When you experience Jesus, and He tells you something, do you do it? Would you take up your mat and go home?
Verse
“I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” - Mark 2:11 NIV
Found in the Gospel of Mark, this verse recounts Jesus instructing a paralyzed man on what to do after forgiving his sins, showcasing an incredible miracle that has been documented.
Why is this one so interesting? It starts with friends helping this man get to where Jesus was. So many friends who had heard about this guy who could make people well decided to love their friend enough to carry him to that place. It didn’t stop there because they had to get up on a building and lower him since the crowds were too big.
The friendship that these men had. The willingness to serve another brother by giving that brother a chance to get their life on track. Truly amazing.
To where did they go to get that life on track? Well, to Jesus, of course. To God. To the place where when we get centered and deepen our faith, things start to happen.
In this story, a great thing happens. Many good things. The people who witnessed what happened connected a dot about who Jesus was in their time. A man who had some ability to make incredible things happen. No doubt, this gave people much to talk about. The man healed got the chance to get his life on track. We don’t know if that happened, but we know he had a new lease on life due to the encounter.
This new lease on life comes with a faith moment, a providential opportunity that is the hand of God in our lives. We all have them, but some do not see them for what they are.
When a person says, “Get up, pick up your mat and go home.” Someone who couldn’t walk does that; it is transformational to see. When has Jesus done this for you? What was going on in your life that made you paralyzed? What was holding you back? Usually, it is a sin—a sin of some kind.
Sin is such a complex subject that it is difficult to wrap your head around entirely. The Bible and church dogma try to help us understand what sinning is. Suffice it to say sinning is doing things that separate you from God. It’s living in a way that pushes you away from God. Not God from you. God is much more significant. But it’s you from God.
A person who sins knows it. Many try to get a hall pass from the “little sin” they just did. For instance, when some don’t tell the truth. What is that? It’s a sin. If a person kills another person, what is that? It’s a sin. Which one is worse? But what did both of them have in common? They pushed the sinner away from God: the little and the big ones. The outcome is the same.
As a believer and follower of Jesus, you know that when you encounter another, the Holy Spirit is present in both of you. You understand that each of you is a child of God. So when you lie to that person in front of you or speak down to them, you are doing that to God. This is one of the reasons why Jesus showed us how to treat everyone with kindness and compassion. For many men, especially the macho kind, you’d instead think you lived in the Wild West. It’s a weakness to not be the alpha dog in the room.
What I have to say about that is this. For all you alpha types, enjoy your time on this earth. You must be fully committed to it and have no thought of eternity. While you may experience some incredibly earthly rewards here, we’ll have to see how that plays out for the rest of the ride. My view is good luck, buddy. But I’m not God, and I don’t know how it works. I know this: respect for a fellow human is respect for God. When you disrespect God, there are consequences.
So, back to where we started. You will undoubtedly have the same command if you have a very authentic encounter with God through Jesus and the Holy Spirit. God does not want you held back by your sin. He wants you to live a sin-free life so that you can be a participant in life. He wants you connected to Him so that you have a better chance than not to have a great life here and a path to eternity.
Jesus modeled the approach. Know the scripture. Pray. Treat people with kindness and compassion. Pray. Be humble. Stick to your beliefs and practices. Teach others. Embrace those who need it. Pray. Get God involved in your life and know that the Father allows anything and everything that is happening. You might want to think it is you, and there is no doubt you have to be engaged, but it’s the Father that allows it. It’s the Father that deserves the Glory.
So, the best we can do is try to live sin-free. See sin for what it is. When we are being held back by sin, we should take it to Jesus. Reconcile with God and eliminate that sin from your life. Once you do that, you, too, can pick up your mat and get going with the rest of your life.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for this example of brothers helping one another. An example of a new lease on life free from the sins that held us back. Thank you for a savior who boldly demonstrated your kingdom to all, no matter the consequences. Please help us understand that faith in you is the starting point with that faith and a deep connection with you so that our life becomes more meaningful. Please keep us safe. Please keep our family and friends safe. We pray all this in the name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior. Amen.
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