Matthew 9.1-8

Jesus comes to preach the good news of the kingdom of God, in this giving humanity a sneak peek at what’s to come. Jesus has stated he has come to fulfill the law and the profits, while preaching his most famous sermon. Jesus has healed the sick, from both near and far. Jesus has calmed the storm, showing his power and authority over creation. But what Jesus does now, in this text, trumps all of this. Because in today’s text we get a glimpse of Jesus the blasphemer.

We know this text, and even if you haven’t read it I am sure you have heard of it. Jesus is back in Capernaum and is brought a paralyzed man. (Depending upon which gospel is read you come to understand that the paralyzed man is brought to Jesus by his friends, this occurs while Jesus is preaching/ teaching in a house.) Friends, scribes, Pharisees are all present at this time, and have been listening to Jesus teach for several days. When the paralytic is presented before Jesus and the crowd, Jesus does two things. He forgives the man of sin, later healing the man of his paralysis. 

What most people remember from this text is that Jesus once again healed yet another man. This is unfortunate, because what is most important is that Jesus is declared to be a blasphemer. Matt 9:3; Then some of the experts of the law said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.”

But why is Jesus declared as such? Oh yeah, it is because God is the only one who can forgive sins. So what is Jesus stating to his crowd (and to us, the reader)? It is that he has the power and authority to grant forgiveness (this is why Jesus heals the man of paralysis, to give credence to his claim of forgiveness. Jesus asks what is easier to forgive sin or heal a man? It would seem impossible to heal a man of paralysis, but if Jesus could do such a miracle then it would indeed give credence to his claim of forgiveness of sin. What happens? The man is healed, takes up his own mat and walks away glorifying God.)

Jesus is the blasphemer, but why? From a Jewish mindset one blasphemes by, 1.) refusing to give YHWH his due praise 2.) insulting him 3.) by either lowering God to your own (humanly) level or by exalting yourself to YHWH’s level. 

This is what Jesus is doing. He is stating, “Yeah God has the ability to forgive sins, in fact God alone has the ability to forgive sin… ‘Have courage son! Your sins are forgiven.’ (Matt 9:2)” Jesus is elevating himself to the level of YHWH, and to any Jew this is blasphemy (an account that is punishable by death).

So where does this leave us? Either Jesus is the blasphemer that the Pharisees and scribes called him to be, or the claims that Jesus makes regarding his power and authority are true.

As we proceed to read through the Gospel of Matthew we will see even more claims ascribed to Jesus, those glorifying him and those declaring him to be a blasphemer. When it is all said and done we will have a decision to make, is Jesus who he says he is or is he just yet another blasphemer.

Terry Jones