Today, we hear of the
great power Jesus had to heal people. It
is so striking how the friends of this paralytic believed so strongly in Jesus’
power to heal that they even tore apart the roof of a house in order to get
this man to Jesus. What great faith and
what strong determination. When the
scribes hear that Jesus has forgiven this man’s sins, they just cannot believe
it, because they believe that only God has the authority to forgive this man’s
sins and the authority to unbind this sick man from his burden of guilt. Jesus shows the great power of God’s
redeeming love and mercy by healing this man of his physical ailment. But, as we can see how this man was stricken
both physically and spiritually, Jesus heals him body, mind, and soul.
This story of the
paralytic makes me wonder if we have anything that keeps us from Jesus, if we
have any burden that weighs us down. I
wonder also if we approach Jesus in the manner of the paralytic and his
friends, in great faith and determination, in doing whatever it takes to break
through to him? Or, are we like the
ever-present scribes, trying to trap Jesus, to subject him to criticism and
scorn? We need to remember that Jesus
always knows how to deal with the scribes: by outwitting them and tricking
them into stepping into their own traps.
As Jesus did with the
paralytic, may we pray that we open ourselves to God’s merciful love and
forgiveness, that it brings us healing & restoration to our lives: to our
bodies, to our souls, & to our minds.
May God’s healing love touch every aspect of our lives: our thoughts,
our feelings, our attitudes, our memories.
May we be transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit so that we may
walk confidently in the way of the truth of Jesus.
No comments:
Post a Comment