MAN’S GREATEST NEED
As one goes through life, there are pressing needs at various times- food, a house, a job, some extra money, someone to love, some one who listens, who understands and so on. But when life as a whole is considered, there is one need that trumps all else- the need for forgiveness. We trace a story in the life of Jesus from Mark 2;
A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!” (v1-12)
Nothing could be more pressing than healing a paralyzed man and his friends went to great extremes to get him to Jesus, who was his last hope. Yet instead of first healing him, Jesus tells him, “Son, your sins are forgiven”. To his listeners Jesus was indicating that as great as man’s physical and emotional needs are, there is a greater need- one of being forgiven. Despite the varied experiences of people, one thing that is common to all is the fact that we have been created in the image of God and wired to obey and submit to God. The Bible further notes that in following our natural inclinations, we have gone away from God in sin, resulting in hostility between man his creator. This hostility needs to be turned to reconciliation by forgiveness, which becomes man’s greatest inner need.
When the teachers of the law in this incident question Jesus’ ability to forgive sins, he reminds them that he is indeed the Son of God with authority on earth to forgive sins. This authority is unique to Jesus as he is God in all fullness of deity, yet came down to earth, identified with man and finally paid the price for the sins of mankind. In faith, we receive vicarious atonement for our sins through Jesus. And when one receives forgiveness of his sins, other needs are taken care of as well, in this case the paralyzed man being healed.
Man bristles through life scratching the surface of fullness, but when his greatest need is met, fullness becomes an indwelling stream within him.
