Jesus climbed into a boat and went back across the lake to his own town. Some people brought to him a paralyzed man on a mat. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “Be encouraged, my child! Your sins are forgiven.”But some of the teachers of religious law said to themselves, “That’s blasphemy! Does he think he’s God?” Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you have such evil thoughts in your hearts? Is it easier to say ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up and walk’? 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 and went home! Fear swept through the crowd as they saw this happen. And they praised God for giving humans such authority. Matthew 9:1-8 NLT
As human beings, you and I tend to be short-sighted. The here and now command our attention, far more than what awaits us beyond the grave. We run to God with our pressing, albeit fleeting, requests. We plead for healing and relief from the heartaches of life when what we really need is more of Him, more of His presence, more of His mercy, more of His peace. What if, when the hard times came, we radically altered our perspective to seek, not the healing, as much as the Healer.
The paralytic asked one thing of Jesus, yet he received so much more besides. This is the mystery of grace. God, seeing far beyond our immediate and fleeting struggles, to the essence of what we truly lack: forgiveness and that inner healing we so desperately need, one that lasts not just for a time but for all of eternity.
Prayer: Lord, you know my greatest need is not less of this or more of that, but more of You. I want to seek You first, even if the healing never comes on this side of eternity. Be my all. Amen.
Thought: He asked Jesus for one thing, yet he received so much more besides.
Discover more from Author Renee Vajko Srch
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