Today we will discuss perception and how a change in how you view things will change your life. Our perception is often fooled a little or more often then not thrown off track completely. Knowing this why do we trust our perception? The reason many people instinctively act on what they perceive is because they either trust it or because they feel it is all they have to go on. Trusting our own perception is not good because it can often be fooled. Have you ever looked at a series of numbers and thought the letter E was a 3 or a 6 was a 9 or a 1 was a 7. Simple mistake, but once made could cause you to deposit your weekly pay check into someone else’s account or send a corrective email to your boss instead of the cleaning crew. If you believe perception is all you have then what else is there to go on regardless of whether it is flawed or not. A famous saying started some decades ago is that perception is reality or how you see things is the reality you will create and live in. In the corporate world there is an old saying that is used and that is to a hammer everything in life is a nail meaning if you have a certain skill set you will attempt to fix every issue by using that skill set. And why not, this is what you know to do and what has possibly worked in the past. The only issue is that not every issue is a nail and in fact if you treat certain ones like a nail you will only shatter the opportunity to actually correct it.
Three things to take note of in this scripture.
- The perception of the crowd toward Jesus before and after the miracle.
- The perception of the skeptics after the miracle.
- The perception of the believers
Mark 2:1-12 (CEV): Jesus Heals a Crippled Man
2 Jesus went back to Capernaum, and a few days later people heard that he was at home.[a] 2 Then so many of them came to the house that there wasn’t even standing room left in front of the door.
Jesus was still teaching 3 when four people came up, carrying a crippled man on a mat. 4 But because of the crowd, they could not get him to Jesus. So they made a hole in the roof[b] above him and let the man down in front of everyone.
5 When Jesus saw how much faith they had, he said to the crippled man, “My friend, your sins are forgiven.”
6 Some of the teachers of the Law of Moses were sitting there. They started wondering, 7 “Why would he say such a thing? He must think he is God! Only God can forgive sins.”
8 Right away, Jesus knew what they were thinking, and he said, “Why are you thinking such things? 9 Is it easier for me to tell this crippled man that his sins are forgiven or to tell him to get up and pick up his mat and go on home? 10 I will show you that the Son of Man has the right to forgive sins here on earth.” So Jesus said to the man, 11 “Get up! Pick up your mat and go on home.”
12 The man got right up. He picked up his mat and went out while everyone watched in amazement. They praised God and said, “We have never seen anything like this!”
Three things to notice during this scripture.
- The perception of the centurion toward Jesus in contract to the Crowd in Mark 2 & Luke 5.
- The perception of Jesus toward Israel in contrast of his perception of the centurion.
Luke 7:1-10 English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus Heals a Centurion’s Servant
7 After he had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. 2 Now a centurion had a servant[a] who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him. 3 When the centurion[b] heard about Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his servant. 4 And when they came to Jesus, they pleaded with him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy to have you do this for him, 5 for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue.” 6 And Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof.7 Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed. 8 For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”9 When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” 10 And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the servant well.
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