Matt. 9:2 And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.”
This miracle stands out in the ministry of Jesus, it is classic. Peter’s house was packed that day, everyone from his mother in law, his fishing buddies, to the leading Pharisees were crammed into his house. What an awkward crowd, miracles seem to attract those awkward crowds. That’s when awkward turned bizarre; first there was the shuffling of feet up on the roof, then scratching and pounding, and then pieces of tile and straw were plopping into the room. Then the unbelievable happened, a paralyzed man came floating into the room suspended on ropes from the four brave friends on the roof.
What was going to happen? Everyone’s eyes moved from the crippled man to the smiling face of Jesus. His sermon had been interrupted by the commotion. What would He do? What would He say?
“Take courage My son, your sins are forgiven”. Wow! No one expected that. What did his sins have to do with anything. Actually they have everything to do with everything. Sin is often at the root of our problems, this man needed forgiveness more than he needed healing. Here is how Charles Spurgeon describes it.
“He did not begin by curing him of the palsy. That was bad enough; but sin is worse than the palsy, sin in the heart is worse than paralysis of every single muscle. Sin is death, but something worse than death; therefore, Christ, at the very beginning of the miracle, to show His Lordship, His royal, His divine power, said to the man, “Son, be of good cheer: thy sins be forgiven thee”. This was laying the axe at the root of this man’s evil nature. This was hunting the lion, the biggest beast of all the foul creatures that lurked in the densest forest of the man’s being. Christ’s words drove this unclean animal from his lair, and by his almighty power rent him as though he had been a kid.”
Maybe you feel paralyzed, unable to move forward, stuck in your present circumstances hoping for a break. Maybe its not a break or even a breakthrough that you need, maybe what you need is forgiveness. Allow the Holy Spirit to search your heart, bath yourself in the word of God. Jesus brings forgiveness to all of us. The only catch is this, we have to recognize our need to come to Him for forgiveness. That’s when our life will start up again.