Forgiveness of sins

 "But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins, .. . I say unto thee, "arise", and take up thy bed, and go to thy house" Luke 2:10

What stands out in this story? First of all, the faith of this man's friends. So desperate were they to get him to Jesus, they literally tore the house down. Having made a hole in the roof, they let him down with ropes to where Jesus was. Second, the Pharisees, who presumably were in no need of healing, had secured the best seats in the house for themselves. They were making it difficult for those in need of healing to find Jesus. Third, Jesus forgave this man's sins before releasing him from his illness. This was a demonstration of His authority to forgive sins on earth.

Living here in the West, we might rarely be so desperate as his friends were. However, as I write this, the world is descending into chaos. We may soon find ourselves willing to do ANYTHING to get to Jesus. We will fight through the "good" people who will tell us that He is no longer in the miracle business. And when we get to Him, He will heal: first of all in the soul, then in the body. He makes "all things new".