SCRIPTURE:
“When Jesus saw their
faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Now some
teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, "Why
does this fellow talk like that? He's blaspheming! Who can forgive sins
but God alone?" Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what
they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, "Why are you
thinking these things? Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, 'Your
sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up, take your mat and walk'? But
that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive
sins . . . ." He said to the paralytic, "I tell you, get up, take your
mat and go home." He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of
them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, ‘We have
never seen anything like this’”. (Mark 2:5-12, NIV)
Observations:
I asked myself who are the
main characters involved!
-
Jesus
-
Paralytic
-
Teachers of the law
-
Crowd
Observations:
I asked myself what role
they play!
Point 1:
Jesus
-
Jesus saw their (four men who brought the
paralytic) faith.
-
Jesus said to the paralytic, “Son, your
sins are forgiven.”
-
Jesus knew in his spirit what the teachers
of the law were thinking in their hearts.
-
Jesus asks the teachers of the law 3
questions.
-
Jesus tells them He has the authority to
forgive sins.
-
Jesus tells the paralytic 3 things.
Point 2:
Paralytic
-
The paralytic got up.
-
The paralytic picked up his mat.
-
The paralytic took his mat and went home.
Point 3:
Teachers of the law
-
The teachers of the law were sitting there when Jesus told the
paralytic his sins were forgiven.
-
They thought to themselves ‘why does this fellow talk like
that?’
-
They thought to themselves, ‘He’s blaspheming!
-
They thought to themselves, ‘Who can forgive sins but God
alone?’
Point 4:
Crowds
-
The paralytic walking amazed the crowds.
-
The crowds praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything
like this.”
Observations/Interpretations:
Yesterday, I focused on the 3rd and 4th action of Jesus. Today, I decided to
focus on actions 5 & 6 of Jesus.
I asked myself what is the significance of
Jesus’ statements?
Statement 5: Jesus
tells them that He has the authority to forgive sins.
I found it interesting that after Jesus tells the teachers of the
law, "But that you may know that the Son of
Man has authority on earth to forgive sins . . .", Jesus moves to
action to prove an intangible result tangibly.
To say ‘your sins are forgiven’ produces
an intangible result that teachers of the law cannot see. They would
wonder what right He has to say that to the man since in their minds
only God alone can forgive sins. Jesus is letting them know it is easier
for others to say to people ‘that their sins are
forgiven’ even if they don’t have the authority. If they don’t
have the authority to forgive sins then regardless of what they say
really does not mean much. Their words just become words.
But Jesus lets them know that He has the authority to forgive sins
making Himself equal to God by producing an action preceded by the
words, ‘your sins are
forgiven’. He reminds them it is easier to
say to the paralytic, his sins are forgiven than to say to him to get
up, take his mat, and walk. To prove He has the authority to
forgive sins, He is going to command the paralytic of something that is
not easy which is evident by statement 6.
Statement 6: Jesus
tells the paralytic 3 things.
-
I tell you, get up!
-
I tell you, take your mat!
-
I tell you, go home!
These commands are given to the paralytic after forgiving him. Jesus
proves His authority to forgive sins by letting the teachers of the law
see a tangible thing which is the action of the paralytic. Jesus
supports His words through actions that produce five results.
-
The paralytic got up.
-
The paralytic picked up his mat.
-
The paralytic took his mat and went home.
-
The paralytic’s walk amazed the crowds.
-
The crowds praised God, saying, “We have
never seen anything like this.”
Point 1: The
paralytic got up!
I asked myself what is the significant of the
paralytic’s actions?
I found it so significant after Jesus’ commands, the paralytic was
able to get up which shows the paralytics own faith in Jesus. We don’t
know how long he was paralyzed but at the words of Jesus he got up.
Jesus let the teachers of the law know that He not only has the
authority to forgive sin but also has the authority to heal. I don’t
know about you but when I think about being forgiven and being healed, I
think about God. Jesus is subtly letting them know He also has the
characteristics of divinity even though He is there to serve in His
Humanity.
Point 2: The
paralytic picked up his mat!
To be able to pick up the mat, you have to usually bend. Jesus not
only healed him to get up but also healed him to bend down. This is
evident when Jesus told him to pick up his mat. This is so significant
because when Jesus healed, rehabilitation occurred simultaneously. The
paralytic did not have to go through rehab to strengthen his limbs.
Jesus did it for him by His powerful words to take up his mat.
Point 3: The
paralytic took his mat and went home!
Jesus does not stop there but instead tells the paralytic to go home.
