By: Maggie Morrison
“But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God.
Luke 5:24-25 NIV
This man had a choice to either believe what Jesus proclaimed over his physical body and walk or to remain in the comfort of what he knew to be true: life on his mat. Had he not believed Jesus, he would have lived his life being able to walk but never knowing it. How many stories were there of people Jesus healed, but they never put action into the truth and remained paralyzed, never experiencing the gift Jesus offered? These are the forgotten stories of Jesus’ ministry.
So many times Jesus speaks a truth over our lives, but we decide we don’t believe Him and continue to live as if we are paralyzed. Jesus sets us free, but it is our responsibility to get up and walk. This man believed what Jesus said, and because of that, he brought others to faith through the miracle of his life. Verse 26 says, “Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, ‘We have seen remarkable things today.’”
I love that Jesus tells the man to not just walk but to “pick up his mat.” In our own lives, Jesus is calling us to stand up and walk so we can help others! We must carry our “mat” with us so others can see and believe the testimony of what God has done in our life. In this story, the man was transformed so dramatically by Jesus that if he had not carried his mat as evidence of who he used to be, I question if anyone would have recognized him at all.
Today, I will choose to get up and walk. I will not steal the joy that Jesus is offering to me or to others through me. I will pick up my mat and carry it with me so others may praise Jesus for what He has done.
Do you have a mat Jesus is calling you off of? Choose not to be a forgotten story. Stand up, take your mat, and walk!
