Getting to the Root of the Problem: Trinity 19 Sermon 2024

Christ for Us

Trinity 19

Matthew 9:1-8

Pastor James Preus

Trinity Lutheran Church

October 6,2024

One of the problems with much of our medicine is that it does not deal with the root problems, but simply masks the symptoms. We take pain killers to alleviate the pain of an injury for a while, but it does not actually heal the injury. The treatments for many illnesses and diseases do not work to cure a person, but simply cover up the symptoms. And what is worse, the masking of symptoms often makes the illness so much worse in the long run. Four friends went to great lengths to bring their paralyzed friend to Jesus, even, as St. Mark tells us, making a hole in the roof, so that they could let him down (Mark 2). And when Jesus the great physician saw their faith, He took pity on the paralyzed man, and He forgave his sins.

Yes, Jesus is the great physician, because He does not mask the symptoms or relieve your pain temporarily. Jesus gets to the root cause of your misery. The root cause of all your diseases, suffering, sorrow, pain, and especially death is sin. The wages of sin is death, which should be engraved in your memory. And all sicknesses and pains are mere minions of death. To really address your misery, you must address your sin! If you are to be free from your misery, you must be freed from your sin.

And so, by first forgiving the paralyzed man before He healed him of his paralysis, Jesus teaches us that even in our greatest suffering, we should desire nothing more than the forgiveness of sins. Not only because your sin is the root cause of all your trouble, so the forgiveness of sins is the solution to all your trouble, but also because the forgiveness of sins is the one thing you cannot give yourself! A physician may be able to grant temporary relief or even cure several illnesses. But who can take away your sins? King David laments with us in Psalm 38, “There is no soundness in my flesh because of your indignation; there is no health in my bones because of my sin. 4 For my iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me.” And again, in Psalm 130, “Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD! O Lord, hear my voice! … If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?” Before us stands God the righteous judge! St. Paul says concerning our sin, “On account of these the wrath of God is coming.” (Colossians 3:6) You may be able to hide your sins from others, so they do not judge you and put you to shame, but King David humbles himself before God when he cries to Him, “Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what was evil in your sight.” (Psalm 51:4) We can hide our sins from the people we respect and fear. But we cannot hide our sins from God. He sees all, even in the depths of your heart. And you cannot remove your sins from yourself. You cannot make atonement for your sins or make up for your sin. Your sin is your greatest problem and the source of all your problems.

And so, this paralyzed man had comfort in his soul, even as his body languished on that bed, because Jesus, his Lord told him that his sins were forgiven. If his sins are forgiven, then also life and salvation are his. If his sins are forgiven, then he is reconciled with God. If his sins are forgiven, then there is no cross on this earth that he cannot bear with patience, because the forgiveness of sins makes every cross temporary and paradise eternal.

Yet, Jesus’ opponents grumble in their hearts, “Who is this who forgives sins? This is blasphemy!” It is not that these men did not believe that a person’s sins could be forgiven. Scripture is clear that God is quick to forgive and slow to anger. The Prophet Isaiah writes “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.” (Isaiah 1:18), and likewise, the prophet Micah calls to God, “Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of His inheritance? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in mercy. He will again have compassion on us; He will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.” (Micah 7:18-19) And David, who felt the joy of having the weight of his sins lifted from his conscience, declares in Psalm 103, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits, 3 who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, 4 who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, ... He will not always chide, nor will He keep His anger forever. 10 He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His steadfast love toward those who fear Him; 12 as far as the east is from the west, so far does He remove our transgressions from us.” (vss. 3-4, 9-12)

So, the question is not whether God can forgive sins. But who is this Jesus who forgives sins? And so, Jesus, knowing their thoughts, though they kept them to themselves, asks them why they think it is impossible for Him to forgive sins. He asks, “Which is easier, to say, your sins are forgiven, or to say, rise and walk. But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,” Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “Rise, take up your bed, and go home.” And the man immediately rose and went home!

