Thy Sins Be Forgiven Thee

The Gospel at St. Matthew 9:1-8 shows that true faith is active, and can be seen: it's not just stowed away in the heart; it wants to embrace Jesus. It carries friends to Jesus, and it expects that Jesus can help. And this faith can hear no sweeter words than the words the paralytic heard: "Thy sins be forgiven thee." For what follows these words is life and salvation. What followed them here was that the man arose and went to his house. But there was an intermittent period, between the forgiveness of sins and the word from Jesus, "Arise, take up thy bed, and to to thine house." So also for us, there is an intermittent period. We hear the word of mercy today, and we can expect that at the last day we shall rise and go to our eternal home. The sermon.