Title Showed Faith Mark 2:1-12
Jesus delights in our faith above all else. In the text, Jesus sees the true faith of the paralytic and raises him up. He also says, “Show me your faith without works, and I will show you my faith by my works” (James 2:18). Faith with works is living faith, and it is faith shown to the Lord. Today, the Lord is asking us to have sincere faith. Let's look at the beliefs that the Lord saw and answered.
First, he saw the faith of the paralytic and your friend (Mark 2:5).
A paralytic was told that Jesus was coming to Capernaum to heal the sick. He mobilized his friends to put him on a stretcher and went to where Jesus was. But there were so many people that they could not come to Jesus. But he gave up and did not turn back. He climbed up on the roof and lowered the stretcher and crawled before Jesus. When Jesus saw his true faith, he forgave his sins and healed him. What did Jesus see here? Jesus did not see his face. It's not about age. You didn't even look at your social status. He only saw his faith and answered him. Let us also receive answers by showing faith that overcomes these barriers.
Second, he saw the poor widow's offering (Luke 2:3).
When Jesus came to the temple and saw the offering, he saw a poor widow donating two leps and said that she put in the most. Although the two lepton was a small amount, the Lord looked at it large because it was all the living expenses of the poor widow. The Lord always sees our sincere devotion. The faith that pleases the Lord is complete devotion and a sincere heart. The Lord said that where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Like this widow, we too must show our faith in the Lord by giving our hearts.
Third, he saw the prayer of Hezekiah's tears (2 Kings 20:5).
King Hezekiah obeyed God's word and made the nation prosperous, but he fell into pride and lost his grace. Then God, through the prophet Isaiah, said that he would soon die. When King Hezekiah heard the warning, he prayed with contrite and weeping. God saw his cries and tears and extended his life by 15 years. No matter what sins we have in the past, if we confess and repent, God will forgive us. The judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah and the judgment of Judas Iscariot were also because there was no repentance. God is still looking for the righteous who repent. Even today, God turns wrath into blessings for those who repent.
Today, like a paralytic, the Lord answers the indomitable faith, the devotion of a poor widow, and tears of thorough repentance. I pray in the name of the Lord that you will also show this kind of faith to the Lord and receive answers. Amen.