MARK 2:1-12 – And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed 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 say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

We don’t know how long the man was paralyzed. The text doesn’t tell us if he lived a long life of being a paralytic. Regardless, he was physically needy in a manner leaving him helpless and dependent upon others. And he sure had some loving friends! They couldn’t heal him, but they could take him to the One who could and might. They also cared so much that no cost was too high to pay to get their friend to Jesus. They couldn’t fight through the crowds so they lowered him through the roof! That is love in word and deed (1 John 3:18). And here is where the story gets interesting and instructive for us.

The paralytic and his friends sought a physical healing. Nothing wrong here. He longed to walk and no doubt his friends wanted that as well. Yet, we see them coming to Jesus for the physical and that isn’t what unfolds. Enter the crowd and watch this man lowered from the roof to land right in front of the Lord Jesus. Like the crowd, our curiosity rises. What is Jesus going to do? Well, what He doesn’t do is immediately heal the man’s physical problem. No, our Lord deals with the highest of his needs. Jesus doesn’t say, “Get up and walk” but “Son, your sins are forgiven.” It was the priority of the spiritual over the physical that was addressed by our Lord. And it applies to us as well.

Our greatest need in life is not our physical well-being but the spiritual. Forgiveness of sins against a holy God is the most important issue in the lives of every human being. Does God heal physically? Sometimes, but when it comes to spiritual healing, for the sinner being drawn to the Lord feeling the weight of guilt and need of forgiveness, the Lord always heals such broken individuals. But back to the story. The paralytic man received a double touch from the Lord. Not only did he get his greatest need met, forgiveness, but out of the abundance of grace, he left that meeting on his own two feet! The Lord also gave him physical healing. Such a display of the love of the Lord that goes far beyond what we may ask or think.

PRAYER: “Father, I praise You for meeting my first and greatest need in life–forgiveness of my many sins.”

QUOTE: “God so loves us that He sent His Son, the Lord Jesus, to fulfill our greatest need in life; forgiveness.”

Because of Him,

Pastor Jim