“And behold, some people brought to [Jesus] 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.’” (Matthew 9:2)
Many people came to Jesus because they wanted Him to meet their needs. In this case, a paralytic was brought to Jesus. This man desperately needed healing! Jesus told him to “take heart”. It was good that he came to have his needs addressed. However, Jesus knew that this man’s paralysis was not his deepest problem. In order to be fully healed and find lasting joy, he needed to have his relationship with God restored. And so, that’s where Jesus started. He first told the paralytic that his sins were forgiven. Only then, Jesus healed his body as well — which also served as proof that He indeed had the authority to forgive sins.
Like the paralytic, we may have needs that we want Jesus to solve. And that’s okay! We are encouraged to “cast all our anxieties on Him, because He cares for us.” (1 Peter 5:7) Jesus assures us that “our Father who is in heaven [will] give good things to those who ask Him.” (Matthew 7:11) However, God’s desire is not to just give us whatever we want, but to give us what we really need. He addresses first things first, and He knows that we need forgiveness most of all.
Do you feel like you need forgiveness, too? Why is this so important? Which other needs do you want to bring to Jesus?