“So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!” And the man jumped up, grabbed his mat, and walked out through the stunned onlookers. They were all amazed and praised God, exclaiming, “We’ve never seen anything like this before!”” (Mark 2:10–12, NLT)
In this scripture for today from the gospel of Mark, Jesus healed a paralyzed man. The man could not walk. He was disabled. He could not carry on a normal life. We do not know why this man was paralyzed. Maybe the paralysis was caused by a fall. There might have been some kind of accident at his work. He could have been born this way. We do not know the history of this man, but we do know that he was disabled. He could not walk on his own to see Jesus. His friends carried him to see Jesus where he was healed.
When Jesus healed the man, he mentioned that the paralysis would leave when the man’s sins were forgiven (Mark 2:10). Because of this, it may be assumed that there was a connection between some sins and the man’s paralysis. Upon forgiving the man’s sins, Jesus commanded the man to stand up and go home (Mark 2:11). He did! The man could now go back to his life, forgiven from his sin and healed by God’s grace.
To understand many stories of the Bible and get a fuller understanding of their implications for the spiritual life, it is necessary that you look deeper into scripture. For example, today’s scripture is not just about the healing of one paralytic man. It carries more meaning than that! As a parable of everyday life, this healing may speak to a number of other ways people are paralyzed. Some people are paralyzed by their fears and insecurities. Some people become paralyzed when they don’t know what to do. Churches can become paralyzed by infighting or the loss of spiritually-lead workers. There are many types of paralysis in the world, physical and emotional and spiritual. This scripture speaks to many!
When Charlie was discharged from military service, he went through a period of depression. Being a soldier who fought in Afghanistan, he was deeply affected by the war. With loud noises, he might duck and cover. At night, he would have nightmares. In awkward moments, he would have flashbacks where his heart would race, and he would sweat heavily. Following his discharge, Charlie lived at home with his parents for two years, suffering these symptoms. One might say his life was on hold. A soldier in his old unit said it felt like since they got out, they were “going nowhere” or “just spinning their wheels”. In effect, Charlie’s experience in war caused him to have a paralysis in his life, where he just didn’t feel like moving on or finding motivation. He was depressed. He felt alone.
Then, Charlie’s parents paid for him to go on a mission trip with a men’s group at the church. At first, Charlie was hesitant to go. In the days before, he thought numerous times of backing out of the trip. In the end, Charlie went anyway. The mission trip involved the men working at a homeless shelter for abused women and families. While the men were there, they painted several rooms, fixed some of the landscaping, and did needed maintenance to the building. At first, the residents drew back from the men. Having bad experiences from abuse, most of the residents were afraid. Soon, however, the ice began to melt between the groups. Charlie also experienced it. One young teenage boy attached himself to Charlie, often helping him work and asking him questions about the military. The boy wanted to be a soldier. The boy said he wanted to “do something with his life”. For the first time in a long time, Charlie began to see that his life made a difference. Not only was he helping greatly, but he was also deeply moved by the worship the men had each night. On the last night of the trip, Charlie ended up talking one on one with a former soldier in the men’s group. Late in the night, they prayed together and vowed to help each other with their “issues”.
Charlie’s life was never the same after that. He became active in the men’s group and a regular attender at the church. There, Charlie met his future wife. There, he also got married, his daughter was baptized, and many years later his funeral was held. I led that funeral.
Charlie came home from war emotionally scarred and spiritually paralyzed. Yet, when he found Jesus on that mission trip, his life changed completely. He moved on with his life. Jesus freed him from his past.
You may at times find yourself or your church or your family becoming paralyzed. The paralysis may be initiated by a trauma, a death, a loss, a medical issue, a highly emotional situation, or an accident. Your life may be put on hold. You might find yourself “just spinning your wheels” or “going nowhere”. You might feel alone or disabled. Please know that just as Jesus healed that paralytic man, He can just as easily heal you. He can restore function or meaning to your life. You must place your trust in His care. Others may have to bring you to Jesus, but if you listen to His voice and heed His commands, you will find yourself leaving behind that paralysis. You will be freed from that past. If your paralysis is in any way connected to a past sin, realize that Jesus can forgive you. He can give your life meaning again. Just trust His power. Trust in God’s grace.
