Mark 2:1-12 (NIV) 1A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. 2 They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. 3 Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. 4 Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” 6 Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, 7 “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 8 Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? 9 Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? 10 But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man, 11 “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” 12 He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”
In the house at the center of attention was a very common looking man dressed in the casual clothes of the day. Rumor has it that this man, Jesus, has just healed someone with leprosy. Everyone has gathered in curiosity to find out more of who he is and why he is here. Four men arrive carrying a person on a stretcher. They scurry up the stairs next to the house, and remove a part of the ceiling of the house to lower the stretcher into the midst of Jesus and the crowd. Then we hear Jesus say, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
At that time there was a commonly held superstition that sin caused disease, and that is what some people in the room think is going on. But, we know Jesus is saying forgiveness comes first. Before He puts the man up right on his feet He wants to put things right in his soul.
When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Did you notice that? Jesus responds to the faith of the people who brought the paralytic to him. We do not know about the faith or the lack of faith of the paralytic. It was the faith of the friends that brought the paralyzed man to the place of possibilities, to the person with the power to help, to forgive, and to heal. Their faith was their caring determination to bring their friend to the place of possibilities, into the presence of Jesus. Their faith was the caring confidence that Jesus would make a difference. Their faith was the creative effort through the roof that so that the crowd did not keep them from the presence of Jesus.
Those who cannot do it for themselves need friends who will raise the roof for them, remove the barriers and obstacles that keep them from having equal access to the place of possibilities in the presence of Jesus. Are we people of that same faith?
From a sermon preached by Henry Dobbs Pope September 10, 2000
© Rhonda Hinkle Mitchell
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