The Book of Mark
Chapter 2 (NIV)
8Immediately 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? 9Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up, take your mat and walk'?
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To answer Jesus' question, I think both are equally impossible. Them teachers of the law knew that only God can forgive and heal, but they failed to recognize the very son of God when they saw Him face to face. I wonder if I would've been any different with my earthly frame of mind with its tied up notions of a tangible reality defined only by wut I can see feel and touch. I want to acknowledge the supernatural power of God and see the grandness of His being. Let me have faith that with God all things are possible! Amen.
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? Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up, take your mat and walk'? (Mark 2:8-9 NASB)
These verses show us that Jesus really know everything about us, even our innermost and intimate thoughts. The Bible tells us that God even counts the number of our hair. I believe it's important not to hide anything from our God Almighty when we pray. I think it's ok even to share our sadness and disappointments toward God at times. Christ knows our weaknesses and has compassion for us, and forgives us when we open up our hearts. We should be confident every day believing that we have been saved and cleansed through the rigtheousness we have obtained through the cross.
Isn't it sad, that we are incapable of seeing the forgiveness of the man's sins. We could only see his physical cure.
I wonder - when Adam and Eve bought the apple, they didn't physically die; but I'm beginning to realize that they did die spiritually. And as beings who were once so in touch with God, and able to commune with the spiritual world - they must have felt that death acutely.
Because we are fallen - we are cut off, unable to clearly see the immediate, real ramifications of sin and grace. It's like how we can only see a limited spectrum of light - such as not being able to see ultraviolet light. And because we have never been able to see all these other colors, we don't recognize our own blindness! When Jesus forgave the man's sins - he must have seen an even greater transformation than when the man picked up his mat and walked.
There is so much that we are missing! So much beauty and horror - angels and demons fighting around us. Our existence, our experiences, are so limited! We are only half-alive, living in a world of shadows. I can't wait until we are able to fully experience God's grace - truly see, taste, hear, smell and feel it. Trying to take in the magnitude of it all simply blows my mind.
I'm sure Jesus was thinking to himself, "Such a pity that you can't see the true miracle that just happened. Okay, I'll try to give you a small idea of what it is by curing this man's paralysis."
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