When confronted with our sins, or the sins of others, it is easy for us to default to behavior modification. We want to do something different so that we do not struggle with the behavior. An example of this would be a person who struggles with alcohol choosing to go to AA and putting measures in place where they could not purchase alcohol on their own. These are significant steps, but the real source of change in any situation is buried under the surface.
Imagine an iceberg; typically, we see the top 20 to 30%. The other 80% or so is underneath the surface. What we see in our own lives and others' lives is the top 20%. It's the behaviors. What is driving the behavior is much deeper under the surface. Check out this story in Mark Chapter 2...
2 A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. 2 They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. 3 Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. 4 Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. 5 So he (Jesus) said to the man, 11 "I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home. 12 He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all."...
I love that Jesus immediately goes under the surface with this guy. The real healing that he needs is the healing of his heart and his spirit. Jesus tells him his sins are forgiven, and then He meets the man's physical need, which we see above the surface.
I have read the story many times but, until recently, never noticed that Jesus told the man to take his mat with him. Why would this man need to take his mat? He's no longer paralyzed, he'll no longer need to lay on it. You see, his mat was how people knew him. It was his identity. When people saw his mat, they knew that he was the paralyzed man. Now, since he had been healed, when people saw him carrying his mat, he was able to point to the healing that God had given him. He used to lie on the mat, but now he walked with the mat. And all of this pointed back to the work of Christ.
Maybe for you, God has done work in your life, He's come to you, and He's told you that your sins are forgiven and to take your mat and go home. I believe that we are carrying our mats because, while they are no longer our identity, they point to the healing that He has given us. Carry it boldly...
