Some men brought to him a paralytic, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven." At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, "This fellow is blaspheming!" Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, "Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins. . . ." Then he said to the paralytic, "Get up, take your mat and go home." And the man got up and went home.
Matthew 9:2-7
Question: What Can God do for me today?
Answer: Anything
Question: What is easier for God to do? Heal your cancer or restore your best friend’s broken marriage? Find you a new job or help your child who struggles with Math at school? Help your neighbor’s teenager get through an unwanted pregnancy or your co-worker’s spouse deal with their alcoholism?
Answer: None of the above!
In the Scriptures above we see Jesus healing a man’s sins. The religious leaders of the time protested, say Jesus was claiming to be God and that He really could not forgive someone’s sins. The implication here is that Jesus really had not forgiven the man’s sins, since He could not prove it. So to prove He had power, Jesus also healed the man of His paralysis. In the eyes of those present, that would be “harder” to do because you could see the results (or not).
So which really was harder for Jesus to do – heal the man’s body, or heal His soul? We want to say the latter, because you would HAVE to be God to accomplish that. But the fact of the matter is, neither was harder, neither was “hard” at all – because He IS God. He can do anything. With a spoken word, he can take care of your physical, emotional, or spiritual needs. No need is so small, or problem so big, that He cannot accomplish it for you. He is God and He loves you. He has a provision for your every need.
Please comment below, or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com
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Good point, reflecting on the power of God helps to put things into perspective. Still the Lord has placed us in an unusual circumstance. We struggle with the day-to-day that is in front of us in the material world, while the truly significant things of the spiritual world remain unseen. What's real and important seems like fantasy and trivial compared to the immediate need in front of us.
ReplyDeleteI understand the Pharisees wanting "proof". After all, talk is cheap. I shudder at the Lord’s rebuke. How do we shift our focus and trust? How do we let go of what we think we can control?
Perhaps that’s why when our life spins out of control we can experience the greatest growth. I’m afraid.
It's OK to be afraid - it's very human. But it’s not how God wants us to live. He wants us to live worry free because we are trusting in Him for all things.
ReplyDeleteYou say you want "proof" - that's OK too. You can have proof. The proof you need, that God is willing to give to you, comes in the form of having a relationship with Him that "feels" more real to you than the person sitting across the table from you. You see Him at work in your life, and the lives of others, on a daily basis.
How can you have that kind of a real, tangible relationship with God? For me it required Him taking away everything else in life that I had grown to put my trust in. I had nothing left, no other choice, but to trust in Him to get me through. And He did - multiple times over several months. My devotional times became daily messages from God that spoke to my soul for what I needed that day. I could feel Him at work in me. It all started about 2.5 years ago when He led me through a trial I did know how I could get through.
I don't honestly know if a closeness to God can come without pain and suffering. Scriptures say that through our pain and sufferings we are made like Christ. I would like to believe that you too can have a super-close, incredibly real, without a doubt, relationship with Jesus without going through a huge trial. I think it is possible. But it starts with believing in Him and not in yourself, and culminates in a willingness to go anywhere and do anything He asks of you. If you're ready for that, then fasten your seatbelt because life will become a wild and wonderful ride!