Matthew 9:2 - “Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, ‘Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.’”

Upon seeing their faith, presumably for healing, Jesus immediately says, “Your sins are forgiven.” What did Jesus see when it says he “saw their faith”? Do you think this is the response the men expected from Jesus?

“If the exhibition of God’s glory and the deepest joy of human souls are one thing, then evangelism means depicting the beauty of Christ and his saving work with a heartfelt urgency of love that labors to help people find their satisfaction in him. The most important common ground with unbelievers is not culture but creation, not momentary felt-needs but massive real needs. Augustine’s famous prayer is all-important: “You made us for yourself and our hearts find no peace till they rest in you.” …The gospel is not the good news that God makes much of me; it is ‘the gospel of the glory of Christ.‘ …Our evangelistic task is not to persuade people that the gospel was made for their felt-needs, but that they were made for the soul-satisfying glory of God in the gospel.” (J. Piper, Captive to Glory, p. 10)

When we come to the Lord with our needs, many times we come away with more than we bargained for… and that’s a good thing! Christ is more than a healer, he is Savior and Lord!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrlN8Yjl6PQ

-JP