Mark 2: Holistic Healing by Jesus

 Mark 2: Holistic Healing by Jesus

5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, "Son, your sins are forgiven."
11 "I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home."

This is the scene where Jesus heals the paralytic. Jesus makes two healing declarations. First, he declares the forgiveness of sins, and then he tells the man who was brought in on a mat but now to get up and walk on his own. The declaration of forgiveness to the paralytic reflects Jesus' natural acceptance of the contemporary belief that sickness was due to sin. The forgiveness of sins declared to the paralytic in Mark 2 should be interpreted as a special case. For a patient who believes that their paralysis is a result of their sins, the declaration of forgiveness is a powerful remedy. Furthermore, for those who believed that the authority to forgive sins was God's alone, Jesus' declaration of forgiveness was proof of his divine sonship. Of course, in other contexts, Jesus also said that sickness should not always be understood as a result of sin (John 11:4). Fundamentally, Jesus does not tie sin and sickness as cause and effect. Instead, he places them into a larger category: the 'glory of God.' Nonetheless, Jesus healed the paralytic in his soul, mind, and body—holistically. His declarations and healings are not one-dimensional; they are multifaceted, layered, and three-dimensional.