Day 21: February 17

SCRIPTURE READING: MATTHEW 9:1-8

SCRIPTURE HIGHLIGHTS:
And seeing their faith, Jesus said to the man who was paralyzed, “Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven.”
But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—then He said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, pick up your stretcher and go home.”
 
 
OBSERVATIONS:
The paralyzed man needed some friends to bring him to Jesus. He needed help.
Matthew tells us that Jesus saw “their” faith; presumably the faith of the paralyzed man as well as his carriers.

Jesus issued a pronouncement that sins of the paralytic were forgiven. Jesus was clearly not forgiving him of a personal offense against himself, but declaring that his sins were forgiven by God. The basis for this forgiveness was simply his faith in Jesus.

The religious leaders were angry that Jesus had the audacity to assume for himself the authority to forgive this mans sins because that prerogative belonged solely to God.
Jesus then asked whether it required more authority to forgive than it did to command his healing. Without waiting for their answer, Jesus commanded the man to rise and walk.
The result was that all the onlookers began to glorify God. They were astonished that God would grant a man the authority to forgive and to heal.
 
APPLICATION:
Faith is not only expressed with words. Faith is also expressed, perhaps even more so, by our actions.

Jesus has both the authority to forgive sins and heal the body because he is our Savior.

Although not all sickness is the direct result of sin, the effects of Adam’s sin – and the sins of all who are born in Adam (i.e. all of us!) – extend to our bodies. Sickness and death have become a part of our fallen human condition.

Jesus’ work of redemption is holistic. He forgives us and heals us. In his presence in eternity we will be completely free from sin, sickness, suffering and death.

Jesus shares with God the Father the prerogative to forgive sins and heal the body because he is God the Son!

I want a faith like these men. A faith that is both heard by others and and seen by others!
I need to remember that I need others and others need me. Sometimes I need friends to carry me to Jesus and sometimes I need to carry my friends to Jesus.  
 
PRAYER:
Dear Lord, I praise you Jesus because you are the one who forgives my sins and heals my disease. I confess that you are my Savior, my Lord, and my God. Help me to be strong in faith and demonstrate my faith by what I profess with my mouth and by what I do with my body and my time. I don’t always “hear faith” come out of my mouth and I don’t always “see faith” through my behavior. Help me humbly accept spiritual guidance and accountability from my brothers and sisters and help me to be ready to carry them to you when they can’t carry themselves.