Jesus Heals Paralytics

Well, if you began following my blog, you know that I "fell off the wagon" in my effort to have daily devotions, post a blog and exercise. Yesterday I met with a man who said that he believed a daily habit of devotion required prayer more than almost anything else because this is something we cannot do in our own strength. Perhaps the most convicting statement I've ever read regarding prayer is that the time I spend in prayer is a direct reflection of how much I truly believe I am dependent on God. If I go through life with little time spent in prayer and study, then it may safely, but sadly be assumed that I feel my need for God little. Whereas if I spend much time in prayer and devotion, it may be safely assumed that I do so because I feel my need for God much.

Dear God, please help me to feel my need of You more, and cause my schedule to reflect that!

Today's chronological reading was in Mark 2: the healing of the paralytic, the calling of Levi, Jesus answered a question regarding fasting, and then He confirmed once again that He is Lord over all. I had trouble seeing the unity of this chapter until I just wrote that summary.

The healing of the paralytic kind of highlights what I wrote earlier: those who feel their need for Jesus will do whatever it takes, even taking the roof off of a house to be in His presence. Would to God that my own desire to spend time with God would be evidenced by such extreme measures: that I would go to bed and rise early enough just to have time with Him. A pastor used to ask his congregation, "I know that when you get up you pray but do you get up to pray?" I need to do this more.

Jesus emphasizes this in the next section when He says, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners."  We seldom seek medical attention when we are feeling well but almost everyone will seek help when their sickness has progressed to the point where they can no longer function.  If we truly understood our condition, we would know this is the state of our lives without Christ and we would seek Him more and more.

In the next section, Jesus reminds them that there would come a time when the disciples would need to fast because He would no longer be walking with them.  Again, it would seem the disciples would not feel their need for such intense devotion until He was no longer with them.  I know that He has given us His comforter so that we are not alone but just as prayer and study reflect our need for God so must also fasting.

Finally, we know that He is Lord over all, even the Sabbath.  This whole chapter reminds me of what Paul said elsewhere: whether we seek time alone with God, fast and pray, eat or drink we do all the glory of God.  God, help me to feel my need for You more, and to seek You as I should.  Like the paralytic, I will only do these things if You enable me by Your grace to do that which I cannot do, will not do, in my own strength.