There is forgiveness. Let those words sink deep into your heart, there is forgiveness. Not merely a distant hope, but a present, certain, divine assurance. You confess your sins and areas of disobedience, and that very confession is the Spirit’s work within you. The paralytic in the Gospel lay before Jesus with a heavy heart, repenting of a misspent life. He uttered no word, but the Lord saw the sorrow and spoke pardon first: “Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.” So turn your eyes away from your own unworthiness and fix them upon Christ. The forgiveness is with Him, the very One you have offended. It is full, free, and eternal for every soul that trusts in Jesus. Do not say your transgressions are too great; that would be to limit the unlimited. Where God draws no boundary, dare not draw your own. His promise stands: if we confess, He is faithful and just to forgive. Take this word for yourself, as Luther was urged, “Believe in the forgiveness of sins for yourself.” It is yours this very hour, for Christ’s sake, if you will receive it.
And what follows forgiveness? Healing and strength to minister. Your mother’s body is weak, and your spirit longs for her restoration. But remember the order in Christ’s gracious work: first salvation, then service. Pray earnestly for the Lord to touch her with His healing hand, and trust that He who granted forgiveness to the paralytic can also raise her up. Peter’s wife’s mother, when healed of her fever, “immediately arose and ministered.” The same power that lifts the burden of sin renews the frame for holy labour. Should it please the Lord to extend her years, it will be that she may fulfill the ministry He has ordained for her. Therefore, entreat Him not only for bodily strength, but that her renewed life might be wholly given up to serving the Master and His people.
For yourself, the same principle holds. You seek forgiveness and restoration, and then an extended life of kingdom service. Yet be assured that the moment Christ saves a soul, He gives strength for its appointed work. The service may be immediate, without delay, even as the fevered woman rose and began to minister. Do not wait for a feeling of strength; faith in the forgiveness already received is the spring of all true labour. You are not saved for your own sake, but to serve, let nothing move you to miss that calling. And as a steward of the manifold grace of God, do your work with all your heart, mind, and strength. Be faithful to the household of faith, and shun any conniving at that which would grieve the Master. The Friend who sticks closer than a brother has looked upon your misery with a piteous eye; love Him by feeding His sheep.
There is forgiveness. There is healing. There is strength for service. These are not mere possibilities, but certainties in Christ. Go to your knees and plead the promises. And remember, when the Lord gives you and your mother renewed opportunity, it is a gift of His mercy intended for His own glory. May you both, delivered from the fever of sin and the palsy of unbelief, arise and minister with gladness.