Walking ~ one foot in front of the other ~ but the places your feet can take you! I love walking! I explore different trails and parks taking me through wooded areas, past gently flowing streams, and through fields of flowers. I can’t imagine not being able to stand and move forward with the use of my feet. Yet not everyone has this ability for a variety of reasons.

Mark 2 tells the story about a paralytic man who was unable to walk. He had four precious friends that were so burdened about him and his condition. Yet, what could they do? The answer came as Jesus returned to Capernaum. They knew Jesus could heal their friend. Each grabbing a corner of his bed, the four men carried their friend to the home where Jesus was ministering. As they neared the place, the men took in the many people crowding in and around the home. How would they get their friend to Jesus? They knew Jesus alone could help him. Sizing up the situation, they came up with a plan and began their climb up to the roof of the house. While the Palestinian homes were built low, carrying their friend up the outside staircase was no easy task. Laying him to the side, they then had to tear up tiles and dig through the thatch to make a large enough hole for him to fit through. This had to work. They refused to give up hope, because the men knew their hope was in the One who could heal.

Suddenly a man was being lowered down through the crowd, interrupting Jesus’ teaching and ministering, however He was not upset by this. Instead, Jesus saw the faith the friends had in Him and the love they had for this man. He then looked beyond the immediate need of this man to the root need and forgave his sin, then He healed the man. It is a beautiful story of Jesus showing Himself as God to the crowd of people.

What caught my attention though was the scribes who also saw this entire scene. Scribes were members of a learned class in Bible times who studied Scripture and were writers of the law. The scribes observed that the first thing Jesus did upon receiving the paralytic man was to forgive his sins. Their response is found in Mark 2:7 when they question in their hearts, “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” Yes! Only God can forgive the sins of man, and Jesus does this right before them, showing that He indeed is God sent as man to be the Savior of mankind. Yet they could not see Him for who He was.

In Isaiah 53:3, the prophet Isaiah predicted that this would take place. “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, and as one from whom men hide their faces He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.”

Jesus could see into their hearts and knew what the scribes were thinking. He responded to their questions in Mark 2:8-11. “And immediately Jesus, perceiving in His spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk?’ But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” ~ he said to the paralytic ~ ‘I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.’” Jesus clearly stated He was God and had the authority to forgive sins, but not only that, He showed Himself as God in healing the man and knowing the thoughts of the scribes. This is only something God could do!

I wonder what those scribes thought. Jesus knew their thoughts! The people around Him were amazed and glorified God, but they did not have the same complete experience as the scribes. More was taking place than the crowd could see. Even so, the eyes of the scribes were covered with a veil of unbelief, and they could not see Jesus as the One who had come to be the Savior of the world.

While most of us no longer have this veil of unbelief over our eyes because we have trusted Jesus as our Savior, sometimes we still do not see God and the work He does all around us. Although we believe in God and have accepted the gift of His Son, sometimes we do not put our complete trust in Him. We do not see God as He is. The paralytic man through the forgiveness of his sins was given the opportunity by Jesus to know Him. The work began there, led to his healing, but I am guessing he went on pursuing more of Jesus the rest of his life. The more we know God, the more we see Him. The more we see Him, the more He is able to use us to help others see Him. Don’t be as the scribes who couldn’t see God right before them, instead be amazed and glorify God because of who He is. Don’t just walk, run to Jesus. Where will your feet take you? Let them take you to Jesus.

In His Love,

Susan