Matthew 8:1-8
Mark 2:1-12
Luke 5:17-26
In these passages Jesus heals a paralyzed man who was lowered through the roof of the home Jesus was visiting. The Pharisees begin thinking to themselves Jesus must be blaspheming, because no one but God Himself can forgive sins. Jesus knows their thoughts and essentially says,”It doesn’t matter what words I say about this. Watch what I do. This will show you who I am.”
The phrase “The devil is in the details” popped into my head while I was meditating on these passages. This generally means the details are vitally important and often very difficult in any project. The details are often the hardest part. But I think the Pharisees, in their suspicious and envious way, were looking at only the details, to find a way to bring Jesus down. The tendency to look beyond the big picture to argue details is age old. “Don’t miss the forest for the trees.” When I see God’s creation, all of the power He holds, I seem to always want to “figure it out.” This is beyond my ability, and is not God’s will. God will show me the trees I need to see, and meanwhile I am to live in, and enjoy, the forest.
Holy One, Creator of all things, all details and all forests, I am thankful. I bow down before you in thanks. Amen
Becky, transforming
Matthew 9: 1-8, Mark 2: 1-12, Luke 5: 17-26
Matthew 2 Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “take heart, son’ your sins are forgiven.”
Mark 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
Luke 20 when Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend. Your sins are forgiven.”
These verses reinforce the forgiving nature of God. God sent Jesus, His only begotten Son, to become man, live a perfect live and then pay the penalty for our sins by dying on the cross. We should rejoice in the fact that Jesus was sent to forgive o…
2021-0205 Friday, Daily Devotion - Matthew 9:2 (NIV)
2 Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.”
The men who brought the paralyzed man are always amazing. Today’s scripture talks about what Jesus’ focus is through what He saw from them. It was The Faith of the people who brought the paralyzed man. This is an interesting aspect of the Faith. Jesus saw the people who helped their friends or neighbors, which means Jesus sees also the intercessor’s faith. This story always reminds us of our intercessory prayer how meaningful it is for others and God.
Lord of love,…
Jesus desires that we believe, even today, that bringing him our struggles, wounds, or sins can generate healing and hope. His healing may not look the way we want it to, or or in our timeframe, but his power to heal is both true and miraculous, even today.
Matthew 9:1-10....Mark 2:1-12...Luke 5:17-26 Jesus is touched by the trouble which his friends took for the paralysed man. The paralytic is dependent on his friends to bring him to Jesus. It is their faith (and not that of the paralyzed man) that Jesus acknowledges and responds to that moves him to heal the man both spiritually and physically. Did the paralytic ever utter a word. Our/ my prayers of faith for others moves Jesus to meet their needs and gives me/us a share in the helping ability of Christ to heal and forgive all people. The paralytic represents the human need for God’s forgiveness. In asserting his authority to forgive sins, Jesus comes into conflict for the first time with…
The three Gospel accounts of this event in Capernaum are virtually identical. Interestingly, Matthew leaves out the striking image of the paralyzed man being sent down through the roof of the house. Common to all three versions in this first half, however is Jesus’ acknowledgement of the faith of the man and his friends. It was faith that drove the action and was an affront to the Pharisees. Spiritually blind, even with a miraculous healing before their eyes they rejected Jesus’ authority to forgive sins. They were so fixated on keeping every bit of the law they could not see its source.
Prayer - Jesus, forgiver of sins, thank You for the gift of spiritual healing that comes through faith.…