Genesis 26:17-27:46
Matthew 9:1-17
Psalm 10:16-18
Proverbs 3:9-10
Good evening, Grace Family! I wish you all a healthy new year full of love, joy, gratitude and perseverance. May your unfailing love be with us, Lord, even as we put our hope in you. Psalm 33:22.
Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralyzed Man
Imagine a faith so strong, that you would carry your friend on a mat all the way to see Jesus, confident that He could heal him. Try and picture that scenario - I can't imagine it was an easy feat. I know that Matthew does not give as much detail regarding this as the accounts in Mark and Luke, but if you read those gospels, it explains that the crowd was so big that they were not able to get in through the front door to see Him, so they went up on top of the roof, made a hole, and lowered their friend down into the home through the roof. That takes determination. That takes love. That takes hope. That takes great faith. Then, after all of that effort, Jesus didn't choose to heal the man's paralysis immediately; instead, He first forgave him for his sins. I can only imagine what the paralized man was initially thinking, as he lay there, still paralized, in front of the Messiah. Did he experience confusion? Anger? Hopelessness? Did he immediately feel the weight of sin lifted off of him? I wonder if his faith was tested in that moment, when he was so close to Jesus, yet not physically healed.
The teachers of the law thought this was blasphemous, saying that only God could forgive sins. Jesus acknowledged the criticism in their thoughts, and asked them, what is harder? To forgive sins, or to heal a paralyzed man. With that, He healed the man and told him to get up, take his mat and go; and so the man got up and went. I think that the act of getting up is yet another example of great faith, because it leads us to believe that the man really did think that in that moment he was healed.
I love this story in the bible. No matter what we have going on in life, no matter what illness or loss, the greatest gift that we could possibly receive is the forgiveness of our sins through Jesus Christ. Not only did Jesus give him forgiveness, but He healed his body as well. These two acts, paired together, really highlight the hope that we can find in Jesus. He can heal us physically, mentally, and emotionally, and He can give us life.
Dear God, please help all of us to remain strong in our faith, trusting in You, seeking Jesus with all of our might. Through Jesus, we are forgiven, we are saved, we can experience healing, hope and joy. Heavenly Father, we praise you, we give thanks to you for your insurmountable power and authority in our lives, helping us each day to be victorious against the enemy in Your name. Please help us to pick up our shields of protection, to pick up our friends when they need carrying, and to keep our eyes, minds, hearts and spirits aligned with you. In your name I pray, amen.
Amanda
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