told
him that his sins were forgiven] there would have been evidence, indeed,
of His power, but not of His divine personality, nor of His having
authority to forgive sins; and this, not the doing of miracles, was the
object of His teaching and mission, of which the miracles were only
secondary evidence. Thus the inward reasoning of the scribes, which was
open and known to Him who readeth all thoughts, issued in quite the
opposite of what they could have expected. Most unwarranted, indeed, was
the feeling of contempt which we trace in their unspoken words, whether
we read them: 'Why does this one thus speak blasphemies?' or, according
to a more correct transcript of them: 'Why does this one speak thus? He
blasphemeth!' Yet from their point of view they were right, for God
alone can forgive sins; nor has that power ever been given or delegated
to man. But was He a mere man, like even the most honored of God's
servants? Man, indeed; but 'the Son of Man.' ... It seemed easy to say:
'Thy sins have been forgiven.' But to Him, who had authority to do so on
earth, it was neither more easy nor more difficult than to say: 'Rise,
take up thy bed, and walk.' Yet this latter, assuredly, proved the
former, and gave it in the sight of all men unquestioned reality. And so
it was the thoughts of these scribes, which, as applied to Christ, were
'evil'--since they imputed to Him blasphemy--that gave occasion for
offering real evidence of what they would have impugned and denied. In
no other manner could the object alike of miracles and of this special
miracle have been so attained as by the 'evil thoughts' of these
scribes, when, miraculously brought to light, they spoke out the inmost
possible doubt, and pointed to the highest of all questions concerning
the Christ. And so it was once more the wrath of man which praised Him."

FOOTNOTES:

[405] Luke 4:42-44.

[406] Mark 1:38.

[407] Mark 1:40-45; Matt. 8:2-4; Luke 5:12-15.

[408] Lev. 14:2-10. Note 1, end of chapter.

[409] Matt. 5:17.

[410] Mark 1:45.

[411] Acts 10:38.

[412] Mark 2:1-12; compare Matt. 9:2-8; Luke 5:17-24.

[413] Compare James 2:14-18.

[414] Note 2, end of chapter.

[415] See another instance of our Lord reading unuttered thoughts. Luke
7:39-50.

[416] Matt. 9:2. Note 5, end of chapter.

[417] John 5:14. Page 208.

[418] John 9:1-3.

[419] Compare John 10:33, and 5:18; Matt. 26:65, 66.

[420] Note 3, end of chapter.

[421] Matt. 9:9-13; Mar