As Peter traveled about the country, he went to visit the Lord’s people who lived in Lydda. There he found a man named Aeneas, who was paralyzed and had been bedridden for eight years. “Aeneas,” Peter said to him, “Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and roll up your mat.” Immediately Aeneas got up. All those who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.

–Parallel verses:
‭‭Mark‬ ‭2‬:‭3‬-‭12‬
Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, 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 by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “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 this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man, “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!”

I was listening in my home this morning as my wife was teaching my five-year-old how to do multiplication. He had guessed 3 X 3 equaled 12. “No, 3 X 3 = 9, 4 X 3 = 12”, she said. I added, “3 X 4 = 12, too.” I got reprimanded a bit (in jest) for trying to over complicate the issue for my five-year-old.

In the parallel passage, Jesus forgave sin first, setting a faith marker in the minds of the people and their leaders that he had this power and was the Son of God. Only God and his Son Jesus can forgive sins. He then healed this man. This was the order God used to bring about salvation in that place.

Later, Peter healed a paralyzed man first, and then many believed in the name of Jesus. In order for this to happen, Peter would have had to explain Jesus’ perfect sacrifice on the cross, the forgiveness of sins, and new life in him through his Holy Spirit.

So in one instance [the forgiveness of sins] + [physical healing] = [a new life on the inside and a restored body]. In the other, the healing happened first, the forgiveness of sins by believing in the name of Jesus second, and the result was the same. God will use whatever order he can to get people’s attention to point to the saving work of Jesus to win more souls into his kingdom.

Sometimes I get hung up on what I see as the “right way or order” to do things. But God can do things in my order or outside of my order to accomplish his plan of salvation in the hearts of men.

Lord, thank you for these examples of your healing power. You give us spiritual power too, to do your work, just like Peter. Keep me focused on listening to your Spirit as I walk each day and help me to be open to rearranging my plan order so you can work your plan — the salvation of others.