A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Mark 2:1-5. 

Do we let God teach us? In the example above, there were teachers of the law also in attendance who thought only God could forgive sins and so this man was blaspheming against God, in their opinion. Easy to say, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their own hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? Which is easier to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this.” Mark 2:8-12. 

In a way, what we are reading about what Jesus did is Theology 2.0. What David is describing in our chapter, Psalm 19, is Theology 1.0. The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. v. 1, 2. Not just the heavens but everything God created speaks of His wisdom and intricate design. The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous. v. 7-9. Remember our paralyzed man, the teachers of the law? By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward. But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults. Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. v. 11-13. 

All of creation teaches us about our Creator God – Father, Son, Spirit. And everything He created is good. He leads us forward with Him into the light of His love. Can we see that Sin shows us something as well? Sin reveals darkness. How does all of this relate? Do you trust God or do you put your trust in yourself? Do you trust God or do you put your trust in your fellow humans? How is that working for you? The same God who created all we see including us, came to live among us as the Word made flesh – God with us. He told a paralyzed man his sins were forgiven and told him to get up and walk. The choice to get up and walk was with that paralyzed man. I think the only way he could get up and walk was after he looked into the very face of God With Us; and seeing God’s love for him – healing him – how could he not? Theology 3.0.