Blessed are the Merciful

Forgiveness links the call of the tax collector to the healing of the paralytic – Christ’s authority to discharge sins and restore men – Mark 2:13-17. When Jesus pronounced the paralytic’s sins “ forgiven ,” he offended the Scribes and Pharisees, and he alienated them by showing mercy to “ sinners ” considered unacceptable by more scrupulously religious Jews. Seeing Jesus eating with “ tax collectors ” and “ sinners ,” the Scribes and Pharisees insinuated that Christ also was a notorious sinner – (Mark 2:1-17).