At Jesus’ words, the paralytic got up, took his mat and walked out in
full view of them all. He walked to go home. He was lowered from the
roof and now he leaves through the crowd that was there. This let me see
that when Jesus healed him, He strengthened his legs to be able to go
home.
Point 4: The
paralytic’s walk amazed the crowd!
It is so cool that the paralytic came from the roof to be healed but
was able to walk home in full view of them. It is important to remember
that the place was so crowded that there was no room left. The place was
packed out and the man walked out in front of them all amazing the
crowds.
Rather than just following the man who was healed, the crowds stay
behind and do something.
Point 5: The crowds
praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this.”
Because Jesus’ words were not just words but were followed through
action, the crowds praised God and remarked that they had never seen
anything like what they witnessed. The packed crowd had a thrilling
experience that they would not forget.
Now go back into time and imagine you were there at the packed out
place where Jesus was preaching the Word. Now the roof starts to crumble
and a paralytic is lowered down. Now the paralytic gets up, takes his
mat, and goes on home after hearing Jesus. If I observed that, it would
have been a thrilling experience that I would not forget. A packed out
crowd experienced what Jesus was able to do. Jesus supported His Words
by His actions not only of His capability to forgive but to heal.
Implications:
I saw important implications for my own life. I realized how
important actions are when we speak something. Jesus accompanied His
Words with action and I need to do the same. If I claim to be a
Christian, I need to let my lifestyle reflect that I am a Christian.
I ask you now dear friend, what do you
represent by your actions in life?
Dear friend our actions have the ability to bring glory and honor to the
Lord or bring dishonor to him. When we say something, we should be able
to back it up with our actions. Our words should not become useless
statements without meaning. When I think about words, the phrase, 'I LOVE YOU' comes to mind.
If you have a relationship with Jesus and He is your Lord and
Personal Savior and you tell Jesus, 'I LOVE YOU JESUS', can Jesus
believe that you really love Him by your actions or are they just feel
good words to say.
Throughout Scripture Jesus points out that loving Him is preceded by
actions to live for God. When our actions do not match our words then
there is a negative affect and we need to really examine our own words
why our actions are not matching.
This is also true in any earthly relationship when you tell someone,
'I LOVE YOU'. When you tell someone 'I LOVE YOU' can they feel it in
their own hearts to say, 'Yeah, he or she really loves me.' They would
feel that if your words are matched by your actions. LOVE is a very
powerful word that Jesus Christ sacrificed His own life because of His
love for you. If you love Jesus you will live for Jesus.
If you really love someone, you would care for them so much. Their
well being will be priority for your life and you would want them
honored. You would want others to know how special they are to you. You
will make decisions that will show them that they are loved. People can
hear you tell them 'you love them' all they want but if they don't see
it in your actions, it will not become real.
So, if people know you love Jesus but your actions show that you hate
people, you are not really loving Jesus. Or if you say you love your
boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, wife, etc but your actions show the
opposite, there is a problem there.
For me there is also a problem to vote for Barack Obama this Election
2008 because he says he is a Christian but still wants ABORTION
LEGALIZED, still wants GAY MARRIAGE to be LEGAL across the land, wants
to repeal the DEFENSE OF MARRIAGE ACT, etc.
Christ our Lord is against all these things and many more. For me
personally the Sanctity of Life and the Sanctity of Marriage are so
important that this Election 2008, I am choosing to vote for McCain-Palin.
I don't want to just say that I am Pro-Life and for marriage to be
between a man and a woman but I want that to reflect by my actions of
voting for McCain-Palin.
It is not my place to judge those who say they are Christians and
still voting for Obama for that it between them and the Lord. What I
know is that as an Evangelical Christian, I cannot in good conscience
vote for Obama because of his character, his refusal to sign BORN ALIVE
INFANT ACT, for being Pro-Choice, Pro-Gay Marriage, etc.
So when we proclaim to others that we are a
follower of Christ, can the crowd of the earth see that in our actions
that we are a follower of Jesus and we love Him? Can Jesus see that?
I hope they can! Let Jesus see that! May we live a life where our
actions bring glory and honor to the Lord! I want to do that even
through my vote by VOTING THE BIBLE. When it comes to the downtrodden, I
have seen McCain and his family care for those less fortunate too.
So, by my actions I am voting for McCain-Palin as a follower of
Christ and pray you would too!
But more than voting for a political candidate, we need to VOTE THE
BIBLE and Jesus Christ into our hearts.
Friend, Jesus loves you so much and proved that by going to the cross
and dying for your sins. He took the action to ransom
you from your sin. He wants you to be free. He wants to forgive you, for
God has given Him the authority to forgive the sins of humanity because
of His willingness to shed His perfect cleansing blood for you and me.
