that the grand truths of the Gospel were gloriously set forth by him who
"spake as never man spake."
While the preaching was in progress, four men bearing on a stretcher a
palsied companion approached the house; but the throng at the door, intent upon
hearing and seeing, would not make way, even in the prospect of seeing a
miracle performed. Full of faith, the bearers carried the stretcher up the
stairway to the top of the low roof over to the veranda: some of the tiling was
lifted and, apparently without ropes, the stretcher was handed to those below,
immediately in front of the place where the Lord stood preaching. Of course
THE PREACHING WAS INTERRUPTED.
However, the Lord evidently interwove the circumstances of the
interruption with the lessons of his discourse. He quietly waited and mentally
reflected upon the faith of the man and his companions while the sick one was
thus being lowered before him, and then said to the sick, "Son, thy sins
be forgiven thee." We doubt not that in the Lord's providence this
declaration of the forgiveness of sins came in opportunely with Jesus' previous
discourse. Here was an opportunity to show that the great difficulty afflicting
the whole human family is sin, without which there would be no sickness, no
pain, no death, no separation from God. The Lord did not ask the man respecting
his previous course in life, nor wait for him to express sorrow for sin, but
handed him a pardon as a gift or benefaction. One thing, however, he did
have--a condition indispensable to pardon--he had faith, faith in the Lord as
the sent of God; and at that time he could have had no greater faith than this,
no more particular understanding of how the grace of God extends toward us
through Jesus. [R3314 : page 40]
This teaches us several lessons: First, how important faith is in the
Lord's estimation--he asked for faith, not for works--though of course he knew,
and we all know, that if true faith were exercised corresponding works would
naturally and unavoidably follow. Another lesson it taught is the willingness
of the Lord to forgive sins, to ignore them, to deal with us as though we were
free from sin. This, however, does not mean a total blotting out of the sins,
so that they could not be revived by our loss of faith or misconduct. The
parable of the two servants who were forgiven a large debt, and one of whom was
subsequently cast into prison for the very debt he had been forgiven, because
he did not exercise mercy toward his fellow-servant, is a proof of this. Forgiveness
extended to us now on account of faith is of the nature of a covering or hiding
of our sins. As the prophet expresses the matter, "Blessed is the man
whose sin is covered-- unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity." (Psa. 32:1,2.) Our sins are not imputed so long as we would
renounce them and seek to follow the Lord in faith and in sincerity. The time
for the blotting out of sins, their complete eradication, is future, as the
Apostle Peter declared. Our sins will be blotted out when we receive our new
perfect bodies, in which there will remain no trace of the weaknesses,
imperfections and maladies that came upon us because of original and subsequent
sin.-- Acts 3:19-21.
"WHO
CAN FORGIVE SINS BUT GOD ONLY?"
Our Lord perceived the thoughts in
the hearts of some of his hearers in connection with this declaration that the
sick man's sins were forgiven him, and he answered the objection--not
specifically and in detail, but in a general way. He asked them to bear witness
as to which would be the easier thing to do, and which therefore would be the
more complete test of his divine authority and powers. They had thought that
the forgiveness of sins would represent greater power and authority than the
doing of miracles, but our Lord illustrated how much easier it is to declare
the forgiveness of sins than to perform a cure, and then he did perform a cure
as proof that he did have the authority to forgive sins. He said to the palsied
man, "Arise, take up thy bed and go thy way." And immediately the
miracle took place; the sick man was cured and able to bear away his couch on
which he had previously been carried.
The question of the scribes may
arise in some minds today [R3315 : page 40] and we
confess that it is not entirely answered even by the miracle. The miracle shows
us that the Lord did have the power to forgive sins, but it does not explain to
us the philosophy of the arrangement by which our Lord Jesus was permitted to
suspend the condemnation of sin which the Father had imposed. We suggest that
he had authority to do this, to pronounce the forgiveness of the sins, because
he had come into the world to be the Redeemer of mankind --because he had
already made a covenant of consecration unto death at the time of his
baptism--because at the very moment when he made this declaration he was in
process of giving his life, "laying down his life," for man's
redemption. Our Lord's authority, therefore, is well established. He had
already done much of the work necessary for the blotting out of sins; he had
left the glory which he had with the Father; he had become a man; he had
consecrated his life; he had partially given it, and very shortly the sacrifice
would be complete at Calvary. On the strength
of all these facts, our Lord was evidently justified in declaring the man's
sins forgiven.
CAN
OTHERS FORGIVE SINS?
