Note: Devotion taken from last Sunday's sermon on Matthew 9:1-8.
And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying
on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be
of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee (Mathew 9:2).
Matthew says, “they brought to him a man sick of the palsy,
lying on a bed.” Under the English expression “sick of the palsy” is just one
Greek word paralytikos, from which we get the English word “paralytic.”
One commentator observed, “Here, we must assume, the text is talking about a
completely paralyzed man, who is supine without the ability to move at all”
(Alfeyev, Miracles, 123).
We are not told how this sickness came about. This paralysis
might have been caused by many things. Maybe it was something that could be
easily treated and cured today, but it could not then. It had completely
immobilized this man, and he was entirely dependent upon the care of others for
everything.
Think about this. He had to depend on others to be fed, to be
given drink, to be dressed, to take care of natural necessities, to be washed,
to move from point a to point b. Maybe he had once been a perfectly healthy
man, a strong and able man. Can you imagine moving from that kind of state to
the state in which this man was? Can you imagine what this might have done to
him emotionally and spiritually? Even what it might have done to him
theologically? Had he questioned the wisdom and goodness of God in this providence?
Notice now what Christ says to this poor man as he initially
addresses him: “Son, be of good cheer….” In Greek the word for “son” here is
actually the word for “child.” This was apparently a grown man, but with this
address Christ extends a fatherly care to him. He is not patient X to Christ, but
he is his “child.”
He also tells him, “be of good cheer” (which means, “be
confident” or “have courage”). Sometimes if you are really sick, it can be very
encouraging if someone merely says to you, “Take courage.” How much more when
it is Christ himself who says these words to you!
Finally, Christ says to this completely disabled man, “thy
sins be forgiven thee.” Christ makes this declaration not because this man or
anyone else asked for it. At this point his paralysis might have included his
mouth and tongue, so that he could not even speak. Christ gives this man what
he did not and likely could not even ask for!
The man’s presenting need was his physical paralysis, but
Christ saw that he had a greater need. He was a sinner, and the wages of sin is
death (Rom 6:23).
The man’s paralysis is a picture of human inability. He could
not speak for himself. He could not act for himself. He was a sinner, frozen in
a state, as it were, that did not allow him to do anything for himself.
Christ had to do it all for him. And by grace he did!
No sinner is able to help himself. Everyone whom Christ saves
by his free grace is like that paralytic. Christ calls us his child, admonishes
us to have courage, and forgives our sin.
Grace and peace, Pastor Jeff Riddle
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