Get Up and Walk
Read This Week: Mark 2
Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” 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!” – Mark 2:8-12 NIV
Mark 2 continues to show us the authority and action of Jesus from the previous chapter, as demonstrated before the people and recorded for us. Jesus began to show in His miracles and acts that there was much more to His mission than healing the sick, relieving affliction, or touching those suffering. There was something greater for people to experience in their lives; they could enter the kingdom of God. The story of the paralytic man offers the best illustration of what lay behind the miracles and words of Jesus.
In this narrative, we observe the spiritual power in Jesus’ actions and meeting of felt needs. We understand that He offers an eternal solution to our greatest problem and not just a momentary fix. This realization is significant because we often want symptom treatment or temporary relief rather than a lasting cure. Temporary relief of our immediate problems is sometimes more attractive than a lasting cure. In our lives, we can merely look for fleeting results and deny Jesus the opportunity to give us a permanent answer.
Death, disease, and illness are interrelated in humanity due to the fall. The human problem comes as a result of original sin. In Romans 5:12-15, the Bible gives us a clear picture of the predicament we are all in because of sin. It says in verse 12: When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.
But this passage in Romans continues in verse 15 with what we see played out in Mark 2 between Jesus and the paralytic man. Sin is the root issue that needs the highest form of healing even as our physical problems because of sin persist. It says:
But there is a great difference between Adam’s sin and God’s gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ.
It is awesome to see the words of Scripture written after the life of Jesus be tied back to the distinct and practical actions of Christ. The theology of Romans 5 is personified in the person of Jesus in Mark 2. He not only offers to heal the man’s life-long malady in response to his and the faith of his friends but He gives the man what he ultimately needs – spiritual healing. Christ says to him in verses 10-11:
But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.”
When Jesus said, “Get up and walk,” He wasn’t just exhorting a paralyzed man to use his now functioning legs to walk home. He was telling him to get up from his old life and embrace his new one. Jesus was not just telling him to live in the experience of walking to his dwelling place, but to live in the joys of everlasting life and prepare for his eternal home.
This lasting touch is what Christ offers to us as well, He is more than a temporary fix to our earthly issues. He is a lasting reconciliation to our eternal reality. When we experience salvation through faith by His grace, He tells us to get up and walk. Get up from the old life and walk with and do life with Him in the new one.
Wow, that was really good Jason! It is always awesome and I liked this part: He tells us to get up and walk. Get up from the old life and walk with and do life with Him in the new one.
God loves it when we get up today with Him on our mind and heart because it’s a new day with Him we now live in this new life with Him, we get to live in Joy and do life with Him.
I’m so blessed and glad it spoke to you, Heidi! It is such an inspiring and hopeful passage both in a salvific and spiritually sustaining way. As you said, it is a new day and new life with Him that is joyous and fulfilling.
Mark 2:8 says, Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things?
Mark 2:8 says, Immediately Jesus, being fully aware [of their hostility] and knowing in His spirit that they were thinking this, said to them, “Why are you debating and arguing about these things in your hearts?
I love this verse because it shows that God knows what we’re thinking in our hearts. He knows everything, He is fully aware. Even after giving our life to Jesus, we are in the process of working out our Salvation, were learning to grow and and trust Him everyday. The more we focus on the Good Jesus is doing the better it is for our hearts.
Think about what you’re thinking about. When we’re seeking Father God in every situation we will be seeking Him for His will to be done. if we catch ourselves arguing in our hearts, doubting or not trusting Him it’s better to ask Him to help us to trust Him and learn and know that He is right here with us because He loves us.
I have learned to start worshiping Him, sing until I get His peace inside my Heart and then listen to what He is telling me to do or say when I’m around people. When I’m alone I worship out loud.
Thank you, God, that we can come to You when we’re thinking negatively, having doubts. Help us to learn to talk to You more and more and not listen to negative words but know that You are right here for us. You have encouraging words, positive things, to say to us. Help us to learn to get better at having faith in You more and more. Love you so much.
I really appreciate your praise to God, Heidi: Thank you, God, that we can come to You when we’re thinking negatively, having doubts. Help us to learn to talk to You more and more and not listen to negative words but know that You are right here for us.
This is such a hopeful thing that we can glean from this passage and apply to our lives. Our doubts and negative thoughts don’t dissuade the love of God nor does it change His purposes or plans for us. If we place our faith in Him despite the negativity we encounter and the doubts we wrestle with, He is always faithful to respond to us and help us live for Him.
I have a song to share from Mark 1 called “Faithful”:
We have faith in you, faith in you
We have faith in you, our Lord Jesus
Trusting and believing in you with our heart
You bring hope for our today Lord
You’re always working, always working, always working
Even when we’re sleeping showing signs
Speaking through others
Being faithful, being faithful
Let’s be faithful together to our Lord. Amen.
When we are faithful to our Lord, he is faithful to us. Sometimes life throws things at us and stirs things up, but just be faithful always because God will help us through it. We love you, Lord.
I love this, Alma. This was my favorite lyric this week: Trusting and believing in you with our heart, You bring hope for our today Lord. He absolutely brings hope for us each day as we trust and believe in Him. He is consistently faithful and longsuffering. As you said, all we have to do is trust Him and remain faithful.
In reading Mark 2, this was what God was saying to me, “Your greatest need and the common root of all pain and suffering is your sinful condition. Forgiveness of your sins is the greatest miracle that Jesus performs. It meets the greatest need; it costs the greatest price, and it brings the greatest blessing, with the most lasting results. There is a wonderful healing power, in the word of Jesus, for those who come to Him in faith. If you want to be healed of your sinful condition, repent, turn away from your sins, and ask for forgiveness.
Place your faith in Jesus. Give up your control, and let Jesus lead you every day. Leading yourself only brings pain and suffering. Jesus is the perfect doctor to heal you of your sin. He is available, gives a correct diagnosis, provides a complete cure, and pays the bill. Take time to fast, to stay in balance. You need that time with Me to regroup. Jesus came to bring something new to your life, not to patch up something old. Embrace the new; let go of the past.”
What this said to me is in Him, I am a new creation. I need to learn to let go and let Him have everything. With me trying to keep control, I mess up miserably. I am praying that I will truly believe what God says about me and that I will want what He wants for me.
Place your faith in Jesus. Give up your control, and let Jesus lead you every day. Leading yourself only brings pain and suffering. These statements and that section of your post, capture so many truths about God’s power and capacity in our lives when we submit to His control and will.
The beauty of the new life in Christ is that we get to hand over control to the One who has the wisdom, knowledge, supremacy, and strength to lead us in the right way. As you said, leading ourselves, in our finite and flawed capacity, often results in disappointment, frustration, and unnecessary pain. But getting up and walking God’s way leads to fulfillment, joy, and peace.
Good morning Jason. I so loved what you said in this:
The beauty of the new life in Christ is that we get to hand over control to the One who has the wisdom, knowledge, supremacy, and strength to lead us in the right way. As you said, leading ourselves, in our finite and flawed capacity, often results in disappointment, frustration, and unnecessary pain. But getting up and walking God’s way leads to fulfillment, joy, and peace.
I struggle with giving up control. What you said really encourages me. You are a blessing to all of us!
I’m so glad this touched you and was helpful to your walk with God and journey, Kathy. I relate to you on so many levels there as I too struggle with control and your words resonated and impacted me and I wanted to respond in kind as we support and encourage each other.