August 26, 2010 Lord, Healer, Savior

August 26
Lord, Healer, Savior
Read Matthew 8 – 10

Matthew 9:2 Some men brought to him a paralytic, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.”

MANY TIMES I have read this verse, and many times I have equated the man’s paralysis with sin, thinking that his disease was the result of sin in his life. On this reading, I see it differently.

The part I’ve missed before is “When Jesus saw their faith.” That’s what God wants to see when he looks at you and me. Our faith is his primary concern, his main desire, his ultimate possibility for us. He wants us to have faith in him as LORD over all things—over sickness and despair, over poverty and depression, over your enemies and especially over death.

You see, that’s why Jesus could forgive the man’s sin. He saw the paralytic’s faith. He knew the man was sick physically, and he also knew the man was imperfect spiritually. Jesus knew the man as a sinner.

He also knew him as his child. The man was his creation. So Jesus brought salvation to this broken man. There are at least 3 miracles here: God came to earth; God forgives sins; and God made a broken body whole again.

Where is your faith today? Do you trust Jesus as Lord, as healer, as Savior? Is your spirit broken? He’ll heal you. Is your body ill? His healing is available to you. Is sin holding you hostage? He will forgive and free you.

Go in faith to your Lord, healer and Savior.