Forgiveness as Healing

For the season of Lent I'll be sharing devotions from Grace Lutheran's devotional book: "Forgiven." 

While these devotions are not my words and may not represent my own faith or theological understanding, they are valuable personal faith perspectives of 40 of Grace's members and I am so grateful for their generosity in sharing them.

Part One: Forgiveness & Wholeness

Matthew 9:1-8 (forgiveness as healing)
And after getting into a boat he crossed the sea and came to his own town. And just then some people were carrying a paralyzed man lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.” Then some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.” But Jesus, perceiving their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Stand up and walk’? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic—“Stand up, take your bed and go to your home.” And he stood up and went to his home. When the crowds saw it, they were filled with awe, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to human beings.

Some of the people gathered saw Jesus as a fake because he was not God. They felt no one other than God could heal or forgive anyone’s sins. The paralyzed man’s friends were of a humble faith and knew Jesus Christ could help him. Those who yelled blasphemy at his workings truly did not know Jesus’s true purpose was to save us from our sins – eventually dying for us.
These verses show that sin is the ultimate cause of spiritual paralysis. No worse infection or illness can confine us. It will control all aspects of our life and maybe even eternity to come, unless we are redeemed from it. This passage continues the theme of how Jesus repeatedly goes out of his way to forgive us as sinners. He seeks out we who are unworthy and then He forgives and heals us. Why does Jesus do this for us? He did it because he loves us and wants us to be better people. We have no way to get off our "mat" without his help. We may not be confined to a bed or in a wheelchair, but often we are still paralyzed by sin, and in constant need of his forgiveness.

PRAYER: 
Lord,
It is your greatest intention to separate our hearts from sin. You have the perfect knowledge of all that we say within ourselves. There is evil in sinful thoughts and we know that it is offensive to you. Help us to be better and more accepting of all of those around us. Help us to get off our “mats” and let our actions and words serve to honor you always.
Amen

~ David and Debbie

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