One of the most widely known bible verses in America is: “God helps those who help themselves”. The only problem is that this isn’t in the bible. In fact, it runs counter to the biblical reality that God helps the helpless (Psalm 72:12-13). God’s salvation and blessing doesn’t come to self-reliant people, but to weak, poor, needy, helpless people who look to God for his gift of grace. We, like this man in this text, are ‘spiritually paralyzed’ before Christ comes into our lives – we have no ability to get to God or to save ourselves – but God comes to us.