Matthew 9:1 – 8

1 So He got into a boat, crossed over, and came to His own city.

2 Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you.”

3 And at once some of the scribes said within themselves, “This Man blasphemes!”

4 But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts?

5 For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise and walk’?

6 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—then He said to the paralytic, “Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.”

7 And he arose and departed to his house.

8 Now when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such power to men.

After being requested to leave the country of the Gergesenes, Jesus got back in the boat and they went to His home which is now Capernaum which was on the North end of the Sea of Galilee. In Matthew 4:13 Jesus had determined to make Capernaum his home.

The men brought the man who was paralyzed to Jesus to be healed.

Jesus can see the hearts of individuals, but the scripture said “Jesus saw their faith” indicating Jesus saw an outward indication of faith. Not from the paralyzed man but from the men who brought him to Jesus.

We do not have any indication of the faith the paralyzed man had if any, but Jesus gave him forgiveness for his sins. We have no indication forgiveness of sins were what they were wanting, we only know they brought him there desiring he would be healed.

Calling the man “son” is an affectionate address like people use today.

When Jesus forgave the man of his sins, the scribes who witnessed the event, condemned Jesus in their hearts of blaspheming God. To blaspheme means to speak evil of someone, or not give them the respect they deserve. By forgiving the man's sins, Jesus, who was only a human in the eyes of the scribes, disrespected God by claiming to do something that only God could do. In Mark's account of this event he states that blasphemy was the accusation the scribes used as the basis of their complaint. (Mark 2:7)

While the scribes did not speak their accusation so that others could hear it, Jesus can understand what they are thinking. So he exposes their thoughts, letting them know he knew what they thought.

Jesus had first of all forgiven the man's sins, this was an invisible action, no one could see the result. Jesus then makes the statement, “which is easier?” Meaning if Jesus had the authority to do one, such as forgive sins, then it was just as easy to tell the man he was healed and for him to get up and walk. He had the divine power to do either one, the second was a visible healing, when the man got up and walked it was evident, Jesus healed him.

Jesus then proved he had the power by visibly healing the man, he not only walked but carried the bed he was brought on and took it with him.

The man got up and walked out carrying his bed, this was more than simply mind over matter, the man was a proven paralytic when he arrived, the community knew him so it was not a fake healing or convincing the man he was healed even if he wasn't.

The crowd was convinced this was a miracle, the man was healed and it was something that a normal man could not do. They were amazed and gave God the credit for the power which Christ exhibited. To much of the multitude this Jesus was a man, they did not know Him as the only Son of God.