Anita leaned in close.

"There he goes again," she whispered.

Finn had led the charge to the front, responding to a half-baked altar call. Any fears in the speaker that no one would respond could have been allayed had they known how we rolled. Finn cemented his status as undisputed rededication king long ago.

I resolved in that instant that I would depose him from the throne.

Over breakfast, a meagre 7 hours later, I listened as a bleary-eyed mid-adolescent charted his faith journey, and how in his life nothing was ever good enough. He had simply found a new framework – that of God, sin, and forgiveness – to apply it to.

I reeled off Biblical truths; “If the Son sets you free, you are free indeed” (John 8:36), “There is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus” (Rom 8:1), etc. realising that he had bought into a kind of “Try harder” Christianity. Finn gave himself a harder time than Jesus ever did.

But there was a deeper truth sitting underneath these verses. Romans 8:33-4nails it:

Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one.

The issue lies in the authority of Jesus to forgive you. Luke 5:17-26 is such a strange story on first reading, being the first of 5 controversial moments between 5:17 and 6:11:

Jesus has turned up in a village near you. The grapevine is buckling under the weight of miraculous activity wherever he goes.

Barry’s like, “We’ll give you a lift there, but you’re walking back by yourself…”
On arrival, it’s standing room only.
Me: “Forget it, lads.”
Barry: “Ever seen MI:1? We’re going in through the roof.”
10 minutes later, it’s not just a hush that descended.
Disciples: “What the??”
Me: Cute smile, knowing nod.
Jesus: “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”
Me: “That was unexpected… now, about my legs…”

The Pharisees commence grumbling (standard), but I’m left wondering why forgiveness, when the presenting issue was healing. Jesus asks an impossible question. Is it easier to say, “You’re forgiven”, or “Get up and go”? They are both way out of our league!

“You’re forgiven” is actually easier, because unlike, “Get up and go,” you can’t prove it. But only a perfect God can forgive. The message was clear: Don’t come to Jesus just for healing, but to receive forgiveness. The divine authority to forgive is in Christ.

My message to Finn was simple: If he has forgiven you, stop beating yourself up!

Ouch. The lesson boomerangs back to a mid-adult. Every time we beat ourselves up over some bad choice or sinful (re)action when we have already repented, we deny the authority of Christ to forgive. We buy into assigned penance, where we must do something, often to placate our conscience.

But the truth of gospel is this: it has already been done.