Yes, friend Jesus shed His blood so that you and I can be healed from
this deadly disease known as sin. Jesus’ blood becomes our antidote!
When Jesus was on the cross, Jesus became a Blood donor for the world
that was infected with this deadly virus. His blood became a free
transfusion for all those who were willing to accept His blood for the
cleansing of their sins.
If that were the end, it would be futile but Jesus Christ came back
to life on the third day to save. Jesus wants to save you friend. Allow
Him to save you.
If you have not accepted what Jesus did for you to free you, you can
do it now. Yes, you can! You can have Jesus forgive you and give you new
life. Jesus is there to forgive us and help us become right with God.
The paralytic was spiritually and physically sick and Jesus healed him
of both. He was able to go home regardless of how his life looked before
he was healed.
Regardless of your past and how your life looks, when you come to
Jesus you will have a new home that He will provide for you. One day,
you can be with Jesus. That is so cool and exciting to know! Because you
accept what Jesus did for you, God’s judgment will pass over you because
when God looks at you, He will see you covered in the precious Blood of
Jesus Christ.
No matter where you have been or what you have done, Jesus wants to
forgive you and give you new life. Let this be the hour, for now is the
time of Salvation. Don’t delay! You may still have questions about Jesus
and don’t have all the answers. Wait on the Lord and He will reveal them
to you. The important thing is that you will be right with God.
The Bible says that none of us are good and all have sinned and
fallen short of the glory of God. The Bible says that our goodness is
like filthy rags to God. You see friend, God’s standard of goodness
cannot ever be met as we live in a sinful world. We could have done
99.9% good things and 0.1% bad thing and that still makes us a sinner.
You see putting 0.1% cyanide in 99.9% of pure water does not make it
pure anymore. It may seem pure but it is not.
In the same way, people may see us as good but what matters is how
God looks at us. With Christ on our side, God sees us now through the
righteousness of Christ. That is exciting to know!
I am not going to say that when you come to Jesus everything will be
peachy in your life for the Lord Jesus never promised this but what He
promised is that He will be with you and never leave you nor forsake
you. He promises to give His people strength. He is there for you
friend. Come right now to Jesus friend and let Him be the Lord and
Personal Savior of your life! He wants to friend, yes He does!
"Always Christ’s Truth Imparts Omnipotent
Nurture Sanctifying!" (A.C.T.I.O.N.S)/"What do you represent by your
actions in life?"
Don’t you want Jesus in your life and not be a
paralytic to sin?
You can right now as you make this your prayer.
Dear Jesus, thank you for healing the paralytic
after forgiving his sins. You set him free to go home. I want to be
free. I don’t know everything about you. I still have a lot of
questions. What I do know is that you died on the cross for my sins.
When it comes to sin, I am a paralytic Oh Lord. I am infected with this
deadly disease known as sin. I am not perfect but a sinner who needs
your cleansing blood to clean me of my sin everyday. I confess to you my
sin and repent of my sin. I know you have forgiven me when you died on
the cross. I want to accept that forgiveness. Thank you for shedding
your cleansing precious blood for me. You were nailed to the cross
because of me. It is like I actually held the hammer and pounded the
nails so I could be free. Thank you for willingly dying for me Jesus.
Thank you for taking the shame and pain for me. Thank you for doing that
to set me free. I come to the cross and ask you for your healing in my
life. Thank you for the power of your Blood to redeem humanity. Thank
you for coming back to life on the third day to save us and give us Eternal Life as we
yield to you. Your blood can heal us where we are. I love you Jesus.
Even with my questions, I come to you now and
accept you into my heart. Please Jesus come into my heart and make my
heart your home. Give me a transfusion of change. Live in me Jesus and I
will live for you and serve you the rest of the days of my life. I thank
you Jesus for coming into my heart and making my heart your home. Thank
you for living in me Jesus. I acknowledge you now as my Lord and
Personal Savior. Please be the Lord and Savior of my life. Thank you for
being my Lord and Personal Savior Jesus and because of what you have
done for me when God looks at me, He now sees me covered in your blood
and His judgment passes over me. Thank you that you have heard my prayer
and answered me. Thank you for being with me Lord. Please fill me with
your Holy Spirit. Thank you Jesus I now belong to you and never need to
be alone! You will always be with me and have given me Salvation. In
Your Name I Pray Jesus! Amen!
May my spoken words and
unspoken thoughts be pleasing even to you, O Lord my Rock and my
Redeemer." (Psalm 19:14)
