Thinking about Sunday, my mind has been taken Mark’s Gospel chapter 2.
It is the story of the paralytic being lowered through the roof so that Jesus could heal him and announce, “your sins are forgiven.”
Reading that story over the years has led me to the conclusion that this is a “salvation story.” It is the account of a paralyzed man and his faithful friends who knew where he could find help.
It is the narrative of four friends, “grabbing a corner of the mat” and taking their friend to Jesus.
It is the record of Jesus, the paralytic, the friends and the observers. I have always read it that way. I have always looked at the story through one lens.
Yesterday I was absorbing the intensity of the narrative when it hit me.
Maybe this story is about something else.
What if the story is metaphorical? What if this story points to a larger truth than what I have observed in my studies?
Here’s my thought…
I think that maybe the "church" is the paralytic being dropped down through the roof of culture and community. Jesus is Jesus. And his words to the church are the same as those to the paralytic. He tells the church, "your sins are forgiven." He tells the church, "get up, take your mat and walk."
In this day, I am beginning to think that we are lowered through the roof of a busy culture. We are lowered into rooms filled with busy people. We are dropped into settings that require us to act like we are forgiven.
I really need to hear the words of Jesus which remind me, “I am forgiven.” I need to be reminded to “get up, take your mat and walk.”
The church I attend needs to hear these words. We are a forgiven people, yet we are susceptible to paralyzing forces that cause us to be held down on the mat of our existence and experience.
Here’s what I know….when a church realizes God’s forgiveness, paralysis is broken. When people experience God’s forgiveness, paralysis is replaced by life.
What would happen if we realize what the paralytic experienced could happen to us. The mat that held him down, Jesus gave him the authority to pick up.
Jesus “saw their faith” and responded.
I love those words…”your sins are forgiven” and “get up, take your mat and walk.”
They are life changing….for individuals and for churches.
What do you think?
It is the story of the paralytic being lowered through the roof so that Jesus could heal him and announce, “your sins are forgiven.”
Reading that story over the years has led me to the conclusion that this is a “salvation story.” It is the account of a paralyzed man and his faithful friends who knew where he could find help.
It is the narrative of four friends, “grabbing a corner of the mat” and taking their friend to Jesus.
It is the record of Jesus, the paralytic, the friends and the observers. I have always read it that way. I have always looked at the story through one lens.
Yesterday I was absorbing the intensity of the narrative when it hit me.
Maybe this story is about something else.
What if the story is metaphorical? What if this story points to a larger truth than what I have observed in my studies?
Here’s my thought…
I think that maybe the "church" is the paralytic being dropped down through the roof of culture and community. Jesus is Jesus. And his words to the church are the same as those to the paralytic. He tells the church, "your sins are forgiven." He tells the church, "get up, take your mat and walk."
In this day, I am beginning to think that we are lowered through the roof of a busy culture. We are lowered into rooms filled with busy people. We are dropped into settings that require us to act like we are forgiven.
I really need to hear the words of Jesus which remind me, “I am forgiven.” I need to be reminded to “get up, take your mat and walk.”
The church I attend needs to hear these words. We are a forgiven people, yet we are susceptible to paralyzing forces that cause us to be held down on the mat of our existence and experience.
Here’s what I know….when a church realizes God’s forgiveness, paralysis is broken. When people experience God’s forgiveness, paralysis is replaced by life.
What would happen if we realize what the paralytic experienced could happen to us. The mat that held him down, Jesus gave him the authority to pick up.
Jesus “saw their faith” and responded.
I love those words…”your sins are forgiven” and “get up, take your mat and walk.”
They are life changing….for individuals and for churches.
What do you think?
No comments:
Post a Comment