Mark 2:1-12
And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. 2 And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them.
- At home - Jesus didn’t likely “live” in Capernaum per se…however it was where He was for a time.
- Typical homes during that time could only hold so many inside.
- 30-50 standing room only possibly.
- There was no room inside, nor at the door; a crowd gathered outside the home to see, hear, and witness Jesus.
3 And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. 4 And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. 5 And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
- Mark and Matthew doesn’t give as much detail as Luke 5:17-26. John doesn’t mention it.
- This story isn’t about the paralytic…not really.
- This story is more about the what is in the heart and how Jesus deals with us.
- The four men who carried the paralytic believed in their hearts that Jesus could do the impossible.
- The crowd was too thick for them to get the paralyzed man to Jesus.
- That didn’t stop them.
- Their hearts and faith said keep going…
- Think about what it took to get this paralyzed man to Jesus.
- They had to get through the crowd still to even get to where they could get to the roof.
- They then had to get the paralyzed man on the roof. (He can’t climb)
- They then had to break through the roof (not their house!!!)
- Talk about asking for forgiveness instead of permission.
- They then had to lower the man through the hole in the roof down before Jesus.
- These people had faith, hope, and love enough in their hearts to do this for the paralyzed man they cared for so that he could go before Jesus.
- They didn’t know for sure that Jesus would do anything…they believed in their hearts Jesus would.
- Now Jesus deals with the paralytic man and says, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
- Jesus didn’t just heal the man and move on.
- Jesus cared for the man and dealt with the man’s heart first.
- Between healing of the heart for the forgiveness of sin or healing the body physically, Jesus chose to deal with the mans heart.
- Which is better?
- To be forgiven of your sins, but not physically, knowing that you have an eternity waiting for you in Heaven?
- Or, to be healed physically but remain dead in your heart and go to Hell for eternity?
- Jesus knows what the man needs and its a clean and new heart, more than any physical ailment.
- John 8 - Remember the story of the adulterous woman…Jesus said “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”
- Jesus deals with our hearts.
6 Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 8 And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? 10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— 11 “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” 12 And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”
- The scribes didn’t say anything out loud…take note of that.
- They questioned in their hearts…this shows the lack of faith in their heart of who Jesus was.
- They question everything…
- “Why does this man speak like that?”
- “He is blaspheming!”
- “Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
- Jesus, with everything going on around Him…
- The crowd
- The excitement of the paralytic man coming through the roof.
- Jesus hears what is on the hearts of the Scribes.
- Jesus questions them about it.
- Imagine for a moment if while I was preaching I suddenly stopped and questioned something you were thinking about.
- That is exactly what Jesus did and nailed it exactly.
- Notice the scribes weren’t concerned with the paralytic man…they were only concerned about the law of blasphemy.
- Jesus then takes their hearts on a journey…
- Jesus does what visibly what no other man could do in order to prove what He could do invisibly.
- Which is easier? To simply say words or do an action?
- We as Christians do this all the time…
- We say a lot of things with nothing to back it up other than faith and our word.
- We do a lot of things (our actions) that show our faith and sometimes those actions don’t align with our words or our faith.
- Here Jesus is saying “Which is easier? To say this mans sins are forgiven? Or to actually heal him and by action of my words make him walk out of here?”
- Clearly if Jesus had said “Rise and walk” and then the guy was still paralyzed, that’s an issue.
- But when Jesus proved His words had power, power enough to make the man walk again, then He must also have power in His words to forgive sin.
- Jesus did what could be seen, to prove He could do what was unseen.
- Our hearts don’t lie.
- Romans 10:9-10 “9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”
