Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralyzed Man

Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts?  Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.”

• – Matthew 9:4-6

As a human, it’s typically much easier to say something than to do something. “Easier said than done,” as the saying goes.  Someone may say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ but who has authority to actually forgive sin?  And how could anyone tell if any sins were actually forgiven?  Where’s the proof?  Likewise, someone could say, ‘Get up and walk,’ to a paralyzed person, but it would be pretty obvious whether any getting up and walking actually happened as a result.  Healing a paralyzed man with a few words, Jesus showed His words were more than just words, that He was no ordinary man, and gave credence to his claim to be able to forgive sin.