Forgiveness
When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you.” Matthew 9:2
Matthew, Mark, and Luke all recount the forgiving and healing of the paralytic. A combination of the three accounts shows four men carrying the paralytic to Jesus, but not without any obstacles. First, they had to traverse the crowds. Then, seeing as they could not get him to Jesus in a conventional way, they climbed on top of the roof. He was now closer, but the roof was in the way. They finally removed part of it and lowered their friend down so that he could be before the Lord.
Jesus knew what the man needed to hear. “Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you.” Wait, what? Did these men come all this way just to hear Jesus brush off their concerns? This an was healing all sorts of ailments, casting out demons, and performing other miracles. Did He just not care about this one man’s ailment?
We know that is not true! In the same verse, Matthew writes that “Jesus saw their faith.” Faith in the Savior trusts in Him to do what is right as well as what is necessary. To come all this way to hear that his sins were forgiven is not a wasted trip. David wrote in Psalm 103:3 that it is the LORD “Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases.” The paralytic was healed, but more importantly, his sins were forgiven. Yours are too. The same God who forgave his sins is the same God who went to the cross. Do you feel you have a sin too terrible for Him to forgive? “Be of good cheer!” Jesus says. Trust in Him! He forgives your sins too!
O Lord, fill our hearts with the joy of Your salvation. Amen.