Matthew 9:5-7 — Jesus heals the paralytic as evidence of authority to forgive sins

Jesus forgives a paralytic's sins, provoking a charge of blasphemy. He then asks: 'Which is easier, to say your sins are forgiven, or to say arise and walk?' Forgiving sins is harder to verify; healing is immediately observable. Jesus heals the man specifically to provide evidence ('But that you may know the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins... arise and walk'). Mike notes this is true even for a total skeptic who doubts the historicity of the miracle — the text itself shows Jesus believed evidential proof was appropriate and necessary.