Jesus Is Both Authority and Compassion
Think back on your life. What have you been told that has shaped your thinking of Jesus?
Throughout our lives, we have been told truths about Jesus but some of us have been told false teachings of who Jesus is. Matthew 9 is an example of a young man that has been told something his entire life and the more he heard it the more he believed it.
When I read this story about the young paralyzed man, I find myself asking the question, “Why does Jesus first tell him his sins are forgiven? The man is going to Jesus to be healed, he wasn’t asking to be forgiven of his sins.” The more I studied the passage, the more I thought about the character of Jesus.
Up until this point in the book of Matthew, we have seen Jesus’ love, compassion, and tenderness. We have seen Him as kind and generous. We have not seen what He is showing us now, His authority to forgive sins. Jesus picked this very moment to reveal His authoritative power. Why?
An authority figure is not always someone you look forward to seeing or gives you warm fuzzy feelings. I think back at a time when I was in junior high and I had a run in with a camp counselor that thought they had the power of authority over me. In junior high I was in the awkward stages of life, I was very tall and very thin. I felt like my legs went on for miles and not in a good way. I was self-conscious of my body and received many comments about my height and skinniness. Well, my roommate was my best friend and she had an adorable dress that I wanted to borrow to wear that night. Of course she let me borrow it. We did not think about how much shorter she was than me. On her the dress came to her knees and on me it came about 4 inches above my knees. I walked out in that dress thinking I looked great and our camp counselor came up to me, in front of everyone, and told me that what I was wearing was inappropriate and too short. I was humiliated in front of our camp peers and had to go change my dress. It’s times like these that give us a bad feeling towards authority figures, especially those that we don’t believe truly have authority to do and say what they want.
Those standing around and hearing Jesus thought He had no authority to say and do the things He was doing and saying. They were appalled and angry at what Jesus was saying to the paralyzed boy.
The first thing Jesus said to the young man was, “Your sins are forgiven.” Everyone around immediately thinks this is blasphemous. Not only because God would not give a human this kind of authority, but also because the beliefs back then were that you were punished by God because of your sins. This boy had probably been asked over and over again, “What did you do to cause yourself to be paralyzed? Why would God punish you this way?” After time, the boy started believing he was the one that did something wrong and was being punished for his sins. We see in the book of Job that God does not punish us by causing bad things to happen. Job was a good and God-fearing man, but because of the fallen world we live in, Job became very ill and suffered a great deal. The teachers of the law completely forgot about the book of Job.
Jesus knows our hearts. He knows what we need more than anyone else. He sees right through our facade and knows our deepest desires, disappointments, and scars. Jesus knew what this boy needed. He needed to first, before being healed, be told he was loved and that he was not being punished. He needed to be told that his sins were forgiven and that God cared for him despite what he might think or have been told. Jesus is showing His authority and His compassion all at once in this very tender moment. He wanted to heal the boy and does heal him, but Jesus also wanted to reveal His authority to the teachers of the law and His compassion and love to the boy.
Yes, Jesus is our Most High authority figure, but He is also our Most High loving and compassionate Savior. What have you been told or have made yourself think about Jesus that is not Biblically true? We cannot lean on our own understanding; we have to lean into what is Biblically sound and true. Our minds can play tricks on us, and the enemy wants more than anything to make us believe the negative thoughts that stir in our heads, but we know that we are children of God. Our God has the authority to tear down and build up. He has the authority to forgive or condemn. He has the authority to drive the devil out. He also has the compassion to heal the sick, make the lame walk, and touch the leper. He loves us first, and because of that we are to love Him, each other, and ourselves. Accept His love, authority, compassion, and mercy with open arms.
Digging Deeper:
Read Matthew 9:1-8
What does the enemy fill your mind with that makes you question or doubt God’s goodness in your life?
How does Jesus affirm His love for you?
What thought do you need to surrender to God so that you can fully trust in His compassion and authority?