"And He Got Up"

In the 9th chapter of Matthew there are two stories told back to back which use the same phrase at the end of each.

The first tells about Jesus healing a paralyzed man.

And they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. Seeing their faith Jesus said to the paralytic, "Take courage son, your sins are forgiven."

And some of the scribes said to themselves,"This fellow blasphemes."

And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, "Why are you thinking evil in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, Your sins are forgiven, or to say, Get up and walk? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins - then he said to the paralytic, Get up, pick up your bed and go home."

And he got up and went home.

The crowds are awestruck and they glorified God who had given such authority to men. We then read:

As Jesus went on from there He saw a man called Matthew, sitting in the tax collector's booth, and He said to Him, "Follow Me."

And he got up and followed him.

In these stories the paralytic picks up his bed and goes home. Matthew leaves the tax collector booth and follows Jesus but it is interesting that in the very next sentence Matthew too has gone home for we read this account;

Then it happened that as Jesus was reclining at the table in the house (this must be Matthew's house) behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were dining with Jesus and His disciples.

The Pharisees, like the scribes in the first story who thought that Jesus was blaspheming, seemed upset that Jesus would associate with sinners. Jesus answer to the Pharisees also applies to the attitude of the heart of the scribes when is says;

"It is not those who are healthy that need a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire compassion and not sacrifice' for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

Notice that as Jesus instructs the paralytic to get up and go home, and as he instructs the sinner Matthew to (get up) and follow Him he has also instructed the Pharisees "But go (back to your homes) and learn what this means."

There are many different ways to be paralyzed. With the first man it was a physical condition and yet what did Jesus see as more important? Yes, it was the condition of the heart.

The scribes and the Pharisees were also paralyzed in their hearts. They desired a righteousness derived from religious observance and could not see past that, either to have compassion on those who were sick or for those whose lives had taken such a different course than theirs.

And most, because their hearts were closed, did not recognize Jesus for who He really was, the Son of Man, the Son of God, the Heir of David, the long awaited Messiah, the Christ.

Jesus request for each of us is still the same as in these stories. He wants us to have compassion for others, He offers healing for our bodies, forgiveness for our sins and wants us to get up, go home and He will come and dine with us.

But we can't just sit there on our rear ends. GET UP!