LENT: day 10: Jesus says YES to his BEST (which may feel like a NO to us)

Mark 2:3-4 . Four men tried to bring a crippled friend to Jesus but since the crowd prevented them from carrying him close enough to get Jesus attention, they climbed up onto the roof, opened a hole in it and lowered the paralyzed man on his mat down to Jesus.

It’s such a  Sunday School crowd pleaser – this story in the gospel of Mark that shows 4 faithful friends climbing on a roof, cutting a hole in it and lowering their paralyzed friend down to the floor at Jesus feet.  They had heard this miracle man was healing all kinds of physical and spiritual sickness. This was their moment to help their friend and nothing was going to stop them-

Not a crowd.

Not a roof.

Not a fear of heights.

Not the opinions of others. 

Up they went and down they lowered.  Cue the dramatic music.

When Jesus watches the scene unfold the gospel writer tells us “He saw their faith.” As he moves to respond to this faith filled stunt his actions weren’t  really what they were expecting, or hoping for. They wanted to see their friend rise from his cot and run and jump like all the other paralytics Jesus had healed. But instead Jesus- proclaims a bigger healing over the biggest issue in this mans life (and actually in ours) as he says “your sins are forgiven.”   He has just removed the very thing that stands in the way of the paralytics relationship with a holy God. Wether he experiences physical healing this side of heaven- he has just received the ultimate victory.

As we read on we find that Jesus does indeed physically heal the man- to prove to his critics that he has the power and authority to forgive sins. This man got a double healing- much more then he or his friends realized they wanted or needed.

I wonder if Jesus would have healed the man physically first if the paralytic would have stuck around long enough to receive the healing of his greater sickness of sin and need for forgiveness? 

Jesus used this mans suffering to motivate him and his friends to seek him out. So many times in my life it seems to take personal suffering or tragedy to move me to the feet of Jesus with the determination of this little posse of friends.  Minor aches and pains have me living in complain mode  and causes me to forget that my biggest issue has been taken care of – on the cross of Calvary. 

What an amazing God we have that often does give us that double blessing of both physical and spiritual healing. We don’t deserve it and sometimes we actually don’t need it – the physical part that is. 

I am grateful that if God choses just the spiritual healing for a season or for some a lifetime that he promises to never ever leave us in our earthly pain. He will continue to give us every bit of the strength, hope, peace and power we will need. If you are in the midst of physical, relational, emotional pain- I pray you experience him on a level you might never have if you weren’t in this spot of needing him so much. 

PRAYER: Thank you Lord that we have ultimate healing of forgiveness of sins and victory over death because of your sacrifice. Please give us hope in the midst of our trials. Make your presence undeniable as we walk our journey to our eternal life with you. 

Loving you where you are and pointing you forward to where He is,

justbeth:)