A Paralytic Who Walks

Faith requires us to acknowledge and accept our finitude and moral need. We cannot have faith while maintaining a prideful self-sufficient heart. We may say we have faith, but our doubting prideful hearts say otherwise in how we live and what we believe. The Pharisees always get a bad reputation throughout the New Testament, and rightly so. But what is so helpful about including their back-and-forth with Jesus in the gospel narratives is the similarities we see in our own lives. In the middle of Luke chapter 5, these religious leaders attack Jesus’s ministry, namely the forgiveness of sin he provides to a paralytic man (v19-20). The Pharisees did whatever they could to convince themselves that Jesus was a false prophet. Their unbelieving hearts were full of pride. Their minds were already made up before they even witnessed Jesus’s interaction with the cripple. A hardness of heart stems from a belief that we don’t need Jesus. We become judgmental and condescending. We place our confidence in our own moral goodness, intellect, or achievements. The paralytic and his friends on the other hand revealed genuine faith. They were willing to do whatever it took to gain access to Jesus and to receive his blessing. May this be our attitude as well. See your need for Jesus and his forgiveness. Come to him with a heart of humility and a desire to believe all the more regardless of your circumstances or what people might think of you. He will provide you with something far greater than physical healing; he will give you life eternal and joy unspeakable, full of glory. –Pastor Nate 

Sunday at Liberty

9AM: Early Baptists and the Start of Associations 

10AM: Pastor Rory–A Paralytic Who Walks–Luke 5:12-26 (sermon notes)

11:45AM: Potluck

12:30PM: Members’ Meeting