Jesus climbed into a boat and went back across the lake to his own town. Some people brought to him a paralyzed man on a mat. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “Be encouraged, my child! Your sins are forgiven.” But some of the teachers of religious law said to themselves, “That’s blasphemy! Does he think he’s God?” Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you have such evil thoughts in your hearts? Is it easier to say ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up and walk’? So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!” And the man jumped up and went home! Fear swept through the crowd as they saw this happen. And they praised God for giving humans such authority. [Matthew 9.1-8]
We are pretty quick to say we are to live like Jesus in this world. However, when it comes to certain things Jesus did, we are not so quick to declare our responsibility to do likewise.
Today we encounter one of those life characteristics of Jesus that we are to do likewise. Forgiveness. Jesus forgave a man. He simply told the man his sins were forgiven.
As I read this today, I realized that as an ambassador of Christ, it is not only my privilege, but moreso my duty to forgive. I am to forgive sins. I? am to forgive sins?
Just a quick reminder of what Jesus taught His followers in Matthew 6 confirms this. In His instructions for how to pray, Jesus taught us to pray, "Forgive us our sins the same way we forgive others..." So, we ARE to forgive others - we HAVE the authority to do so - we have the INSTRUCTION to do so.
If, in fact, we are working on behalf of the Kingdom of God, it only makes sense that we would forgive sins. In the same way, we should realize we are ambassadors of every good gift of heaven (everything that belongs to God). This is in keeping with Jesus having taught us to pray, "may Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven..." and "Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven." Forgiveness is God's will. God's will is our daily bread.
I just love it when it all comes together.
But just how far do we go with this forgiveness?
To our cross.
Father, as I consider the huge responsibility I have in the earth to represent You, I understand just how important it was that Jesus sent Your Holy Spirit to live in me to accomplish these tasks.
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