The disorder had probably been sent by God as a punishment for sin ; and Jesus removed his sin as incomparably the greater evil. Yea, he spoke to the man in the most affectionate and condescending terms, and gave him a comfortable assurance that his iniquities were forgiven. How must the helpless dying man rejoice in such tidings! Surely, after this, he would scarcely wish to have his life prolonged; at least, he would desire it only that he might glorify his Lord and Saviour.]
But this exercise of divine authority excited the
indignation of the Pharisees —
[It is possible that they might manifest in their counte- nances the reasonings of their hearts : but Jesus needed not any external proof of their thoughts. He " knew in his spirit" every thing that passed within their minds. They- inwardly condemned him as guilty of " blasphemy." Nor was their reasoning defective, if the application of it had been just. Certainly none but God has any authority to forgive sin ; and any mere creature that should assume it, would be a blasphemer. But their objection, in this instance, was alto- gether unfounded.]
Jesus, having claimed the power of forgiving sin, immediately stated,
II. His vindication of it —
Our Lord was ever willing to satisfy those who desired information ; and, by multiplied proofs, to leave determined infidels without excuse :
He now stated a criterion whereby they might judge of the validity of his claim —
[When Jehovah's deity was questioned, his servant Elijah proposed a mean of determining the controversy between him and Baald. Thus our Lord condescended to submit his pre- tensions to a trial. He appealed to all whether the healing of the paralytic would not be an evidence of divine power ? and whether he, who by his own authority could restore man to health, were not equally able to forgive his sin? This was as just a criterion as could possibly be proposed. If Jesus were not God, he could never by his own power heal the man. Nor, if he were a blasphemer, would God work such a stu- pendous miracle to confirm his blasphemies. Thus his claims to divine authority were brought to the test ; and every per- son present was made a competent judge of their truth or falsehood.]
i 1 Kings xviii. 21—24.