Faith, Friendship, and Forgiveness

This passage gives us a strange and even intriguing picture of forgiveness. Most often forgiveness is portrayed as God’s response to our confession of sins. In this passage, we see something very different. Here it is not because of the crippled man’s faith that Jesus pronounces him forgiven but rather the faith of the man’s friends: “When Jesus saw their faith …” And if we are tempted to think that this was some empty rhetoric without spiritual reality, the passage goes on to say that at Jesus’ command, the man gets up, picks up his mat, and walks away. His sins are forgiven and he is healed.

It is a surprising thing to think that receiving forgiveness might come as a result of a friend’s act of faith. But, this is what happens. On reflection, many of us can probably think of people in our lives who have cared that deeply for us. We just know in our hearts that we have received forgiveness because of their acts of faith.

The question for us today is one of faith, friendship, and forgiveness: who is it among our friends that might be able to hear Jesus say to them “Your sins are forgiven” because of our faith? Are we that kind of friend? Do we display the faith of this crippled man’s friends? Do we have friends we care about that deeply?

Respond in Prayer

Gracious God, help me to be a friend like the friend we see in this passage. Spirit, empower me to care so deeply about those around me that they can come to see you through my acts of faith. Thank you for being my friend and for acting on my behalf so that I might receive the forgiveness you so freely offered me through your Son, Jesus. Amen.

David Williams