A Gospel Lesson

I have always liked the story in the beginning of the Gospel of Mark about the friends who bring the paralytic to Jesus to be healed. I love those friends.

Who wouldn't want friends like that? They carried their buddy goodness knows how far on the chance that they might get him in to see Jesus. When they arrived, there were so many people that they couldn't get near Him. They didn't give up. They got creative. They hoisted the paralytic onto the roof, cut a hole in it and then lowered him down. As a consequence of their actions, their friend was forgiven and healed.

Now that's faith! In fact Jesus told the man that he had been healed because of his friends' faith. I want to be a friend like this. Someone who is willing to do whatever it takes to bring her friends to Jesus.

Today as I was reading the story something new struck me about it. It was the question Jesus asked of the Pharisees present. "Which is easier: to tell this paralyzed man, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to tell him, 'Stand up. Take your mat and walk'?"

Now I never thought this much about the question because I really didn't understand it. After rewatching Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ, it dawned on me that this was perhaps the point of the whole event.

Which was easier for Jesus? Healing the mind or the body? Healing the body took mere words. Healing the soul took blood. Performing miracles took only a moment. Providing salvation. That took His life.

We spend a lifetime asking for little miracles. Help on a test. The safe delivery of a child. That the car will make it to the station before it runs out of gas. Healing for a sick relative.

We sometimes forget that we've already been given the greatest gift of all. Forgiveness of our sins and Heaven. It cost Jesus everything. And He'd do it again. Just for you. Just for me.