| “And, behold, they brought to Him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee” (Matthew 9:2). |
| The expression “be of good cheer” is a most encouraging thing to hear, and especially when it comes from someone who really cares about us, and really means it. We have all known people who rather flippantly say, “Don’t worry; everything is going to be all right,” when they have no idea what we are going through. Sometimes we get the impression that they do not care that much either. But the Lord Jesus cared deeply about the man who was sick of the palsy, and He cares about you and me too. |
| The Lord Jesus not only cared about this man, but He was going to heal him, right then and there. This was certainly a message of good cheer, for no one else could heal him. However, the Lord Jesus said unusual words when He healed this man. He said, “Thy sins be forgiven thee.” What does this mean? The people who heard the Lord Jesus say this were upset, and especially the scribes, who accused the Lord Jesus of blaspheming. This means that they thought He was acting as if He were God, when He forgave the man’s sins. But that was the very point; He was God, and as God He could forgive sins! |
| The man was sick because of some serious sin in his life, and the Lord Jesus forgave him. A few minutes later, He told the sick man to pick up his bed and go to his house. It was indeed a day of good cheer for him. |
| Perhaps you are going through a difficult time in your own life, The Covid virus has disrupted most people’s lives today, and many of you young people are often having a hard time. Perhaps you cannot go to school at the moment, and have to study at home. Perhaps you had a career you wanted to pursue, and now you have to wait. Perhaps you miss the nice social times that you enjoyed a few years ago. But the Lord Jesus says to each of us, “Be of good cheer.” He is there for us, and His presence is worth everything. Sometimes we learn more of Christ when things are difficult than when they are going smoothly. Better still, He is coming soon, and as the hymn says, “It will be worth it all, when we see Jesus.” |
