Faith!

For Friday, December 15, 2023:

Mark 2:5 NLT: “Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, ‘My child, your sins are forgiven.’”

This is one of my favorite Bible scenarios. Word of Jesus’ ability to heal any malady had spread widely, and this paralyzed man had four friends who totally believed. Besides, nothing else had worked! So the prospect of Jesus healing their friend was promising indeed!

But so many people had come to hear Jesus’ teaching that there was no chance of gaining entrance. The room, the hallways, the paths leading into the building were all clogged with people. That did not deter the friends of the paralyzed man. They devised a plan to carry their friend onto the roof, cut a hole in the roof and then lower their friend into the room, setting him right in front of Jesus! That should get Jesus’ attention!

So the friends did just that, lowered the man on his mat right down in front of Jesus! Believe me, that stopped whatever was going on in the room at the time, and all eyes were now on this paralyzed man and on Jesus. What would you expect Jesus to do? Jesus did the next right thing and healed the man, saying, “My child, your sins are forgiven.”

As it turns out, our lesson here is that the healing was secondary. Jesus’ primary mission was to reconcile mankind’s sin problem, to make forgiven believers acceptable for taking up residence alongside God and Jesus in the heavenly kingdom. God’s desire is that none would perish, that all would repent and return. Jesus alone can dispense this necessary forgiveness which offers us assurance of salvation. Pray that the Holy Spirit would fill you with as much faith as the four friends.

Jesus went ahead to prepare your place in the Kingdom!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship