Let’s take a look at the paralyzed man’s encounter with Jesus one more time…

Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.

When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, “Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (‭Luke‬ ‭5‬:‭18-21‬ NIV)

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)

What is carrying you through life? Are you being carried along on a MAT like the paralyzed man? I’m not asking if you are physically paralyzed. I’m asking if you are mentally, emotionally, or even spiritually paralyzed?

Notice that Jesus healed the man’s spirit before He healed his body. He said, “Your sins are forgiven…”

In this life, we have things that seem as though they are carrying us along. Without them, we wouldn’t get very far. But little do we know, they really aren’t carrying us at all. We are still debilitated, paralyzed, and sometimes dying inside. The following are a few of those things to which I am referring (MAT):

Masks – We pretend like everything is great, but inside everything is all but okay. We put on a fake face, in hopes that others will not be able to read beyond the exterior. For example, those parents who fight on the way to church, but then turn the smiles on when they arrive in the parking lot.

Attitudes – The bully hides his pain by pushing others around. More than likely, he is being bullied at home or in some other area of his life, and this is how he carries himself along to cover the pain. The class clown hides her lack of confidence by joking about others. If she can make others laugh at someone else, then they won’t see what is really going on inside of her. Robin Williams made millions laugh, thus helping them to face life. But, it is sad to say, that it wasn’t enough to help him continue on.

Talents – Some people are über talented! They have more talent in their big toe than others do in their whole body. But, once again, talent is not enough to fulfill a person’s longings within or to heal hurts from the past. There is a list one-mile-long of super talented people who lived short lives, because their talent wasn’t enough to help them walk it out. Think about Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, and Judy Garland.

So, I pose this question; “What, or who, is carrying you?” What is your MAT?

Challenge: List one Mask, Attitude, or Talent in your life that Jesus needs to replace with his healing power. Let Him heal you from within, and be intentional about not pretending anymore!