We come to the end of our month-long look at an episode in the life of Jesus. We’ve looked through the eyes of the four friends, the homeowner, and the students. Let’s wrap up with one of the main characters…

Part Four - The Paralyzed Man

When Jesus returned to Capernaum several days later, the news spread quickly that he was back home. Soon the house where he was staying was so packed with visitors that there was no more room, even outside the door. While he was preaching God’s word to them, four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat. They couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “My child, your sins are forgiven.” - Mark 2:1-5

If we read on through verse 12, we find this story is really about the continuing conflict between Jesus and the teachers of the law. The person who would at first appear to be the central character, the paralyzed man whose life was forever changed, is more of a “prop” in the main narrative. In fact, he doesn’t even have a speaking part! As a result, we have no idea what he is thinking during this miraculous encounter. Let’s use our imaginations and explore one possibility.

(We aren’t even given the paralyzed man’s name, so since we are imagining anyway, let’s call him David (the most common Jewish boy name according to Google).)

David’s problem and need are apparent. When you have four friends carrying you on a mat, you either won a bet or you can’t walk. And yet, when he comes face to face with the Healer, Jesus doesn’t even acknowledge the obvious. Instead, He says, “Your sins are forgiven.” I can imagine David thinking, “wait a minute, I’m not here for a sin problem, I’m here for a mobility issue.” Jesus’s answer doesn’t seem remotely related to David’s obvious need, but Jesus looked beyond the surface and addressed the deeper need. Everyone around saw David’s useless body. Jesus looked and saw the need in his soul.

What do we do when the answer doesn’t match the question? When the burden we’ve poured out to Jesus time after time seems to go unanswered? Do we even see the pieces He is putting in place? Did David see that one answer to His prayer for healing was four friends who cared enough to bring him to Jesus? Did David see that an answer to his prayer was a homeowner who was willing to let Jesus use his home as a classroom? Did David see that a group of “students” who were willing to let someone else go to the front of the line were another answer to his prayer? Did David see that even working legs will pass away in a few short years, but his soul will go on forever? All those seemingly unrelated blessings were each a part of God’s answer to David’s prayer.

I remember in the winter following our accident, one day after Christmas, there was a knock on our door. A gracious person I didn’t recognize handed me an envelope containing some money. Pam was in the other room in a wheelchair. We had been praying for her to walk again, not for money. And yet about a week later, we blew through the new year's deductible on our insurance. The amount we owed matched the amount in that envelope. Was that an answer to prayer? Absolutely! Better yet, it was an answer to a need we didn’t even know we had.

What can we take away from this encounter? By all means, keep praying for your need! But keep your eyes open for answers that may not at first seem related or even wanted. God is still in the miracle-working business!

We assume from the rest of the story that the paralyzed man’s body was healed, and we know his sins were forgiven, but we’ve still skipped over the most amazing part of the story. Look at the first two words Jesus spoke to the paralytic… “My child.” Jesus isn’t just a healer, God isn’t just a prayer answerer, He’s family. He calls us his children, not because we deserve it or ask for it, but because He loves us that much.

And that, my friend, is the climax of this story, maybe even the whole Bible. “Jesus loves me, this I know. For the Bible tells me so…” Your Bible may have “My child” written in red ink. God’s ultimate love letter to us was written in red blood on a cross. I can’t think of a sweeter answer to prayer than to hear Jesus say, “My child…” He is mine, and I am His, and that’s more than enough for me.

Here’s the answer to the prayer you may not have even known to pray…

You are loved!

Amen,
Phil and Pam

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