Friday 13 Jan 2023

January 13: Mark 2:1-12

Key Verse: Mark 2:9
Which is easier: to say to this paralysed man, “Your sins are forgiven,” or to say, “Get up, take your mat and walk”?

Devotion:
I love this story about how Jesus was able to release this man from his past, not just spiritually but physically too. Jesus first reaction was to help the man with what they were struggling with; in this case the man must have been really struggling with the fact he was paralysed and was probably blaming his physical condition on what he had done in the past.

So many of us will blame ourselves for the spiritual and mental positions we are in by looking at the things we have done wrong in the past. This is not how Christ works! Jesus first healed the man of his spiritual problems by forgiving him – this was unheard of and the teachers immediately said Jesus was blaspheming! How could he forgive the man when it should only be God who does such things!

This was the teachers first fault, overlooking the fact Jesus was their Messiah, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Nothing they could do would have released this man from his problems, but what Jesus said released him immediately!

Sensing what they were thinking Jesus turned to the teachers and asked them which would be more difficult, to simply say the man's sins were forgiven, or to physically heal the man just by telling him to get up and walk! As soon as Jesus told the man to get up and walk, he did! This should have put an end to any doubt those teachers had about Jesus; but it probably didn’t!

Points to Ponder:
What do you look to Jesus to do in your life?

Will you accept what He does for you in faith?