GREAT THINGS ENTERPRISE
CLAUDE BLACK
Mark 2:10
Put up or Shut up
The phrase “Put up or shut up!” is often used as a confrontational challenge to someone to back up their words with action or stop making claims altogether. A football team may make the claim that it’s the best in the league, for example, and their rival might offer the challenge: “You’ve been saying you’re the best team, so come and meet us—put up or shut up.” Or a business rival might say, “You’ve been saying your product is better, so let’s put them to the test—put up or shut up.”
In St. Mark’s account of Jesus’ pronouncement of the forgiveness of a paralytic’s sins, the scribes, Pharisees, and teachers of the law—the protectors of orthodoxy—concluded among themselves that he, Jesus, had just committed blasphemy, an offense punishable by stoning to death. (Lev. 24:16) Perceiving their thoughts, Jesus said, “‘And in order that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on the earth to forgive sins . . .’ He said to the paralytic.” (Mark 2:10) In the scoffers’ mind there was likely the thought that it is easy to pronounce the forgiveness of sins, though blasphemy, since this was a power which cannot be challenged by any outward sign. Admittedly out of context, it is as though the authorities were saying, “Put up or shut up!” Jesus rose to the challenge: “In order that you may know…” So the scoffers might know that Jesus’ declaration of the forgiveness of sins was not vacuous, he was going to substantiate his authority with indisputable, outward, sensible evidence.
That same challenge exists: demonstrate membership in the Kingdom by “putting up” love, kindness, compassion, and the other Kingdom virtues.
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