Daily Thoughts from Mark: No Placebo Affect (Mark 2:1-12)

And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic—“I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!” (Mark 2:1-12, ESV)

Jesus returns to his home base after some time in the desert areas and the crowds immediately make normal living impossible.  Are they excited to hear him teach or to see the miracles or both?  Five men are desperate for a healing for one of their company and they take extreme measures to reach Jesus.  He sees this as faith and responds by telling the sick man his sins are forgiven.

This doesn’t necessarily mean the man’s sin caused his illness, but it is a significant aspect of healing, maybe more significant than physical healing.  The man does not object, but the scribes do, because in their minds this is blasphemy.  And they are right, only God can forgive sin.  But Jesus is God and has the authority to forgive sins and proves it by healing the paralytic.

It is easier to say, “Your sins are forgiven” in that none but the individual would know that this actually occurred.  It is harder to say, “Rise, take up your bed,” because it is evident to all whether you succeed or fail.  Jesus succeeds and astounds the crowds who have never seen such power displayed.  Would Jesus have physically healed the paralytic anyway?  Most likely, but the conflict with religious leaders like the scribes, who were part of those responsible for recognizing the Messiah, becomes a fitting contest to demonstrate who Jesus is.

We may be more likely to focus on the inner healing that needs to happen in people’s lives, whereas their outer healing is also important and more of a test for us and our faith.  I think our naysayers today are more offended by physical healings than spiritual ones, the latter of which, of course, they can deny outright.  They can claim the placebo effect [a beneficial effect, produced by a placebo drug or treatment, that cannot be attributed to the properties of the placebo itself, and must therefore be due to the patient’s belief in that treatment] for inner healing.