...tear off a shingle...

“1 When Jesus returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that He was at home. 2 So many gathered around that there was no longer room for them, not even in front of the door; and He was speaking the Word to them. 3 Then some people came, bringing to Him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. 4 And when they could not bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Jesus; and after having dug through it, they let down the mat on which the paralytic lay. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven.’ 6 Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, 7 ‘Why does this fellow speak in this way? It is blasphemy! Who can forgive sins but God alone?’ 8 At once Jesus perceived in His Spirit that they were discussing these questions among themselves; and He said to them, ‘Why do you raise such questions in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, “Your sins are forgiven”, or to say, “Stand up and take your mat and walk”? 10 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins’ — Jesus said to the paralytic — 11 ‘I say to you, stand up, take your mat and go to your home.’ 12 And the paralytic stood up, and immediately took the mat and went out before all of them; so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, ‘We have never seen anything like this’” Mark 2:1-12!

Without explicitly saying so, Mark begins His gospel giving us hints that a conflict is brewing between Jesus and those who will ultimately reject Him. How will the priests react when Jesus sends to them a man He just cured of leprosy as a testimony to or against the priests? In today’s story in Galilee, Jesus speaks and acts in ways that directly conflict with traditional religion as defined by the scribes, the Pharisees, and other religious officials. In today’s story Jesus is not out to provoke the religious leaders. Only when they later stand against Jesus does Jesus provoke them. Today, Jesus is demonstrating His authority to forgive sins and to define appropriate Sabbath behavior. But how can we skip over the persistence of the paralytic man’s four friends who reveal their faith in Jesus’ ability and willingness to heal?

I feel God speaking to me about persistent faith, not faith when I am backed into a corner of my own making. How about you? Do we not all need to see in this story the blessing that comes to all of us when we demonstrate persistent faith in God? Today I hear God speaking to us about the shingles in our own lives that need to be removed so that we may come to Jesus — IN FAITH! What do we need to tear away in our lives so that we can live in persistent faith? Oh dear friends, we all have shingles overhead in our lives that push Jesus away and give us a false sense of our faith in Jesus.

Today, then, give thought and prayer about just one of the major shingles in your life that needs to be torn off of your heart and soul — once and for all. Join me in coming to Jesus, once and for all, in utter faith.

Oh Lord, I know that You know the exact shingle

that I need — more than any other shingles —

to tear away from my life.

Please have mercy on me and tear off this shingle —

forever — in my life.

Let this be my prayer, once and for all.

In Your name I pray, amen!

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me a sinner.