Mark Sorensen She came down after last Sunday’s 11:00 am message and the conversation started like most of them when people come down to me for prayer. I asked, “How can I pray for you?” Her response caught me off guard. She smiled with tears in her eyes and said, “I have absolutely NO idea. I have no words that can actually formulate how I need prayer but I know this… I need it.”
I appreciated her honesty.
One of the things that I loved so much in last week’s Recalculating Series message on the paralytic from Mark’s gospel (CLICK HERE) was addressing something incredibly profound yet easy to miss: the paralyzed man never said a single word. Imagine the moment. Here he is, paralyzed, unable to move, lowered through the roof of someone else’s home (possibly the apostle Peter), just so he can get into the presence of Jesus. Hey, it’s highly possible he didn’t even want this to happen! His friends may have given him no choice. We’re not certain of the backstory, but we do know this: when he is lowered through the roof and finds himself laying in the presence of Jesus, no words are necessary. Jesus looks him in the eyes and surprises him with the following words: “Son, your sins are forgiven” (Mark 2:5).
I shared last Sunday that there was this Jewish belief that, should you suffer from a disease or sickness, it was believed that this was due to a sin you had committed or possibly a result of the sins of your parents or great-grandparents had committed. Can you imagine? It was as if you “had it coming” and God was angry with you. That’s a scarlet letter that’s hard to live with. What we know in this story was that, sure, the paralytic needed a physical healing in his life, but there was a spiritual paralysis he suffered from as well. Perhaps this is why Jesus addressed the topic of “your sins forgiven”, first.
Look at the power in those two thoughts. First, in that single word, “Son…”, Jesus reminded the paralytic that he had family. “ John, a friend and follower of Jesus would write, “See how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us that we should be called sons and daughters of God” (1 John 1:3). Perhaps this man has been overlooked for many years and written off by his family and the religious scribes and Pharisees of his day. But Jesus wouldn’t overlook him. In fact, Jesus gave him a name that wasn’t related to his paralysis or brokenness. Instead, it was “Son”, or, child of God. It’s powerful to know that God doesn’t view us by our stains and shortcomings. He doesn’t look at our stains and say, “Well, he certainly had that coming.” No, he sees us as His child. He sees us as “loved”. And on the other side of Jesus saying, “You’re mine”, he then offers His forgiveness. The slate is wiped clean. It’s as if God was saying into his very brokenness, “Child, God is not angry with you. It’s ok.” How beautiful to know that, “as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12). All that’s required on our end? Our presence.
Perhaps you don’t have the words today to explain the hurt or spiritual paralysis you may suffer from. Here’s all that’s necessary: find yourself in Jesus’ presence. Know that He has a name for you and it’s His child. You have family. Know that your story doesn’t have to be one of brokenness, mistakes, failures, or hurt. Instead, it can be one of redemption, forgiveness, beauty, and second chances. All that’s necessary? Let Him look into your heart and begin to speak healing into the broken places.
I love being connected to a church that has so many ways to help people that are in need. If you need help or healing in some area of your life, don’t hesitate to reach out to me and let me know. It’s a blessing to stand beside you and help you get the help necessary to live the free and healed life that you were created to live!
