6. Ruling

The Living Jesus now rules, and calls each one of us to turn from our way to his way: when we live our way we call the shots; when we live his way Jesus calls the shots.

We turn from our way to his way by asking him to forgive us, and change us, and take over the running of our life both now and forever. And he does. Jesus has the power to forgive us (and guide us) ? both here and forever.

Luke 5:17-26
One day a bunch of lawyers was hanging around listening to Jesus. They?d come from just about every township in Galilee shire, and Judea shire, and from the Big Smoke?from Jerusalem.

God gave Jesus tons of power to heal the sick.

But then, blow me down, some blokes were trying to get their paralysed mate on a stretcher to Jesus, but it was like a Grand Final crowd that day and they couldn?t barge through. So they dragged their mate on the stretcher up onto the roof, yanked off a few tiles, and then lowered him down smack in the middle of the room.

When Jesus saw how much trust in him there was, he said to the paralysed bloke, ?Old chap, your sins are forgiven.?

The lawyers sneered, ?This boofhead thinks he?s God! Only God can forgive sins!?

But Jesus knew what was going on inside their noggins, and he said to them, ?So, that?s what you think, is it? Just watch this. Which of these is easy: to say to this bloke ?Your sins are forgiven?? or to say to him ?You?re cured, get up and walk?? Now this ought to show you that I have the power to forgive sins.? He turned to the paralysed bloke and said, ?Hop up, pick up your stretcher, and go home.?

Straight off, the bloke stood up, and picked up his stretcher. The crowd parted in front of him like the Red Sea in front of Moses, and he set off for his home, saying how terrific God was! Everyone was staggered and said, ?Well! Starve the lizards! How about that!?