The greatest wish of a paralytic is... - All The Good Seed Daily Devotionals for 2026

When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, Son, your sins are forgiven you. And some of the scribes were reasoning in their hearts, Why does this man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?
Mark 2:5-7.

The greatest wish of a paralytic is naturally to get better. But the Lord Jesus saw something that was even more important and said, "Your sins are forgiven you". That irritated the scribes, who asked, "Who can forgive sins but God alone?".

Let us briefly consider this biblical word "sin". Its significance in the Bible is indeed extremely broad, when it states: "All unrighteousness is sin" (1 John 5:17). That is every wrongdoing, whatever is contrary to God's mind and revealed will. We may overlook sins, or think only of grave sins; God, however, would be unjust, if He did likewise. In any case, God sees them all as sins: differentiating between great and small is irrelevant.

So if every deed, word, thought or intention counts for God, we are all hopelessly lost. However much we exert ourselves, we cannot undo the slightest guilt.

But there is a way out: God cannot overlook sin, but He can forgive it on the basis of what Christ has done. Whoever puts his faith in Him as his Redeemer knows that Christ died for his sins. And since Christ rose from the dead, he also knows that his sins are remitted. "Through this man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins, and by him everyone who believes is justified" (Acts 13:38.39).

That God alone can forgive sins is true, and the Lord Jesus applies this claim to Himself, underlining it by healing the paralytic.

Today's reading: Jeremiah 15:1-21 · Luke 22:66-71