Is there some part of your life stuck in a standstill? Has your relationship with God been on hold? Is there something holding you back from a fulfilling life? There are many ways Jesus can heal you. All it takes is for you to come into His presence and listen to His voice!
"Between the great things that we cannot do and the small things we will not do, the danger is that we shall do nothing." Adolph Monod.
When Jesus healed the man, he mentioned that the paralysis would leave when the man’s sins were forgiven (Mark 2:10). Because of this, it may be assumed that there was a connection between some sins and the man’s paralysis. Upon forgiving the man’s sins, Jesus commanded the man to stand up and go home (Mark 2:11). He did! The man could now go back to his life, forgiven from his sin and healed by God’s grace.
To understand many stories of the Bible and get a fuller understanding of their implications for the spiritual life, it is necessary that you look deeper into scripture. For example, today’s scripture is not just about the healing of one paralytic man. It carries more meaning than that! As a parable of everyday life, this healing may speak to a number of other ways people are paralyzed. Some people are paralyzed by their fears and insecurities. Some people become paralyzed when they don’t know what to do. Churches can become paralyzed by infighting or the loss of spiritually-lead workers. There are many types of paralysis in the world, physical and emotional and spiritual. This scripture speaks to many!
When Charlie was discharged from military service, he went through a period of depression. Being a soldier who fought in Afghanistan, he was deeply affected by the war. With loud noises, he might duck and cover. At night, he would have nightmares. In awkward moments, he would have flashbacks where his heart would race, and he would sweat heavily. Following his discharge, Charlie lived at home with his parents for two years, suffering these symptoms. One might say his life was on hold. A soldier in his old unit said it felt like since they got out, they were “going nowhere” or “just spinning their wheels”. In effect, Charlie’s experience in war caused him to have a paralysis in his life, where he just didn’t feel like moving on or finding motivation. He was depressed. He felt alone.
Then, Charlie’s parents paid for him to go on a mission trip with a men’s group at the church. At first, Charlie was hesitant to go. In the days before, he thought numerous times of backing out of the trip. In the end, Charlie went anyway. The mission trip involved the men working at a homeless shelter for abused women and families. While the men were there, they painted several rooms, fixed some of the landscaping, and did needed maintenance to the building. At first, the residents drew back from the men. Having bad experiences from abuse, most of the residents were afraid. Soon, however, the ice began to melt between the groups. Charlie also experienced it. One young teenage boy attached himself to Charlie, often helping him work and asking him questions about the military. The boy wanted to be a soldier. The boy said he wanted to “do something with his life”. For the first time in a long time, Charlie began to see that his life made a difference. Not only was he helping greatly, but he was also deeply moved by the worship the men had each night. On the last night of the trip, Charlie ended up talking one on one with a former soldier in the men’s group. Late in the night, they prayed together and vowed to help each other with their “issues”.
Charlie’s life was never the same after that. He became active in the men’s group and a regular attender at the church. There, Charlie met his future wife. There, he also got married, his daughter was baptized, and many years later his funeral was held. I led that funeral.
Charlie came home from war emotionally scarred and spiritually paralyzed. Yet, when he found Jesus on that mission trip, his life changed completely. He moved on with his life. Jesus freed him from his past.
You may at times find yourself or your church or your family becoming paralyzed. The paralysis may be initiated by a trauma, a death, a loss, a medical issue, a highly emotional situation, or an accident. Your life may be put on hold. You might find yourself “just spinning your wheels” or “going nowhere”. You might feel alone or disabled. Please know that just as Jesus healed that paralytic man, He can just as easily heal you. He can restore function or meaning to your life. You must place your trust in His care. Others may have to bring you to Jesus, but if you listen to His voice and heed His commands, you will find yourself leaving behind that paralysis. You will be freed from that past. If your paralysis is in any way connected to a past sin, realize that Jesus can forgive you. He can give your life meaning again. Just trust His power. Trust in God’s grace.
Is there some part of your life stuck in a standstill? Has your relationship with God been on hold? Is there something holding you back from a fulfilling life? There are many ways Jesus can heal you. All it takes is for you to come into His presence and listen to His voice!
"Between the great things that we cannot do and the small things we will not do, the danger is that we shall do nothing." Adolph Monod.