Mark 2:5

‘And Jesus, seeing their faith, says to the paralysed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven”.'

Jesus was clearly moved by the faith and persistence of these five men (including the paralytic). He ‘saw their faith'. But then He did the unexpected, He said to the man, ‘Your sins are forgiven.' This was in the perfect passive indicative and could mean ‘have been and therefore are forgiven.'. But some see it as an aoristic perfect and as thus meaning ‘are this moment forgiven'. Both interpretations are possible. Either way forgiveness was being declared, and we know from many examples that when Jesus used the passive in this way He was intending God to be seen as the subject.

But why did He speak like this when the man had come for healing? It may puzzle us but no Jew of that time would have asked such a question. They would have agreed that his condition must connect with some sin, either his or his parents (compare John 9:2), and that forgiveness of that sin could well relate to any attempt to heal. Jesus, however, did not think like that. Clearly as He looked at the man, with his eager gaze fixed on Him, possibly clouded by the fear that he was not worthy, He knew something specific about this man which led Him to say it.

It is quite possible that the paralysis had actually resulted from some deep sin. Cases are known where people have become paralysed as a result of some traumatic event in their lives. That cannot be ruled out. But it is more likely that Jesus knew of his private struggle with sin and knew that he had prayed, ‘God be merciful to me a sinner', and yet was still in doubt. But whatever the situation Jesus' words suggest that He knew that the greatest need of this man was an assurance of forgiveness. His very words seem to suggest that He knew that this man had repented and that God had forgiven him. So He gives him that assurance.

‘Son.' The word is strictly ‘child'. This may well mean he was a very young man which adds more poignancy to the situation.