And Jesus seeing their faith said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven."
Mark 2:5
Full passage: Mark 2:1 - 12
Not quite what the paralytic's friends envisioned when they came up with the plan to cut a hole in the roof and lower their comrade down. The house was standing room only, with no other way to get him close to Jesus. Everyone had heard about this man who traveled the countryside, teaching the word of God with authority, casting out demons and healing people.
Now, after all that work, the first thing Jesus says to the paralytic is "Son, your sins are forgiven"? They were sorely disappointed; they were expecting a miraculous healing.
Unknown to them, a healing had just taken place, the healing of a heart black with sin, separated from God and without hope. Jesus had seen beyond this man's obvious need to his true need, the need for forgiveness.
In this we all share: we need to be forgiven. True, lasting forgiveness comes only from God, reconciles us to Him and makes us part of His family forever. Can we look beyond the obvious to the real, heart need of the people around us?
Jesus did go on to heal the man, who stood up, picked up his pallet and walked out of the door of the house he had previously entered via a hole in the roof. But the order of healing here is important; it was the need for reconciliation with God that Jesus addressed first in this man's life.
Had He left it at that, it would have been more than enough.
Not quite what the paralytic's friends envisioned when they came up with the plan to cut a hole in the roof and lower their comrade down. The house was standing room only, with no other way to get him close to Jesus. Everyone had heard about this man who traveled the countryside, teaching the word of God with authority, casting out demons and healing people.
Now, after all that work, the first thing Jesus says to the paralytic is "Son, your sins are forgiven"? They were sorely disappointed; they were expecting a miraculous healing.
Unknown to them, a healing had just taken place, the healing of a heart black with sin, separated from God and without hope. Jesus had seen beyond this man's obvious need to his true need, the need for forgiveness.
In this we all share: we need to be forgiven. True, lasting forgiveness comes only from God, reconciles us to Him and makes us part of His family forever. Can we look beyond the obvious to the real, heart need of the people around us?
Jesus did go on to heal the man, who stood up, picked up his pallet and walked out of the door of the house he had previously entered via a hole in the roof. But the order of healing here is important; it was the need for reconciliation with God that Jesus addressed first in this man's life.
Had He left it at that, it would have been more than enough.
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