We may perhaps put an old thought in
a newer and more startling form when we say that others besides Jesus can
forgive sins. We do not refer to the claim of power by Catholic priests that,
through the operation of forms and ceremonies and the sacrifices of the mass,
they are commissioned to forgive sins; but we do refer to the commission of
God's consecrated people, the Royal Priesthood. These, as the members of the
body of Christ, as ambassadors for God, as mouthpieces of the Lord, are fully
qualified to declare to people today--to all true believers in Jesus--the very
words which he addressed to the paralytic of this lesson. We have said, and do
say, and will continue to say to all penitent believers in Jesus--to all who
have come to a knowledge of God's grace in Christ, and accepted him and his
Word--to these we are privileged to declare, Thy sins are forgiven thee;--thy
sins are covered by the sacrifice of Calvary, and if thou wilt continue
steadfast in faith and in obedience, thy sins shall ultimately be completely
blotted out, and thou shalt have a share in the glories of thy Lord, in
resurrection power, free from every sin and stain and blemish.--Acts
3:19.
Which is the greater power, to work
miracles upon the natural body or to work a miracle of grace in the heart?--to
straighten crooked limbs or to straighten out moral characters?--to heal those
palsied and benumbed in body or to apply the vitalizing current of Truth, which
will vivify and quicken those who are morally comatose, benumbed by sin,
deadened to righteousness, truth, goodness, etc.?--to open blind natural eyes
or to open the eyes of men's understanding, that they may see the lengths and
breadths and heights and depths of the divine character and plan?
Again we hold, as in our last
lesson, that the great Head of the Church has given to the members of his body
greater works to do than those which he did; because under his blessing and
guidance we are living in the time when, under the anointing of his Spirit, it
is possible to do these higher and greater works.
THE
LESSON OF HELPFULNESS.
Several other lessons may be drawn
from this narrative. One of these is the propriety of helping to bring one
another to the Lord, to the Truth, to the influences and benefits and blessings
sure to come from the contact with Jesus [R3315 : page
41] or the members of his body. A very large proportion of the blessing
which has been bestowed upon the Lord's people through the Gospel has come
through individual and private effort. In saying this we do not make light of
preaching, studying, tract distribution, etc., etc.,--we are glad to believe
that the Lord uses all of these to carry forward the Truth and to make it
known,--nevertheless, we believe that there is an individual work also to be
done, a personal work. We advise that all of the Lord's people, while giving
diligence to use opportunities for general service of the kinds mentioned, do
not forget nor neglect to look for opportunities for individual service in bringing
their friends and neighbors to the Lord and into contact with the Truth.
Many in the world hear about Jesus,
hear about the great Jubilee times of restitution coming, hear about the
blessing of all the families of the earth through the Seed of Abraham, hear
about the call and the election of the Seed of Abraham at the present time, and
have the desire to approach the Lord and to make consecration and to obtain a
share in the blessing that is now being offered, yet they are morally
paralyzed. They need some one to help them into the Lord's presence, to help
them to the point of making a consecration of their all to the Lord. They have
faith to some extent, yet they are weak in other respects, and they need others
who are stronger than themselves to assist them.
To what extent are we each and all
zealously using the opportunities which the Lord has put in our power to
glorify his name and to bless our sin-sick neighbors, not only by telling them
about Jesus and his wonderful words of life, but to what extent are we
additionally helping them to come to him? There are various ways in which we
may assist, by word, by letter, by invitation to meetings, etc. However, one
necessary element in all help is that our own course of conduct must be in
accord with that which we commend to others. If we ourselves have been to Jesus
and learned of him and caught some of his self-sacrifice and love, we will be
the better able to help others who desire to come to him. They who would be the
ambassadors of the Lord in telling men of the forgiveness of sins and the
privileges of sonship in the present time, must themselves manifest not only a
faith in their own forgiveness but, additionally, must show a transformation of
life in progress, evidencing the fact that they are now the friends of God,
that they have been with Jesus and learned of him.
It is one thing to "bore"
our friends and children with our religion, and quite another thing to manifest
always such an interest in their spiritual welfare as would draw them to us for
assistance when, under divine providences, they might desire to seek the Lord. Our
experience teaches that many parents, otherwise loving and careful, neglect
this matter, and hold themselves too much aloof from their children,
particularly on religious matters. Furthermore, there is a delicacy on this
subject with the sincere, lest they should be thought hypocritical, that makes
them more diffident than on most other subjects. And many desirous of a word or
two of encouragement and sympathy, have approached friends for advice, and have
been repulsed by a joke or a worldly spirit. Every member of Christ, every
Royal Priest, should remember that his first business in life, aside from his
own development, is to help others to the Redeemer. Let us each strive this
year, more earnestly than ever, to let our lights shine out, so that those
seeking the Lord may be drawn to us as his representatives; and that in coming
to us they may not be repulsed by our words or manners, but find us
anticipating, sympathetic, helpful.
W.T. R-3314 b : page 39 – 1904 r.