Our lives know a great deal of suffering. And we would love for God to take the crosses away so that the earthly suffering could stop. The paralyzed man who was brought to Jesus certainly would have been looking for Jesus to take away his paralysis and make him able to walk again. He, as we would, probably thought that was the greatest thing Jesus could do for him. But we are wrong. That is most definitely not the most important or beneficial thing Jesus can do for us. The most important, all-encompassing, enduring thing Jesus can do for any of us is to forgive our sins. As sin lies at the very heart of everything we suffer, forgiving sin is the only way to get at the heart of what plagues us, even if the suffering isn’t immediately removed. When Jesus forgives your sins, He is promising you eternal life and healing. He is promising you that nothing you are suffering in this life will keep you from eternal life. He is promising that at the resurrection, ALL of your suffering will be brought to an eternal end and you will only know the joy and peace of heaven. That is why we treasure Holy Absolution and the Divine Service because these are where Christ grants to us the perfect healing and peace. I look forward to seeing you this coming Lord’s Day.
Pastor Ulmer
