TOPIC: JESUS HEALS FIRST THE ROOT CAUSE, AND THE THE DISEASE. 

Opening Prayer: I open my heart to meditate on your word, teach me your ways oh Lord.

SCRIPTURE: MARK 2: 1-12

Question(s) for Reflection
• Q 1: What does the passage teach about God the Father, or God the Son or God the Holy Spirit?

OUTLINE

There is a spiritual as well as a physical dimension to sickness. Sometimes, (such as in cases of sexually transmitted diseases) sickness is the direct result of human sin, but not always. However, originally, it was human sin which brought sickness and pain and death to the world which God declared to be good at Creation (Genesis 1:31). This is probably the reason why Jesus Christ saw the need to begin with the forgiveness of sin here. Notice what the scribes got right, and what they got wrong in v.7.

Again and again, we see miracles of healing brought about by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Often, it is the faith of the person who needed the healing (e.g. 5:34; 10:52). Sometimes it is the faith of the person doing the healing (Acts 9:40). In this story, it is the faith of the friends (v.5). This is an encouragement to us to bring our friends before the throne of grace in confidence that Jesus Christ will always hear our prayers on their behalf. It also teaches us not to blame them for lack of faith if they are not healed when a man of God prays for them.

• Any new insight or reinforcement of what you already know?

Closing Prayer
Read James 5:14-15 and pray earnestly for sick people known to you today.

Offer a prayer of faith in line with Deuteronomy 7:9
“Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;”

One Year Bible Reading Plan
Genesis 5,6, Psalms 6