Dealing with our paralysis (Matthew 9:6-7)

SCRIPTURE: Matthew 9:6-7 (TM)

But so you will know that the Human One has authority on the earth to forgive sins"—he said to the man who was paralyzed—"Get up, take your cot, and go home." The man got up and went home.

STORY:

I recall a story about a man who had to cross a wide river on the ice. He was afraid it might be too thin, so he began to crawl on his hand and knees in great terror. He thought he might fall through at any moment. Just as he neared the opposite shore, all exhausted, another man glided past him nonchalantly sitting on a sled loaded with pig iron.

OBSERVATION:

Here’s a thought: “Between the great things that we cannot do and the small things we will not do, the danger is that we shall do nothing”

(Adolph Monod).

Here’s something to contemplate: What fear grips us and keeps us from doing what we know we should do or from trying something we have never done?

We do not know why the individual in the Matthew story was paralyzed. All we know is that he was. Along comes Jesus who had authority… all authority on earth and says: it is time to end this foolishness, get up and go home. Paralysis meets authority and life changes.

Today where in our life do we need to hear Christ say to us: this present stage in your life is over, get over it, stop acting paralyzed, get up and get on with living? Isn’t it true that sometimes we would rather just lie there on our cot and feel sorry for ourselves? We’ve grown so accustom to our situation that we would rather remain the way we are instead of changing.

And then along comes Jesus. The authority. The healer. The Word. The life changer. We end up confronting our deepest fears, those little things that paralyzes us… and nothing ever is the same again. We simply roll up our cot and get on with living.

Where do we need healing? What is it that paralyzes us? Why are we not allowing Christ to take authority over it?

PRAYER:

Well, Lord, here we continue to sit on our cots of pain and paralysis. We have grown very accustomed to it. It actually has become rather comfortable. Besides, we really don’t like change. So, make us uncomfortable. Help us to trust the authority that you have over our lives. Bring us to the point of desiring something better. Help us heal and become whole.