Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their 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
If you are familiar with this story of Jesus healing a paralytic in Mark 2, you know I left off the first part of this story. I’ll summarize it here: Jesus is teaching in a crowded house when a group of friends arrive carrying a man who is paralyzed. Unable to get through the door, they climb to the roof, dig through the clay and thatch, and lower their friend down before Jesus.
Moved by their faith, Jesus does something unexpected—He forgives the man’s sins.
That action causes quite a stir. The teachers of the law question in their hearts whether Jesus has the authority to forgive sins. And it’s in that moment that Jesus offers a memorable scene.
He says to them, “So that you may know the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins…” and then turns to the man, “Get up, take your mat, and go home.”
And the paralyzed man gets up, takes his mat, and walks out in full view of everyone in attendance. It is an amazing story from beginning to end.
But it’s the final sentence of the story that I want to draw our attention to today. Look how the story ends in Mark 2:12:
“This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, ‘We have never seen anything like this!’”
This is the truth I have been reflecting on this week: There is nothing in this world that compares to Jesus.
For everyone in attendance, no one had ever seen anything like Jesus before because there is nothing in this world that compares to Him.
His power to heal and forgive is unmatched. We know that, in Him we find: A love that is beyond measure. A peace that passes understanding. A grace that covers all our sin. A mercy that restores even our deepest brokenness and shame. A wisdom greater than any philosophy. A joy that cannot be taken away. A life more abundant than this world can ever provide.
This is Jesus of Nazareth. The One we celebrate who rose from the dead and conquered sin on our behalf.
There is no one like Him.
There is no voice like His.
There is no leader, no politician, no influencer—like the One who forgives sins and heals those who come in faith.
He alone is worthy of our focus today. He alone is worthy of our pursuit today. And He alone is worthy of our praise forevermore.
Because indeed, “we have never seen anything like this.”
Prayer
Jesus, you are everything I need and greater than all this world could ever offer. Help me not to chase the world, but pursue you with my entire heart today. You are the One who forgives and the One who heals. There is no one like you. Amen.