Passage of the Day:
A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. 2 They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. 3 Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. 4 Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” 6 Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, 7 “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 8 Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? 9 Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? 10 But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man, 11 “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” 12 He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!” – Mark 2:1-12.
Reflection:
After spending time with Peter in the ministry, John Mark was fascinated by one of the stories he heard about Jesus. Rather than describe the condition of the man in need, Mark is struck by the sense of urgency within the four men who brought a paralyzed man on top of a roof. This group convinced the paralyzed man that Jesus had the power to do the impossible. What doctors failed to accomplish; nothing could stop these men from seeing their friend walk again. When you give up hope that your condition will never change, the Holy Spirit may bring a group of Christians into your life. While I can’t guarantee you a miracle, Jesus blessed the faith of these 4 men by restoring their friend’s ability to walk.
Prayerful Action:
Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25 And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins,” Mark 11:24-25.
Setting Clear Boundaries to Live By:
In my first few years as a Christian, I tried to change my life without the help and support of a local church. After I joined the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in college, several of these new friends became like a spiritual family to me. I can relate to the paralyzed man in today’s featured passage as I had given up hope of ever being able to express myself verbally without stuttering. Yet, just like the 4 men who believed in the power of God, two of my roommates were convinced that God was going to heal me of my stuttering. Rather than accept defeat, I too become optimistic about God’s power to heal me. While my healing wasn’t immediate like the paralyzed man, a spiritual retreat a few months later set the stage to remove all doubt from my mind. As I shared my testimony at church that Sunday morning in Friendship, Maryland, God set me free from a stuttering spirit. This miracle was only made possible by surrounding myself with like-minded believers who believed and walked with the God of Miracles.
Song of the Day:
I stumbled upon this video during Covid-19. While this song was inspired by the death of a child, may the lyrics fill you with the confidence in God to change and transform your life for the better.
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 