February 29: “We Never Saw Anything Like This”
♫ Music:
Monday, February 29
Scripture: Mark 2:1-12
And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic—“I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”
“WE NEVER SAW ANYTHING LIKE THIS”
“We never saw anything like this!”
When was the last time you or I said these words after witnessing a miraculous healing? Personally, I have never seen that kind of wonder. I have heard and read miracle stories; but that’s not the same. There’s nothing quite like being a first-hand witness of the power of Jesus at work in the physical world, restoring what had once been broken.
Perhaps you are like me, wishing you could have been there, sitting in the house when the roofing began to fall. Or, as seen in Tissot’s expression of this story, I wish I could have been one of the people catching the paralytic as the reach of his four friends’ relentless care was fully spent. Then, I could give glory to God and say along with the others,
“We never saw anything like this!”
As I listen to the first song, I feel dissonance about the repeated lyrics: “I am the God that healeth thee; I am the Lord, Your Healer.” My honest, initial thoughts are: “Yeah, yeah. God is our healer. I don’t wholeheartedly believe it.” What about my mom who died from cancer at 64? We asked God, but He didn’t heal her. What about the family member or friend who suffered from a serious illness? You tore a hole in the roof and faithfully lowered him or her down to Jesus through prayer, and…no healing. What about the people we know suffering from severe depression or a sexual addiction or some other form of paralyzing oppression? Again, we tear a hole, lower them down to the great Healer, and...no healing. It’s hard to believe in the God who healeth thee when our more consistent experience is:
“We never saw anything like this!”
I resonate more with the shorter a cappella piece, “Heal.” It captures the longing of my heart to be healed from the sin and shame that have paralyzed me throughout life. We all can relate to this deep longing for soul restoration. And at some level, we all feel God changing us and making us His own. Though in this case, it’s more of a long road of healing through life. Such an experience is a stark contrast to the immediate getting up and walking out the door of the paralytic that prompted the response:
“We never saw anything like this!”
And yet, if we seek to stretch our hearts toward God’s plan and timing, the experiencing of Jesus as the Great Healer, captured in the Healing Icon, becomes more real. His presence, His words, and especially His touch that miraculously healed so many 2000 years ago reach into our present circumstances and invite us to believe that God can heal body, soul and spirit. As we walk by faith in this way, we create an opportunity to proclaim once again as they did long ago:
“We never saw anything like this!”
PRAYER
Lord, we believe. Help our unbelief.
Help us to trust in Your Healing power.
Help us to, once again, tear a hole in the roof and lower ourselves and others before You, our Great Healer.
May Your presence, words and touch miraculously restore us today.
Amen.
Matthew Hooper, Associate Dean of Students
Artwork #1
Christ Healing the Sick
Anonymous Icon
Egg tempera on wooden panel
About the Artist and Art #1
“And the whole multitude sought to touch him: there went virtue out of Him, and healed them all” (Luke 6:19). As Christ grants sight to the blind, heals the lame, leprous, and possessed, the woman with the issue of blood touches the hem of His garment and petitions the Savior for His healing mercy. Eastern Orthodox icons are often referred to as “Windows into Heaven.” People pictured in icons are those who have lived among us and in the process of living, have been healed, changed, and transformed by Christ’s healing power. As a result they have made God the sole purpose of their existence. They remind us of what we are called to be and who we truly can be in Christ.
Artwork #2
The Palsied Man Let Down Through the Roof
James Tissot
Oil on canvas
Brooklyn Museum, New York
About the Artist and Art #2
James Tissot (1836-1902) was a French Impressionist painter and illustrator who was friends with fellow artists Edgar Degas, Édouard Manet, and American painter James McNeill Whistler. Known for his bourgeois lifestyle, in 1888 he underwent a religious conversion when he entered a church to “catch the atmosphere for a picture,” and thereafter devoted himself to religious subjects. He visited the Holy Land in 1886-87 and again in 1889. His many Biblical works were enormously popular, both in book form and when the original drawings and paintings were exhibited. The Palsied Man Let Down Through the Roof is part of Tissot's series The Life of Our Lord Jesus Christ (La Vie de Notre-Seigneur Jésus-Christ).
About the Music #1
“I Am The God That Healeth Thee”
Lyrics
I am the God that healeth thee;
I am the Lord, your healer.
I sent My word and healed your disease,
I am the Lord, your healer.
You are the God that healeth me;
You are the Lord, my healer.
You sent Your word and You healed my disease,
You are the Lord, my healer.
About the Musician #1
Don Moen (b. 1950) is a singer-songwriter, pastor, and producer of Christian worship music. He produced 11 volumes for the Hosanna! Music series of worship albums and worked for Integrity Media for over 20 years. His discography reflects his passion to create resources for the church that lead people into an honest and intimate relationship with the Lord. In 2002, his peers recognized that lifelong commitment and presented him with the Ray DeVries Church Ministry Award. Don has also received a Dove Award for his work on the musical “God With Us” and has received multiple Dove Award nominations for his songs, CDs and choral resources.
About the Music #2
“Heal”
Lyrics
Heal, heal me from my sin,
Heal me from my shame, O Lord.
Feel, I feel you changing me,
I feel you making me Your own, O Lord.
About the Musicians #2
Caleb and Sol Rexius (b. 1985) are identical twins and singer-songwriters from Eugene, Oregon. They have recorded two albums of original compositions. This track is featured on their second album, “The Healing,” released in 2012. “Heal” is a concise but poignant plea that begs for Christ’s help and speaks of His transforming power.
calebandsol.blogspot.com