What is it that you’re afraid of? You’re all aware of that there are many, many different phobias that people have listed that have been written down and catalogued by psychologists even. And I don’t mean the lying language that people use to label someone who is not afraid of a certain thing, but someone…
The Servant (Christ) was given as a covenant by our Creator God to offer restoration and forgiveness to a world estranged by sin. He offers freedom to those held captive by the world, the flesh, and the Devil. Because of our vital union with Christ, we now share in that same anointing. In light of this, let us sing a new song!
What is most needful in life? If someone were to ask you that, how would you answer? In this passage, we see a man lying before Jesus paralyzed, and Jesus’ comment takes everyone by surprise: “Your sins are forgiven you.” It seems insensitive that this man is dealing with obvious physical need, and yet, Christ is bringing up the forgiveness of sins instead. By placing this in the text, Christ–through Mark– is making us reckon with some big questions. Not only does this cause cognitive dissonance, it makes a bold statement about who Christ is and the coming of the Kingdom. Christ is trying to show us something. The question is: “Will you see it?”