“They went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith, he said, ‘Friend, your sins are forgiven.’”
Luke 5:20
My neighbor suffers from fibromyalgia, often known as an “invisible illness” because a person with it may look healthy but still be hurting. If my neighbor’s caregiver-husband focused only on her appearance, he’d think she was fine. Not all illnesses, struggles, or wounds are visible.
Still, there’s one wound we all share. It’s the sin nature we are born with. We may look fine on the outside, but our hearts are “deceitful above all things and beyond cure” (Jeremiah 17:9). Our slavery to sin mars our relationship with God and others, and all the human caregiving in the world can’t fix it.
Jesus knew that physical, mental, and emotional illness are not our primary issues. Our greater problem is sin. That’s why, when the paralytic’s friends brought him to Jesus for healing, Jesus first said, “Your sins are forgiven.” With these words, He declared His authority as God’s Son, the only One who could solve the sin problem.
Looks can be deceiving, but God sees the heart. And He has provided a Savior for our greatest need.
Still, there’s one wound we all share. It’s the sin nature we are born with. We may look fine on the outside, but our hearts are “deceitful above all things and beyond cure” (Jeremiah 17:9). Our slavery to sin mars our relationship with God and others, and all the human caregiving in the world can’t fix it.
Jesus knew that physical, mental, and emotional illness are not our primary issues. Our greater problem is sin. That’s why, when the paralytic’s friends brought him to Jesus for healing, Jesus first said, “Your sins are forgiven.” With these words, He declared His authority as God’s Son, the only One who could solve the sin problem.
Looks can be deceiving, but God sees the heart. And He has provided a Savior for our greatest need.
Scripture Focus
Luke 5:17-26
Insight
How can you support those with an invisible illness? Ask God for opportunities to share Christ—the solution to our greatest sickness!
Bible In A Year
- Jeremiah 49-50
- Psalm 126
- 2 Corinthians 6-7