A Bible Reading: Matthew 9:2-8
Some men brought to Jesus a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, "Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven." At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, "This fellow is blaspheming!" Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, "Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins." So he said to the paralyzed man, "Get up, take your mat and go home." Then the man got up and went home. When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to man.
A Thought
Unforgiveness can be paralysing, it can affect our ability to move on, it can damage our relationships and it can destroy our peace. Unforgiveness can come in many forms. It might be our inability to forgive ourselves, or it might be our inability to believe that God can forgive us, or it might be our inability to forgive someone else.
Are there events in the past that have left you feeling trapped? It might be the recent past or it might be the distant past, but there can be events that prevent us from walking in freedom, events that have left us like the man lying on the mat, unable to move and trapped in the past.
To us, as to the man on the mat, Jesus says, ‘Take heart, your sins are forgiven’.
In these simple words Jesus releases the man, and us, form the burden of the past and allows us to ‘get up and walk’. Jesus has both the authority on earth and the compassion of heart to forgive our sins and to enable us to walk on in freedom.
Take a moment now to bring to Jesus anything in your life that has left you with a sense of unforgiveness…
And now, hear him speak these words to you today, ‘Take heart, your sins are forgiven. Get up and walk’.
A Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank you that in you there is complete forgiveness for me and for those who have hurt me. Help me to walk today in the freedom that forgiveness brings.
Amen.