Daily Lesson for May 12, 2016

Today's Daily Lesson comes from Matthew chapter 9 verses 1 through 8:

And getting into a boat he crossed over and came to his own city. 2 And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.” 3 And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.” 4 But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? 5 For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? 6 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic—“Rise, pick up your bed and go home.” 7 And he rose and went home. 8 When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men.

This may very well be one of the most spiritually revolutionary Scriptures in all the Holy Books.

The first century Jewish religious system had its center in Jerusalem and the temple cult which had developed around it. This was a machine which gave brought great power and money to the priests and scribes who operated it. It was a system based on Temple taxation given by the masses of people in exchange for the promise of their purification through blood sacrifice. While there were many differences between the first century Temple cult in Jerusalem and the Papal dispensations that fueled Luther's protest in the 16th century, one thing is very similar in both cases: the authority to forgive sin was centralized in the hands of a religious establishment which grew very strong, powerful, and rich off of the system.

So we can see now the implications today's Lesson has for potentially undermining the Temple cult system. Jesus said the people had the authority to forgive sins, effectively undermining (literally "digging deeper" than) the Temple system.  Is it any wonder they wanted him dead?

This is a revolutionary moment in religion and in human consciousness, the full meaning of which we still 2,000 years later have probably not fully grasped. The power to forgive is not limited to the central authority of the religious institution -- whether Temple or Church. The power to forgive -- to let go of one another's sins -- belongs to us.  It is in our hands; and we are responsible for it and the authority it has to set free and empower.  By the power we have to forgive one another those paralyzed in their sins can now rise and walk!  This is truly the Gospel news.

And what was said of the crowds can be said now of us, "they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men."