01/09/2026
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The faith God honors
Pastor Cesar Buitrago
The Gathering
There is a beautiful dramatic story in the gospels of a paraplegic carried by four friends. It is a story of a persistent faith and Jesus’ power to provide forgiveness of sins and healing. The story goes like this:
“When Jesus returned to Capernaum several days later, the news spread quickly that he was back home. Soon the house where he was staying was so packed with visitors that there was no more room, even outside the door. While he was preaching God’s word to them, four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat. They couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “My child, your sins are forgiven.”
But some of the teachers of religious law who were sitting there thought to themselves, “What is he saying? This is blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins! Jesus knew immediately what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you question this in your hearts? Is it easier to say to the paralyzed man ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk’? So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!” And the man jumped up, grabbed his mat, and walked out through the stunned onlookers. They were all amazed and praised God, exclaiming, “We’ve never seen anything like this before!”
Mark 2:1-12 (NLT)
What a powerful lesson of persistent faith:
The man was paralyzed. He could not move around. He was completely dependent on others. He lived a life of isolation and poverty. Being paralyzed is a picture of our brokenness without Jesus. I remember the story of Tom. He was guilty in a drunk driving car accident. He was bitter, angry at himself, angry at God. A friend invited him to church. Reluctantly, he accepted the invitation. The message that Sunday spoke to his heart and with tears in his eyes he committed his life to Christ. Everything changed for him. He was set free from his depression and bitterness. He had experienced the power of forgiveness and the love of God.
The four men of our story found a big obstacle, the crowd of people made access to the house impossible. But they did not give up, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. And Jesus saw their faith. What kind of faith does Jesus see in you?
Do you easily give up when you find obstacles in your walk of faith? Or like these four men, you persist, you are bold as you seek God. Jesus saw the faith of these men, they were active, united and persistent.
Jesus forgave the man’s sins. Wait a minute. Everyone was waiting for a miracle not forgiveness of sins. Friend, our greatest need is not a strong body but a clean soul. Jesus is healing this man from the inside out.
Are you living with regrets from your past? Have you forgiven yourself? Have you received the forgiveness of your sins? Jesus is available to heal your soul and your body. He has authority to forgive sins because He is God incarnate.
Finally, Jesus healed the man and he was able to walk! Everyone was amazed.
Come to Jesus today! Look for a church family! Be a good friend and bring someone who is in desperate need to Jesus. He is mighty and can forgive your sins and heal your weak body. Come to Him, He is waiting for you!
