Matthew 4, 8-9, Mark 1-2, and Luke 4-5
Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. 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. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Mark 2:3-5, Luke 5:18-20
Day 295 of my chronological study of the Bible with The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®) (available by purchase through Amazon - author F. LaGard Smith) continues as I move further into the New Testament - focusing this morning on the rapid growth of Jesus' ministry. My commentary* notes that "[a]pparently in order to emphasize the nature of his ministry, Jesus does not come as a religious leader in any traditional sense. He holds no official position, nor is he specially trained to be a priest or other cleric." Jesus then goes into Galilee: "[u]sing the city of Capernaum as a base for his travels, Jesus teaches and performs miracles around the Sea of Galilee (Lake of Gennesaret) and throughout the entire province. It is here that Jesus gains popularity among the people and begins to see the crowds swell."
*Smith, F. LaGard. The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®). Harvest House Publishers. Kindle Edition.
While all of Jesus' miracles in the reading today are of note, of particular note are how (1) people make extraordinary efforts to see and hear Jesus (see Matthew 9:1-2, Mark 2:1-5, Luke 5:17-20; see also desperate for Christ, desperate for God), and (2) how Jesus knows our heart condition which is most important vs external behavior (see Matthew 9:3-8, Mark 2:6-12, Luke 5:21-26).
We must all reach a place in our life where we become desperate for God - He should become the most important focus in our life. Like those who lowered the paralyzed men from the roof into the room to see Jesus, we must remove obstacles that prevent us from growing in a relationship with Jesus.
“If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come! If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell. Matthew 18:6-9
While Jesus refers to not just the literal meaning of removing obstacles, He is also referring to the figurative meaning of obstacles as discussed in this post on DesiringGod.com.
My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God and You removed all obstacles, even going to the cross for me, so that I could have forgiveness of sins and eternal life. Thank You Jesus! I am not deserving of such a gift - the greatest gift of all time. My sin continues...worry, etc. Please forgive me Jesus an help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You. Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me. Help me grow in my faith. Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength. Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo. Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior. Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin. Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.
