and now, they brought to him a paralytic lying on a bed. And Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralytic, “Take courage, child. your sins are forgiven you.”
This verse reveals Christ’s saving priority, showing that a person’s deepest need is not the healing of the body, but the forgiveness of sins. “Their faith” highlights the power of intercessory faith, by which the sick man is brought into the Lord’s presence, and the words “take courage” bring inner comfort before the healing. By proclaiming the forgiveness of sins, Christ confirms His divine authority over a person’s spiritual condition and shows that inner restoration comes before outward healing, opening the complete way of salvation for the person.