A sermon on Matthew 9:1-8 for the Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity. Delivered by Pastor Caleb Strutz at Resurrection Lutheran Church in Winter Haven, Florida.

“Talk is cheap.” “Actions speak louder than words.” “Put your money where your mouth is.” We have all kinds of different idioms to express the same sentiment. Words are just words. Talking about something is worthless unless you’re going to do something about it. The proof of the pudding is in the eating.

In our Gospel today, Jesus tells a man, “Your sins are forgiven you.” And this raises some controversy. Where’s the proof? Talk is cheap. So Jesus poses a question to his adversaries, “Which is easier to say?” However, He doesn’t give them much time to mull it over, He immediately tells the man, “Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” Let us now occupy the space between these two statements and ponder our Lord’s question. Which is easier to say? For whom, perhaps? And what’s backing it up? Which is easier to do?

I. Which is easier to say?

Now this first statement, “your sins are forgiven you,” comes as somewhat of a surprise. It doesn’t seem to be what this man needs most urgently or the reason why his friends brought him to Jesus.

Mark (2:1-12) and Luke (5:17-26) give us more of the details here to show the pains that have been taken to arrange this encounter. Jesus is preaching in a house and so many people are packed around to hear Him that there’s no room, people are flowing out the door.

Four men are determined to bring their paralyzed friend to Jesus. But they can’t navigate through the crowd so instead they go onto the roof, uncover it or take out some tiles, and lower this man on his bed through a hole in the roof just to get him to Jesus.

It’s obvious what the problem is. It’s obvious what they’re looking for. But Jesus doesn’t just treat the symptoms. He gets to the cause. He sees that this man and his friends have faith, so He goes beyond the obvious ask and onto something deeper and more important. “Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you.”

This causes some controversy among Jesus’ opponents. They accuse Him, not verbally, but in their hearts, of blaspheming. Of claiming to do something that only God can do. Again, Mark and Luke include more of their thoughts, they’re asking themselves, “Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (2:7; 5:21).

Jesus sees their thoughts and asks this question, poses this challenge. “Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise and walk’?”

Now, from a human perspective, this is an easy question to answer, right? It’s easier to say, “Your sins are forgiven,” because how is anyone gonna know? Talk is cheap. Prove it. These are the thoughts of an evil heart. Of one that questions and doubts forgiveness instead of receiving it by faith.

But these doubts can be all too real. Every week, you come here and hear me say, “Your sins are forgiven.” How do you know for sure? Where’s the proof? Talk is cheap.

Are these words that go in one ear and out the other without ever touching the heart? Are the words of forgiveness crowded out of our minds by all of our other worries and concerns? Do we treat them as mere words? Actually believe that it does something? After all, who’s this guy to make that call?

Or are these words that you think pass over you? Sure, forgiveness is meant for him and for her, but not for me. Pastor, if you knew the things I’ve done, you wouldn’t say that. If you could see the evil thoughts in my heart… you can’t be talking to me.

Like the Pharisees, so often we doubt the power of Christ’s words. They’re either just words or if they do have power, then it can’t be for me. Which is easier to say? It’s a lot harder when you have to back it up.

II. Which is easier to do?

For man, both things are impossible. We do not have the power to forgive or to grant healing. It’s easier to fake the one, but in terms of actually doing it, no chance. But for Christ, things are different.

He has the power to say both things and to make them actually happen. He can say to this paralyzed man, “Arise and walk,” and he does. And as miraculous as that is, it’s really not a big deal. He’s the almighty God, of course He can do it.

And He does so not just to silence the haters, but to prove His bigger point. He can say the harder thing and actually do it. There’s visible, tangible proof. So what does that say about the thing that’s easier to say? That even though there isn’t the same proof, He has the power to forgive sins as well. He heals the man so that he will know, without a doubt, that his sins are forgiven. He had received that forgiveness before the healing by faith, but now there’s no room for the Pharisees to raise any doubt in his mind. His forgiveness is certain. The easier thing to say has been done.

But, in the grand scheme of things, it’s easier for Jesus to say, “Arise and walk,” than for Him to say, “Your sins are forgiven.” Miracles are no problem, He’s all powerful. But forgiveness is another matter. God’s justice means that He can’t just let sin off the hook. Forgiveness isn’t turning a blind eye, it requires payment and satisfaction.

For Jesus to say, “Your sins are forgiven,” He has to do a lot more than say a few words. These words of forgiveness are powerful and effective because of what they have backing them up. Christ is able to forgive this man’s sins because of what He is about to do. He is able to forgive your sins because of what He has accomplished.

The word that Jesus uses for forgiveness when He’s talking to this man is that His sins are taken away, removed. Because Christ has taken them on Himself. He took his sins, your sins, the sin of the world, to bear the punishment for it all. He suffered the hellfire that was waiting for us, He died the death that you deserve, so that God’s justice is satisfied, your sins paid for, your forgiveness purchased.

There will be times when the words we say at church just feel like words. But as easy as it is to speak a word of forgiveness, that word has been bought with Christ’s blood. That word conveys to you the forgiveness won on the cross. That word is valuable, powerful, because it has Jesus backing it up.

When I say in the absolution, “I forgive you all your sins,” that does it. It has that power. It gives it to you, does what it says. What a miracle. God has declared you not guilty on the basis of Christ and His work and that declaration rings through every service. Christ has given this power to men, the power to forgive sins, to those He has called to serve in the ministry of reconciliation.

Now I don’t have the power to do miracles to back that up. That’s no sure sign of forgiveness anyway, there are plenty of fakes and charlatans out there. And, unlike Jesus, I can’t see your thoughts. Jesus can forgive this man’s sins without him even confessing them because He can see the state of his heart.

So if you feel like the absolution isn’t for you, that I wouldn’t still say “I forgive you” if I knew what you had done, I’ll take that challenge. Try me. Test God’s mercy and grace and see if He won’t forgive. Private confession and absolution is there for a purpose. There’s a service for it in our hymnal. If you are burdened with something that you feel is too bad, or weighed down by the same sin that you feel stuck in, or feel that the absolution isn’t speak to you, individually, talk to me, we’ll make it happen. Forgiving sins is my job. If you’d feel uncomfortable getting into specifics, you can just read the words on the page and hear me speak the absolution to you and you alone with no doubt who it’s for. It’s such a blessing. Such a peace-giving thing, and I’m speaking from experience. What a comfort to hear the words of our Savior coming from the mouth of His servant, “Your sins are forgiven you.”

So, how would you answer Jesus’ question, “which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise and walk’?” The question isn’t really about which is easier to say, but which is easier to do. Both statements can be spoken with ease; it’s the accomplishing of that act that proves the challenge. Although the word of forgiveness seems to have no immediate result, it does have concrete action backing it up, the death of Christ is its guarantee. Jesus accomplishes both, one with ease and the other with great difficulty to assure you that these words are true: “Your sins are forgiven you.” Amen.