Jesus was so amazing and wonderful to the paralyzed man; he forgave his sins and asked him to take up his mat and go home (Mark 2:11). But why did Jesus not ask the paralyzed man to just walk away from his mat?
Was it neccessary for the man to identify with his former frustration or pain? Why take up your mat and go, since the mat would no longer be useful to him as he was now able; no longer paralyzed?
Dear, our past, be it beautiful or ugly is part of our story. The mat of the paralyzed man was a part of his story. He needed to pick it up and go home with it and probably Keep it at home testimoniously.
The mat becomes therefore a point of reference accentuating the loving goodness of our God.
Why are you ashamed to identify with your ugly past when you have been healed already by Christ? Paul the apostle for instance, was not ashamed to talk about his formerly being a persecutor of the gospel. ‘The Confessions of Saint Augustine’ remains a treasure for us because it tells how God turns sinners into Saints.
If you cannot positively identify with your ugly past, you may stand the chance of living the present in a cave and never realizing a bright future.
May God turn our mats of shame into mats of testimony.
Love.
-Fr Abiagom Augustine
