The Pharisees are right. They protest when Jesus tells the paralytic that his sins are forgiven. Who can forgive sins but God alone? they ask.

The answer is, No one. If someone insults or offends you, no one else has the right to forgive that offense except you. Sin is an offense against God, so only God can forgive sin.

The Pharisees get the theology right, but they are still wrong about Jesus. Yes, only God can forgive. Yes, Jesus claims to forgive. That means He is either a blasphemer, or He is the Son of Man who has been given authority to forgive.

We know the right answer. We know that Jesus forgives because of who He is. But we effectively doubt His authority in many ways.

We doubt Jesus’ authority to forgive when we remain enslaved by past sins, our own or those of others. We doubt Jesus when we masochistically beat ourselves for our sins, or sadistically lash out at others to make them our scapegoat. We doubt Jesus when we resign ourselves to lives of mediocre mock obedience because of our failures.

The Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins. That’s why we confess our sins every week. But if we confess in doubt, we need to confess the sin of our doubting confession, and throw ourselves on the mercy of Jesus, who forgives even this.