Thursday, January 27, 2011
Matthew 9:2 Some men brought to him a paralytic, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven."
THE REAL NEED
There are needs, and there are NEEDS! The friends of a paralyzed man brought him to Jesus. Was his a real need? It depends on how you look at it. If the man would ever be able to care for himself and find gainful employment, then, yes, he would need the use of his legs. On the other hand, despite his handicap, it appears that his basic physical needs were being met.
Certainly the man wanted to be able to walk, but his most desperate need was to have peace with God. We don't know what sins the man had committed. But like the rest of Adam's race, we do know he was born in sin. Like the rest of us he was prone to lose his temper, injure others with spiteful words. He was apt to complain about his lot in life. His heart was guilty of the typical sins of pride, lust and greed. Jesus saw his crying need to be forgiven. Jesus quickly met that need. "Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven."
What do you need? A job that actually meets basic living expenses? A more dependable car? A solution to your nagging health problem? Most would agree that these are all legitimate needs. But there are needs and there are NEEDS! What we really need is the forgiveness of our sins. A quick inventory of our heart and lives clearly reveals that this is so. Only Jesus can meet that need! He has the authority to forgive all of our sins because He is God, and because He took every one of our sins and nailed them all to His cross. The forgiveness of sins is our greatest need. With that need fully met, we have peace with God and the certain hope of everlasting life!
Dear Lord, thank you for meeting my greatest need. I know you meet all of my needs, great and small. Give me peace in knowing that You always provide me with exactly what I need. Amen.
