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FAITH AND FORGIVENESS (MARK 2:1-12)

REFLECTION
The theme for our reflection is “Faith and Forgiveness. Faith is defined in Hebrews 11:1 as “….confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Forgiveness means to pardon an offender or to show mercy to a person who has sinned. Faith and forgiveness mean that when we come to Jesus believing Him as the Lord and Saviour through repentance, we shall receive forgiveness and restoration.

Beloved in the Lord, faith is totally trusting Jesus with our lives and the willingness to become His faithful disciples through the obedience of His teachings. It is important to understand that repentance is a part of faith. It is impossible to have faith in the Lord without the willingness to turn away from disobedience or sin. Sin can paralyse us physically, spiritually, emotionally, mentally and socially. However, when faith is demonstrated through repentance, we receive forgiveness and restoration from the Lord from all the paralysis of sin. We are told in Mark 2:2-5, 11-12 that “Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. ⁴ 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. ⁵ When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”…“I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” ¹² He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”. The four men who carried the paralysed man and the paralysed man himself had faith in the Lord and consequently the paralysed man was healed by Jesus through the forgiveness of His sins.

It is worth noting that the healing of the paralysed man is not our most important focus or lesson in this passage. The most important lesson or focus for reflection is that when we have faith in Jesus through repentance we shall receive forgiveness and restoration that bring peace or totality of well-being. In other words, when we demonstrate our faith by coming to a realisation that Jesus is “the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Him.” (John 14:6) we shall receive forgiveness and restoration. It is for this reason we are assured that “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. (John 3:16-17) In other words, faith and forgiveness lead to restoration and salvation. The restoration is both physical and spiritual and leads to eternal salvation. Unfortunately, many people flood the church merely because of their physical, financial or material restoration and well-being but are not ready to repent and have faith in Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. We are greatly admonished in 2 Chronicles 7:14-16 that “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. ¹⁵ Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place. ¹⁶ I have chosen and consecrated this temple so that my Name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there. (2 Chronicles 7:14-16) Again, in Luke 15:11-32, after the prodigal son realised that he had sinned and was lost, he returned home to his father and said to him “‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ ²² “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. ²³ Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. ²⁴ For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate. (Luke 15:21-24). The point here is that the prodigal son did not only repent but he had faith in the Father’s love and forgiveness. Consequently, his faith in the father led to his restoration as a son. Dear friend, Jesus is calling us to repent and have faith in Him when said “Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. ²⁰ Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. (Revelation 3:19-20) Indeed “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:8-9) It is when we have faith through genuine repentance that we are restored and purified from all unrighteousness and paralysis of sin. Having faith in the Lord starts with our repentance and accepting Jesus as Lord and Saviour, then the Lord will restore us holistically through His grace and forgiveness.

In summary, we have reflected on the theme “Faith and Forgiveness.” We have discovered that when we come to Jesus believing Him as the Lord and Saviour through repentance, we shall receive forgiveness and restoration.

PRAYER

Lord Jesus, we come to you paralyzed by our sins. We repent and believe in You as our Lord and Saviour. Forgive us our sins and restore us through the power of the Holy Spirit even as You grant us eternal life through Your gracious love. Amen.