St. Matthew 9:1–8
In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Behold, some people brought to Jesus a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Take heart, My son; your sins are forgiven.” The details of the Bible are not inconsequential. These particular words were inspired for a reason. It says that Jesus saw THEIR faith. He notices the faith not just of the paralytic but also the faith of the friends carrying the man. This is not unimportant. Not only does faith receive the forgiveness of sins, but faith also brings others to receive that forgiveness.
This is a perfect example of what we know to be true: Christians bring people to Jesus. These friends loved the paralyzed man and they trusted in Jesus, so they brought him to Jesus so that He might help and save him. They showed their trust in Jesus by bringing the man to Him. And by this act of faith they brought forgiveness and healing to the man. God worked through them to deliver His mercy and healing.
The Lutheran Women’s Missionary League is another example of Christians bringing people to Jesus. That is their goal as a “missionary league.” That’s not to say that bringing people to Jesus or missionary work is a special work that only they do. As we see with these friends bringing the paralytic, this is what all Christians are to do. The LWML purposefully supports and promotes this work, particularly by supporting full-time, called missionaries. As Christians we show our trust in Jesus by bringing people to Him. And by these acts of faith—by supporting the mission of the Church, by sharing the good news with family and friends, by inviting them to hear God’s Word preached—we bring forgiveness and healing to others. God works through us to deliver His mercy and life.
Today, we saw another important example of Christians bringing people to Jesus: Christian parents brought their child to Baptism. This is just as important as missionary work, because Baptism in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit forgives sins, rescues from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe the promises of God. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved. So, Christian parents, who love their children and trust in Jesus, bring their children to Jesus so that He will do His saving work for them. But if you don’t show your love for your children in this way, meaning, if you don’t bring your children to Jesus for Baptism, then you don’t trust in Jesus either. And whoever does not believe will be condemned (Mark 16:16).
Parents always want the best for their children. You don’t want your children to suffer, or struggle with difficulty. You want to shield them and help them as much as you possibly can. And this is natural. But you won’t be able to protect them entirely. Even if you had millions of dollars so that your children never wanted for anything, even if you could cure all their illnesses, and ensure that they have a successful life and a good family, you cannot guarantee their happiness. You cannot protect them from every evil.
Because the root of all suffering is sin. The cause of all evil lies in our hearts: yours and your children’s. Only sinners suffer. Only sinners get sick, and experience failure and evil disasters. Only sinners live in this fallen world. And only sinners die. But the good news for parents and children is that only sinners get baptized. Yes, that means babies are sinful too—they’ve inherited their sinful hearts from their sinful parents. But that is precisely who Baptism is for. Baptism is not for perfect little cherubs—it is for the salvation of sinners.
So, Christian parents, you who would like to give your children everything and protect them from anything, this is why you want to give your children the most important thing: faith in Jesus and the forgiveness of sins. More important than money or job security, health or happiness, more important than all that is the eternal salvation of your child. So, you bring them to Jesus. He forgives sins and He heals. The root of all suffering is sin, and so the real solution to all suffering is the forgiveness of sins. That forgiveness is given to us here and now: today, to Knox in his Baptism; today, to you all in God’s Word. And the full healing benefits of that forgiveness will be given to you and your children in the life to come.
Christian parents, your most important job is to bring your children to Jesus, not just at Baptism, but by teaching them God’s Word throughout their lives. By doing this, you show your own trust in Jesus. And by this act of faith you bring forgiveness and healing to your children. God works through you to deliver His mercy and life, so that you and your children may finally, with all God’s saints, obtain the promised inheritance in heaven (Baptism Rite, LSB p.271).
Now, there’s one thing in all this that might seem like a problem. You can’t actually bring people to Jesus like those friends did for the paralyzed man. Jesus is not visibly present in a particular place like He was then. So, you bring people to the Church—and you are quite right to do so. But why do you bring them to the Church? How do you know that Baptism will save them? All you see is that some water is poured and some words are spoken. How do you know that hearing the Word preached will strengthen faith? All you see is an ordinary man trying his best to speak clearly, and sometimes failing even that. But you are right to bring people to Jesus by bringing them to the Church, not because there is anything special in the water, nor is there anything special in the man who preaches, but because Jesus has authority to forgive sins and He gives that authority to men.
We are told this here in Matthew 9: that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—Jesus then said to the paralytic—“Rise, pick up your bed and go home.” And he rose and went home. When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men. But the full impact of this scene doesn’t really hit home until the end of Matthew’s Gospel. Jesus said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to hold onto all that I have instituted for you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18–20).
The Son of God is given all authority as a Man. Only Jesus has the authority to forgive sins because He is the One who died in payment for our sins and rose for our eternal salvation. He now exercises this authority in His Church on earth, and so He works through men to forgive sins, to deliver His mercy and healing.
Having brought people to Jesus, having brought your children to be baptized, we and they must stay connected to His Church. Here, by His authority, the gifts of Baptism are given more and more. Sins are forgiven in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. The life-giving Words of Jesus are spoken and taught and treasured. The holy gifts of His body and blood are shared to make us holy and to make us one in Christ. These things happen only by the authority of Jesus. And so He is truly here doing it. That is why we must and we may joyfully say with Jacob: “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven” (Genesis 28:17).
The Lord Jesus is here on earth in your midst with the authority to forgive sins. He is working through His called and ordained servants to speak this forgiveness to all who repent and believe. He is working through parents to bring their children into His Family by Baptism and by teaching them. He is working through His whole Church to bring more people into His Kingdom. Let us give glory to God.
In the Holy + Name of Jesus. Amen.
