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There is so much in today’s reading that it is difficult to pick just one topic – the faith of the friends who brought the man to Jesus, Jesus’ ability to forgive sins as well as to heal the body, the doubts of the crowd, the powerful teaching. The question that I took away from the reading was, "What paralyzes me?" I believe it is a question for us all. What are the fears, the insecurities, the attitudes that might keep me stuck? It could be a fear of failure that prevents me from even starting to do what I need to do. It might be an old tape that runs through my head from the past when I was told I wasn’t good enough at something, so why bother even trying. It could be an addiction, a fear of losing friends, even a fear of success. Once I can answer the question, what do I do with the answer? Am I willing to have the faith to bring my paralyzed mind or body to Jesus for healing? Healing brings change, and change is not always welcome. The paralyzed man, who can now walk, will also be expected to work. The former addict will need to face life’s problems head on. I might have to stand up to the friends who like having some control over my life and risk losing them. The paralyzed man, once healed in body and spirit, picks up his bed – his burden – and goes home. Do we have the courage to bring our brokenness to Jesus, allow him to heal us, pick up our burdens and go home to begin anew?Prayer: Loving and forgiving God, please remove the sins and concerns that keep me paralyzed so that I might be free to be a better witness of your love and your grace to others. Amen.