Now Jesus proves that He does have authority to forgive sins, because He has authority to undo the result of sin! And Jesus proves that He has the authority to forgive your sins in the same way! Christ languished on the cross, as His enemies scorned Him, shouting, “Physician, heal yourself! You who saved others, save yourself!” They mocked Him for declaring that He was God’s Son and the Christ. And Satan too laughed with scorn saying that it was impossible for Him by His death to take away the sins of the world. But which is easier? To take away the sins of the world as John the Baptist declared of Jesus? Or after having suffered and died with the weight of the world’s sins on your shoulder, to then after three days get up and walk? And so, that you may know that the Son of Man has authority to forgive your sins and not your sins only, but also the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2), God raised Christ up from the dead on the third day, declaring Him to be the Son of God and Redeemer of the world (Romans 1:4).

The Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins. The Son of Man is Christ. He has authority on earth to forgive sins for two reasons. 1) He is God. 2) He paid for the sins of the whole world with His holy precious blood and innocent sufferings and death. Only Christ could have paid for our sins and only Christ did. Christ is a man, who forgives sins with the authority of God. This is why Jesus says in the Great Commission, “All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me.” He had this authority from eternity according to His divine nature, but He received it as a man through His incarnation and it was declared to Him again in His resurrection.

Yet, the crowds rejoiced and declared that God had given such authority to forgive sins to men. They didn’t say, “to a man or to the Son of Man.” They said, “to men.” Did they mischaracterize what happened? Are they lumping the Son of Man with all other men? Shouldn’t they rather say that this particular man has authority to forgive sins, but no other man does?

No, they got it exactly right. Christ the Godman gave authority to forgive sins to men, that is, He gave it to His Church on earth. In John 20, after Jesus rose from the dead, He who has all authority in heaven and on earth said to His disciples, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven. If you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.” (John 20:23) Jesus did this so that we in the Church may regularly hear and receive the good news that our sins are forgiven. Jesus said to His disciples, “The one who hears you, hears me!” (Luke 10:16) This is true in Baptism. When the minister pours water and proclaims the words of Jesus, it is Jesus Himself declaring the baptized a child of God. This is true in the Absolution. When the minister declares the forgiveness of sins in the stead and by the command of Christ, we consider it a voice from heaven and indeed, all the angels and God Himself bear witness to its truth in heaven as on earth. The Lord’s Supper is Christ’s true body and blood, not because of some power in the pastor or in his words, but on account of the words of Christ, which declare it forever.

So, what is the result of Christ giving to men such authority to forgive sins on earth, so that it is true even in heaven? Exactly what Jesus said to the paralyzed man as he still lay on his bed, “Take heart” that is, “be of good courage, be confident, your sins are forgiven.” With that little word, Jesus was telling the paralyzed man to have confidence before God’s throne, to not be afraid, but cheerful in the presence of the great judge, because his sins are indeed forgiven.

When a person is trapped in his sin, he deceives himself that his sin is not that bad and that no one knows about it and that he really hasn’t fallen too far. Yet, when a voice confronts the sinner and exposes his sin, it brings terror of conscience and repentance, as we see when David repented with tears when Nathan confronted him with his sin with Bathsheba. Likewise, when a person is overcome by guilt and cannot console his conscience because of his sin, he believes that he cannot be forgiven and is not a child of God. Even reading Scripture often does not help him, because his eyes ignore the comforting passages and his soul does not apply them to himself. Yet, when a voice sent by God declares God’s forgiveness and mercy, then the weight of guilt is lifted and the sinner finds a good conscience before God. In other words, the person finds good courage before God, because Christ has given authority to forgive sins to men.

This is why we must never forsake the preaching of God’s Word. It is indeed a voice from heaven, when it is faithful to Scripture. Christ makes clear that He intends you to hear His voice through His ministers, so that your heart may take courage and you may have a good conscience before Him.

Yet, there remains a second result of hearing this voice of forgiveness. It strengthens you to resist sin today and to walk according to the new man created after the image of Christ. To put off the old self, you must then put on the new self. You cannot walk in newness of life if you do not hear from Jesus that He has forgiven all your sins, just as the paralyzed man could not walk until after he was forgiven. So, we do not wait until we have overcome our sin before we listen to Jesus’ voice. We need to hear His forgiveness often. And through faith in the forgiveness of sins proclaimed to us, we receive power to walk with Jesus today and into eternity. Amen.