Matthew 9:1-8 ESV And getting into a boat He crossed over to His own city. And behold, some people brought to Him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Take heart my son, your sins are forgiven.” And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.” But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sin’ – He said to the paralytic – “Rise, pick up your bed and go home.” And he rose and went home. When the crowd saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men.
Some men bring a man who is paralyzed to Jesus. In a parallel passage (Mark 2:1-12) we are told they were so determined to get the paralytic to Jesus that they took the roof off the house to lower the man in front of Jesus. After they put in so much effort, Jesus sees their faith and … forgives the man.
Forgiveness is great. It is what we all need. But I doubt that is what these men had in mind. Almost certainly, they were looking for physical healing. I’m fairly confident Jesus knew this as well. So why did He forgive the man instead of healing him? The answer is, because Jesus wanted the best for this man and the man’s greatest need was forgiveness.
So often our requests to God involve the physical realm. We pray for healing. We ask for safety. We seek provision. It is not wrong to come to God and make such requests. God does bless His children with these things. However, His greatest blessings come in the spiritual realm. Those are the blessings that are most valuable because they are eternal.
Jesus did heal the paralyzed man so that his body was healthy. In time though, that body deteriorated and eventually broke down and died. This is the case with every physical blessing that God gives us. That home God provides will not last forever. The promotion God gives will mean little to nothing 100 years from now.
The forgiveness though, that changed the man’s life for eternity. That forgiveness is still paying dividends now and will continue to do so forever. Even if Jesus had left the man paralyzed, he might have been bitterly disappointed then, but now, it would not matter to him at all.
When God blesses us spiritually it is an eternal blessing. Not only salvation, which of course is the greatest gift. When God gives us boldness to share the gospel and people come to the Lord we earn eternal crowns. When God gives us ministry opportunities and we make the most of them we store up treasures in Heaven. When we glorify God by exhibiting the peace, grace, and mercy that He puts in our heart, we reap eternal rewards.
Pray therefore, for the spiritual blessings. Seek after God’s kingdom and you will receive the better portion. When you do this, God will add physical blessings as well.
Thank You Lord for the wonderful and abundant gifts that You give Your children. Father, please provide all that I need to glorify and honor You in this life. Give me the strength, courage, and insight that I need to accomplish the work You have prepared for me to do. In addition, I pray you meet all of my physical needs.