Walking Wounded

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A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that He had come home. So many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and He preached the word to them. Some men came, bringing to Him a paralytic, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” Immediately Jesus knew in His spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and He said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat 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 tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!” — Mark 2:1-12

I’m tired. If you are currently deployed, or the spouse of someone who’s deployed, then you’re probably tired, too. Especially if this is not your first deployment. Our base chaplain took a quick, non-scientific survey at a large meeting and discovered that the major stressor for both the deployed AND family members is lack of sleep!

I’ll bet the paralyzed man in this parable was tired, too. Tired of laying on his mat everyday . . .tired of depending on others. But notice, he still had friends. And they helped him out by bringing him to Jesus. What an entrance!! Through the roof! I wonder: how difficult was it to get him up to the roof in the first place?

Don’t you think it’s interesting that the first thing Jesus said to him was, “Son, your sins are forgiven”? I mean, the man obviously needed help! But Jesus, looking into his soul, perceived that this man needed more help internally than externally! I’ll bet there were only two people in the room NOT shocked at Jesus’ words—Jesus and the paralytic. To everyone else it appeared as if this man needed primarily physical healing. Then, of course, so the Pharisees would see that Jesus DID have the authority to forgive sins, He bade the man to walk. Is it any wonder that the Word, through whom all things were made, could make one man well? Knit his nerves, bones, muscles, tendons and cells perfectly back together to work in harmony as they were designed?

How many of us are the opposite of the paralyzed man? On the outside we look fine, but on the inside we are wounded? For so many in the military community these days it seems deployment-related. There are the ”talked-about” injuries: divorces, suicide attempts, alcohol. And then there are the more common, but strangely less talked-about wounds: excessive video game playing, extreme fatigue, lack of sexual desire, living in committed—but very strained—marriages. In effect, we are the walking wounded.

It’s easier to feel compassion for someone with a visible wound, I believe. . .like a broken leg, burns, scars, etc. But what about the invisible wounds that manifest themselves in outward behavior: the lady screeching at the medical desk, grumpy service workers, rude teenagers? I suspect that we are so unwilling to give grace and mercy because we perceive that we have received so little ourselves. We have the attitude of, “I got through it. Suck it up and take your turn.”

Notice that Mark said, “When Jesus saw their (the men who brought the paralyzed man) faith, He spoke . . . What if, just today, we treated everyone we encountered as if they were the walking wounded? What if, in spite of our own wounds, we tried to be “the friends” and responded to others in mercy and grace, instead of in-kind? Might it make a little difference? Spread some of Jesus’ light and healing? Eventually come back to us and bind up some of our own wounds? Most importantly, would it point people to Jesus? What if, just today, we try?

In the words of Reuben Morgan of Hillsong:

“Everyone needs compassion, Love that’s never failing, Let mercy fall on me.
Everyone needs forgiveness, the kindness of a Savior, the Hope of nations.
My Savior, He can move the mountains, My God is mighty to save,
He is mighty to save.
Forever, Author of salvation, He rose and conquered the grave.
Jesus conquered the grave.
Shine your light and let the whole world see, Jesus, for the glory of the risen King!”

Questions to Share:

1. What “invisible” wounds have you experienced because of deployment?
2. How can you extend grace to others who perhaps have experienced the same woundings?