Daily Devotional
"And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, ‘This man is blaspheming.’ But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, ‘Why do you think evil in your hearts?’"
Matthew 9:3-4
Here we see the first open opposition to Jesus in Matthew’s Gospel, and it will not be the last. By the end of the chapter, His enemies will claim He works for the devil (Matthew 9:34). But before we are too hard on these scribes, we should admit that they asked a good question. Mark records it: “Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (Mark 2:7). They are right. Only the one who has been wronged has the right to forgive. If you wrong me, it makes no sense for you to ask a stranger to forgive you.
So when Jesus tells a stranger that his sins are forgiven, He is claiming that every sin this man ever committed was a sin against Him. Only one person in the universe is offended by every sin. The Lord says, “I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins” (Isaiah 43:25). The scribes did the math correctly. Only God can forgive sins; this man claims to forgive sins; so this man is either God or a blasphemer. Their logic was right. Their conclusion was wrong.
Jesus answers thoughts they never spoke aloud. He asks why they think evil in their hearts. In Scripture, the heart is not merely the seat of emotion; it is where we think, plan, believe, and decide. These men were not honestly weighing evidence. Their hearts had already decided. The same Jesus who saw faith in the friends saw unbelief in the scribes, and He sees what is happening in your heart right now (1 Samuel 16:7).
Today's Challenge
Is there an area of your life where your heart has already decided, so that no amount of evidence from God’s Word seems to move you? How does it change your view of your sin to realize that every sin is ultimately against God Himself (Psalm 51:4)?
Prayer
Holy God, You alone have the right to forgive, because every sin I have committed has been against You. Search my heart and show me where I have already decided against You. Soften what has grown hard. Thank You that Jesus has the authority to forgive what I could never repay. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
