Mark 2:7
““Why does this man speak blasphemies like that? Who can forgive sins but God alone?””
What does Mark 2:7 mean?
The religious leaders watching Jesus are scandalized. A paralyzed man has just been brought to Jesus on a mat, and instead of healing him immediately, Jesus says his sins are forgiven. To the scribes listening, this is outrageous, because in their understanding, only God has the authority to cancel the debt of someone's wrongdoing. What makes their question so revealing is that they're actually right about one thing: forgiveness of sins is God's unique privilege. But they're missing something crucial about who Jesus is claiming to be in that moment. By forgiving sins directly, Jesus is either blaspheming (as they accuse), or he's showing them that he has God's authority. The tension in this scene invites us to think about what it really means that Jesus stands before us with the power to absolve.