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By Rev Don Rivers
They say beauty is only skin deep. What you see on the outside is not always what you get. I have seen some good-looking racecars that don’t have what it takes to be competitive on the track. The only way to find out is to run the race. What you have inside is what matters. Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Many times looks can be deceiving. Sometimes it is intentional, we don’t want to spill the beans and let everyone know what we have. To say there is some gamesmanship at the racetrack is an understatement. No one goes out for practice and runs full tilt; they always keep something in reserve for when it matters. I remember a recent practice session where a driver turned a quick lap. After talking with one of the team members I learned that there was more where that came from.
“Wait until we tweak it and put stickers on, we’ll post a number they all can shoot at.”
They did; fast lap of the day late in the last practice session with no time for the others to do much but scratch their heads and wonder.
Racecars on display are curious things. If you see a car on display at a show like Motorsports it shouldn’t surprise anyone that the setup and equipment on those cars may not be what they use at the track. Most racers are very careful about what they let others see. In the dirt late model ranks you see it all the time, a drape covers the back end of the chassis or they back the car in to block the view. Maybe there is something, maybe not. The question remains, what are they trying to hide? Did they find something?
A little mystery and intrigue isn’t a bad thing but in life people shouldn’t have to wonder who we are. They shouldn’t have to wonder if what we show on the outside is really the person we are. Our commitment to Christ and service to him has to be more than skin deep. We need to be willing to lay down our very lives for the sake of others.
People tend to act differently depending on the situation and location. On certain days of the week we are fine upstanding members of the church community; on others you would never know we graced the doors of a church. We put questions in people’s minds about who we really are. That is not a good thing.
In the world where reality is perception, putting up a good front tends to lead people to think things are going well. Social media only gives us part of the story, the part we want others to see. That is only the outside, what’s on the inside? We only find that when we take the time to put the effort forth and get to know someone.
Mark 2:1-12; 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!”
We find in this passage a few things that will help us understand how to reveal what’s on the inside. First, Jesus didn’t boast about who he was and what he could do. He simply started teaching those who came to hear Him. Be genuine and honor the position you are in.
Second thought; during the teaching, He witnessed the great faith of some friends who brought their injured friend to Him. He had compassion for that man and forgave his sins. Then to remove the doubts as to His authority, He healed the man.
Think about that, if we have the Holy Spirit inside would we not spend our time bringing our injured, hurting, crippled, burdened, suffering and broken friends to Jesus for healing, no matter how much effort and money it takes.
Why, because Jesus can and will forgive them and heal them. If we don’t believe that we lack the faith we need to be a true follower of Christ.
Thirdly, Jesus knew who was in the crowd and he chose an interesting way to help them understand who he was. He chose to do something no one could see. Think about it, it is pretty easy to make claims about our abilities, but the fact remains that at some point we have to reveal what is on the inside or we risk being a fraud. Jesus knew this.
Some in the crowd started stirring up trouble and challenging Jesus about His ability to forgive sins. Jesus settled the issue with one statement; “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.”
Now the proof was there for all to see, the paralytic got up, took his mat and walked out through the crowd. Does Christ have the authority to forgive sins? Yes he does. Is He willing to forgive us and others? Yes he is. Is He willing to heal all the brokenness, burdens and hurt we all face? Yes he is.
The challenge remains with us, do we have the faith to bring them to Jesus? Will we put forth the effort to help others find the forgiveness and healing that comes through Jesus Christ? What’s on the inside?
Until next time, remember God loves you and Jesus is Lord over Auto Racing! God Bless. Remember, that your prayerful support and donations helps us continue this ministry. Thank You.
