Hebraic Faith versus Greek Faith

Mark chapter 2 begins with Yeshua teaching in a crowded home. In fact, it is so packed that some friends can't get their paralytic friend to Yeshua. They devise a plan to climb on the roof and lift part of the covering and lower their friend down. Verse 4 reads: And when Yeshua saw their faith he said to that paralytic, "My son, you are forgiven your sins." First, notice that faith was something capable of being seen. Hebraic thinking focuses on action. Greek thinking focuses on faith as a noun, i.e. what you believe about a person, place, or thing. The Christian faith focuses on having the correct creed or doctrinal statement. The emphasis is on correct thinking as opposed to correct action. Yeshua, being a Jewish rabbi, thinks like a Hebrew. Faith is seen and not just heard according to Yeshua. The faith of the friends in believing that Yeshua could heal was seen in their actions to get the paralytic to Him.

Second, notice that Yeshua believed that He had the power to forgive sins. Do you see from the text any request for forgiveness? What about repentance? Where was the blood sacrifice required for the forgiveness of sin? Yeshua on His own simply forgives the man. This could indeed cause problems for orthodox Christianity. Yeshua is teaching, by His actions, that He doesn't need any of our "requirements" that have developed during the church age to obtain forgiveness. Is Yeshua's method consistent with the granting of forgiveness under the law? To the Hebrew, Teshuvá is the key concept in the rabbinic view of sin, repentance, and forgiveness. Repentance requires five elements: recognition of one's sins as sins (hakarát ha-chét'), remorse (charatá), desisting from sin (azivát ha-chét'), restitution where possible (peira'ón), and confession (vidúi). The five elements are seen in David's cry found in Psalm 51. How did Yeshua know the heart of the paralytic? We know that in verse 8, Yeshua was able to read the hearts of the Pharisees. Therefore, it would be fair to assume that He could also read the heart of the paralytic. Forgiveness, like the Kingdom, is obtained through repentance. Yeshua must have seen a repentant heart. Yeshua's teachings are very consistent.

Today, ask yourself, "Does my view of repentance align itself with Hebraic thought?" Should it? Do I take repentance seriously? Is my life characterized by repentance? These are tough questions, but necessary ones to live in the Kingdom.