For 38 years, that mat was his whole world—his comfort, his identity, his excuse. It defined the space he occupied. And when Jesus said "pick it up and walk," He wasn't just healing a body. He was calling a man into a completely new life.
We all have mats. Those familiar struggles we've learned to live with. The dysfunction we've made functional. The broken places we've decorated with potted plants and pictures, making them almost... comfortable.
But Jesus doesn't want you comfortable in your brokenness. He wants you free. He wants you walking into the abundant life He died to give you.
Can you imagine what life looks like on the other side of your mat? Jesus can. And He's asking you to trust Him enough to find out.