When You're Both Right And Wrong

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Reading: Mark 2:1-12

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=mark%202&version=NIV

Reflection: It's interesting to me how the religious leaders are both right and wrong in this passage. They are right when they think to themselves that "only God can forgive sins." This, of course, is true. You and I do not have the right to declare a person forgiven by God. To do so is to stand in the place of God and take upon ourselves a right that belongs exclusively to God. This is sinful, and the religious leaders understood this truth and got it right. In fact, notice that Jesus never once challenges the truthfulness of their thoughts in regards to God alone forgiving sins. What Jesus challenges them to wrestle with is a reality that would blow their theological categories. By causing the paralyzed man to rise up and walk, Jesus proves that He in fact has the power to forgive sins. So, here is the challenge before these religious leaders. First, they know that only God can forgive sins. Second, they now know that Jesus has authority on earth to forgive sins. So, they must either confess that their theology is wrong or that Jesus is God. The religious leaders refuse to do either...and ultimately become right in their theology and wrong in their practice. May God protect us from this kind of inconsistency.