Thursday, March 4, 2010
Jesus Heals a Paralytic
The famous story of two men and the paralytic man. I can vividly remember the picture of how these men brought the paralyzed man to Jesus. In verse 1-2, it says "Jesus saw their faith..." Jesus saw the faith of men who carried the paralytic as well as the faith of the paralytic himself. Because of their faith, they did such an act that no one was dared to do. We are certain that the people who were waiting to have their chance to meet Jesus and be healed by him gave hoses men the dirty look. They didn't care about that. Their only goal was to get the paralytic friend of theirs to Jesus so that the man would be healed. It was their faith that captured Jesus' attention. When the man was brought to Jesus in a dramatic way, Jesus addressed the paralytic’s spiritual sickness first although the man's main concern for himself appeared to be his physical illness. "...your sins are forgiven." Jesus addressed what is far more important and needed to the paralytic; healing of his soul by forgiveness of his sins. Jesus forgave his sins and restored the relationship that once had broken because of the man's sin. Jesus saved the man by not only setting the man free from the bondage of his physical disease but from the bondage of his sin. "Get up and take your mat and go home." It happened just as he said. When the paralytic was brought to Jesus, he was a paralyzed man unable to move. When Jesus touched his paralyzed spirit due to his sins and physical body, he walked out the place as a new man, we are certain that his life would be never the same.
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3 comments:
thanks, kwijung, for a wonderful reflection. i totally agree with you that Jesus noticing the faith of the paralytic's friends is a crucial part of this story.
the passage says that "when Jesus saw THEIR faith"--the faith of his friends--He healed the paralyzed man.
it made me think of people in our lives for whom we pray --for healing, for conversion, for greater faith, for many things.
i wonder if God has mercy on the people we pray for, the people we bring to Him on a "mat" because they are unable to go to Him on their own,
and because of OUR faith, He heals them and forgives them of their sins.
this passage is such an encouragement to those who have someone in their lives whom they love so much,
but who are spiritually "paralyzed", and unable or maybe just unwilling to go to Christ on their own.
we need to do what these friends did: bring them before the presence of the Lord.
"when Jesus saw THEIR faith, He said to the paralytic, "Take heart ... your sins are forgiven".
this passage teaches us to never, ever give up in our prayers for others. Jesus may be gracious to save and heal our loved one because of our faith, even our little faith.
amen! kj, sounds like you were really impacted by these words.
these verses always reminds me of how important it is to pick the right kind of friends...
but it also shows that we can be the kind of a friend to someone who needs to be taken to the Lord... sometimes they are not able (maybe bc they are "spiritually paralyzed" as you say) and we can stand in the gap... or carry them if necessary!
thank you Jesus for surrounding us with friends who's faith is greater than ours!
Thank you for reminding those verses unni!!
I just realize how strong belief I need to be a bridge between my friends and Jesus.
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