God bless each of you. I am now beginning to post brand new devotions. It seems that the Holy Spirit is leading me into a new way to share the writings of these devotions. I hope you are blessed by them, but mainly, I pray God will receive glory and honor.
Jesus Heals the Paralyzed Man
Author: Pat Aman 7/19/2018 copyright of Westbow/Thomas – Nelson
Today, as I read the scriptures below, I saw this clearly taking place. It made me wonder, if I had been there what would my heart have felt like? Would I be seeking Jesus as the four loyal friends, carrying their friend who was paralyzed? Then I asked myself the question, do I seek Jesus today as I should?
So, I asked you, would you have been like the people crowded into one room just to see and hear Jesus? But the greater question is, are you even trying to really get to know him now in your lives?
Mark 2: 1-12 “And again he entered into Capernaum after some days; and it was noised that he was in the house. And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door: and he preached the word unto them. And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four. And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay. When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee. But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, why doth this man thus speaks blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only? And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts? Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, thy sins have forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house. And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, we never saw it on this fashion.”
I am going to stop here and give you a little history if that is okay?
….In studying the history of the life of Jesus, I read that the largest homes would fit about 50 people in them, if the people were standing really close together. People did not live in homes like ours, with a separate bedroom for each person. There were just one or two rooms where everything took place. So, let’s picture Jesus, packed into a very simple home that was full of people. People spilled out around the front door. They stood on their tiptoes, craning their necks to see Jesus; they leaned into the windows just to hear what Jesus had to say. These houses did not have roofs like the houses we build today. The roofs were made with branches that were laid across the ceiling beams. The branches were packed with mud that dried in the sun. They were sturdy enough to walk on but could be dug through. Often, there were outside staircases leading up to the rooftops….
Jesus entered Capernaum again, and I know he and his disciples must have been worn, tired and hungry. I am even sure that he knew there would be many people seeking him for healing and deliverance. And, some may have been seeking him to mock him. But, Jesus was on an assignment for his Father God.
I think that we ourselves forget that we are on assignment for our Father God in Heaven. He did not just send us to earth to walk around and do our own thing.
The scriptures tell us that when Jesus arrived at his destination, that the room was so full and crowded that not even one more person could enter. But, four of those who came were carrying a man who could not walk, and they were trying their best to find a way to get their friend to Jesus. They knew that just a touch of the master’s hand, was all their friend needed. But they could not get him close to Jesus because of the crowd. So they made a hole in the roof above Jesus. Then they lowered the man through it on a mat.
These men had heard though out the city about Jesus healing people all over Galilee. They were sure that Jesus could heal their friend. When they could not get into the door, they decided nothing was going to stop them. They climbed up onto the roof, carrying their friend. They begin to dig with their bare hands right through that dried mud roof.
I wonder what the people in the room begin to think, when they noticed what was going on above them? Were they scared? Did they think it maybe robbers or soldiers?
I do not think if mattered to Jesus. I am sure he knew what was happening, and he continued to minister, until the man was laying on his mat before Jesus. Then Jesus said to the man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.
Now, I want you to understand this, Jesus first words were “son, your sins are forgiven.” See, Jesus saw a need much greater than his paralyzed legs. He saw the man’s sinful heart.
James 5: 13-16 say, “Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.
Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he has committed sins, they shall have forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man
availed much.
Is it not amazing that Jesus wants to heal our sickness, but, he is more concern with our spiritual needs? He wants to heal our heart. He knows that once our heart is healed, everything else will fall into place.
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