Tough love

'...Arise and walk...' Matthew 9:5

'Arise and walk', Jesus says to a man who is paralyzed.

Can you imagine what must have been going through this guy's mind?

There He was, being carried on a mat down the street by his buddies who put him down right by this guy called Jesus.

By now everyone wanted to meet Jesus, who was getting a reputation for doing miraculous stuff.

The place was packed and Jesus looks at him, mentions nothing about his paralysis but basically says, 'Cheer up, son. I forgive your sins.'

This causes some religious people there to start kicking off at Jesus, because they didn't like what He was saying. This guy is now stuck in the middle of all this. Jesus turns to him and says 'Get up. Take your bed and go home.'

Talk about pressure! Everyone's now looking at him: what can he do?
He knows he's paralyzed and can't move!

Where's the sympathy and understanding from Jesus, eh?

Where's the love?

How tough is Jesus on this poor guy?

Even so, this guy chooses to trust Jesus, and, guess what? He stood up! He was healed. He didn't just walk out that room; he ran!

Sometimes, what Jesus asks us to do can seem too hard, too tough. It can even seem like Jesus doesn't care about us, doesn't understand our situation. But if you trust Him the benefits will blow your mind. Don't forget, He knows best and as your Heavenly Father...he won't put you through something you won't be able to come out of.