Deep Healing

I had a small spool of ordinary thread in my hand. I asked for a volunteer to help me with my illustration. When the young man joined me in the front of the church I explained that I was going to use the thread to show the power that sin could have in our lives. He held one end of the thread in his hand and as I talked about different sins we allow in our lives I kept circling around him with the thread. The thread was thin and he was strong so he thought he had the power to break the thread whenever he wanted. After letting the thread go round and round about him, he turned out to be wrong. Suddenly there was a look of panic in his eyes. He realized he was immobile and no longer  the master of the thread in his hand. He was paralyzed and afraid.

This morning I read about the paralytic man who was carried to Jesus on the stretcher. His physical need was obvious to others, but Jesus knew the full extent of his need since he knew the deepest secrets of his soul.  He saw his paralysis as well as the hidden threads of sin that held him fast. Jesus' words were kind. The first thing he said was, “Have courage, son.” Why did he need courage? I think he needed courage because fear is natural in the presence of the one to whom our soul is fully exposed and the deepest need of our heart is laid bare. But Jesus brought deep healing when he said, “Have courage, son, your sins are forgiven.”

The light of the world shone into the darkness of the man's soul. He spoke words of courage and Jesus did for him what he could not do for himself. He cut the thread that bound him and set his spirit free by telling him he was forgiven. Having received from Jesus deeper healing than his friends expected, he got up, picked up his stretcher and went home.