“And there people brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘Courage, child, your sins are forgiven.’” (Matthew 9:2)
Because Jesus is the ultimate healer, we who work in health care have the privilege of joining Him in His ministry of healing.
Yet in this Scripture, what was the paralytic’s greatest need? Before Jesus offers to heal his body, he offers to forgive and heal his soul.
We all suffer from a soul sickness known as sin. It’s a universal disease that cripples and kills. Forgiveness of sin is what we need more than anything else from Jesus. Whenever we are prideful or deceitful, whenever we show hatred instead of love, whenever we are selfish, whenever we swear or curse, whenever we gossip or slander, we sin against God. Left on our own, sin is what keeps us from being in right relationship with our God.
Because Jesus is God, and because of His sacrifice on the cross, He can do what no one else can – forgive our sin. He said, “It’s not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick… For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Matthew 9:12, 13) None of us are left out, because we all fall into the latter category. We are all sinners in need of God’s grace, which He freely gives to those who ask.
To show compassion for the paralytic, as well as prove His authority to forgive, Jesus then said “Pick up your mat and walk.” Only Jesus could say it, and see it happen, right there and then.
What a wonderful Savior, who is able to heal both body and soul, and fulfill our greatest need.