Pick Up Your Bed

Jesus’ healing of the paralytic demonstrates that our greatest need is for forgiveness from our sins. By forgiving a paralytic – someone whose was clearly a sufferer with no obvious sin in his life – reminds us that every human being sins, rebelling against God’s loving rule in big and small ways. The Pharisees and teachers of the law also illustrate the pernicious nature of self- righteousness that blinds us to our own sin. Most of us identify more with the paralytic, defining our lives based on our suffering, but really we are more like the Pharisees, delighting to judge others and position ourselves as wiser, better, smarter, or more righteous than others. Jesus’ death and resurrection not only heals every kind of sufferer but forgives every kind of sinner, liberating us to “pick up our beds” and live honestly as evidence of his grace.