39. Jesus heals a paralyzed man
– Matthew 9:1-8; Mark 2:1-12; Luke 5:17-26
Matthew 9:2 “Some men brought to him a paralytic, lying on the mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘Take heart, on; your sins are forgiven.”
We focus too often on what we can see. We can see that the man is paralyzed but we can’t see the status of his soul. But, what is more important? Is his physical or eternal condition more important? Jesus recognized that the man was paralyzed. He knew that the men brought the paralytic man to him to heal him of his condition. Still, Jesus knew that the man’s soul was more important than his earthly condition. Therefore, Jesus first healed him from eternal death. He forgave his sins and made him blameless. What is it that you focus on? Are you blinded by the temporary struggles of this earth to see what truly matters? Ask God to help you reevaluate what you are truly focused on.
Matthew 9:3 “At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, ‘This fellow is blaspheming!”
Blasphemy is when someone disrespects God by claiming to be God. Jesus was claiming to be God. Only God has the power to forgive sin. But, what the religious leaders did not realize at this time was that Jesus truly is God. They learned later that everything Jesus said was true. Jesus did not simply talk about being God but he also acted. He proved it through his actions. In the same way, do not simply talk like a Christian. But, also act like a Christian. The word “Christian” means, “follow of Christ.” Follow Jesus’ example and do as the Bible instructs. You can say that you love God or others, but if you are not taking practical steps to demonstrate it then your words are meaningless.
Matthew 9:5-7 “Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk?’ But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins…’ Then he said to the paralytic, ‘Get up, take your mat and go home.’ And the man got up and went home.”
People always seem to be apprehensive to give credit to God. They want to be able to explain circumstances by earthly phenomenon. If Jesus only healed the man of paralysis, then people would be eager to hypothesis a million other reasons for how the man was healed other than by God. Many people had come before Jesus and healed people. Even doctors knew how to heal people to a certain degree. But, what no one had done before was heal people of their eternal death. Forgiveness from sin cannot be explained by earthly phenomenon.
Mark 2:2-4 “So many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. Some men came, bringing him a paralytic, carried by four of them. Since the could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on.”
The men knew that Jesus was the only one who could heal the paralyzed man. They knew that they had to do everything in their power to bring the man to Jesus. They would not let any obstacles stand in their way of going to Jesus. They didn’t let a crowd or a roof stop them. Not only did they carry the man to Jesus, but they also carried the man up the stairs to the roof, dug a hole through a stone roof made of straw and mud, and lowered the man to Jesus. They could have easily have given up when they saw the crowd. But, the men didn’t give up. The men had faith that if they brought the man to Jesus, then Jesus would heal the man. Develop a strong faith like the men. Don’t let obstacles stand in the way of bringing others to Jesus. Be willing to be as or more persistent than the men who brought the paralyzed man to Jesus.
Mark 2:10 “But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins…”
Jesus called himself the “Son of Man”. He was explaining that although he was completely human born of this earth, he was still completely God capable of healing sins. It was hard for the people to understand that someone from the world was capable of doing God’s actions. But, Jesus was not only from the world but also from heaven.
Luke 5:25-26 “Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God. Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, ‘We have seen remarkable things today.”
The man was not only healed of paralysis, but he also had complete strength to pick up his mat and walk home. His muscles should not have had this much strength. However, Jesus healed the man to perfect condition. The man didn’t go through physical therapy. He didn’t get up slowly. He was healed “immediately”. God has complete authority of all things. After the man was healed, he began praising God and followed Jesus’ orders. More so, everyone who saw began praising God. What is your first instinct when God helps you? Do you try to seek earthly explanation or do you immediately praise God, the one who deserves credit and recognition? Make it instinctual to praise God immediately. He is the one who is in control of all things.
