When Jesus moved from Nazareth, where he grew up, to Capernaum, which is about 40 miles hike to the north, many people went to His home to hear Him teach and be healed. There were so many of them that there was no room to get into His house. People ended up listening from the outside. There was a paralytic man who was being carried by four men. They tried to get into the house to let Jesus heal him, but they couldn't squeeze through, so they decided to take the stairs on the side of the house to get to the roof. Once they got to the roof, they made a hole big enough to lower the paralytic man. Many people in the house were surprised by what they did, and when Jesus saw their faith, Jesus immediately healed the paralytic man by saying, "My son, your sins are forgiven" (Mark 2:5). The religious leaders didn't like what Jesus said because they did not believe that Jesus could forgive sins. Jesus, knowing their thoughts, told them that the reason He told the paralytic man that his sins were forgiven instead of saying, "Arise, pick up your pallet and walk," was that they would understand that He had the authority to forgive sins.
The reason Jesus came was for the forgiveness of our sins. The forgiveness of our sins is more important than our physical needs because our sins are what separate us from God, not our physical needs. God can miraculously provide everything we need, including our healing, but being forgiven of our sin requires faith and surrendering to Jesus. Only through our faith in Jesus can we be forgiven of our sins. The paralytic man received his healing and forgiveness because of His faith in Jesus. However, the religious leaders, who were supposed to know God, were not forgiven of their sins because of their unbelief.
Let us be encouraged today that we can be forgiven of our sins no matter what we have done. Jesus came to bring forgiveness to our life. Let us not dwell on our past sins but move forward into his forgiveness. The paralytic man walked out of Jesus' home healed and forgiven. God can do the same thing to us today. Let us continue to have faith in Jesus.
Ask yourself these questions: Why did Jesus tell the paralytic man, "Your sins are forgiven," instead of "Arise, pick up your pallet and walk?" Do I believe that God forgave me when I confessed my sin to Him? Am I still living in my past sins and not living in His forgiveness?
Write down all the worries you face today and lift them up to God.
Prayer:
Father in Heaven, thank you for the forgiveness of my sin through my Lord Jesus. Please help live out the forgiveness I have in you and not let past sins control my thoughts and feelings. In your name Jesus, I pray. Amen.
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