THE GREATEST MIRACLE
MARK 2:1-12
I was at a protest rally against immigrant children being separated from their
parents. In that rally several people spoke against the administration’s
policies. Some, from faith communities, including certain pastors attributed
the quick reversal of a policy decision to, “public pressure” They incited the
crowd to step up the protest and increase the pressure on the government. When
my turn came to speak, I spoke from the Bible how God wants us to love our
neighbors as ourselves and how we have been praying for God’s intervention in
keeping the families together in our church. I encouraged the crowd it is OK to
put pressure on the elected officials to do the right thing but in the end, it
is God, who will intervene through our prayers.
Afterwards
I wondered, how many in the crowd actually paid attention to my appeal for
prayer? On another occasion one of the survivors of a shooting, sarcastically
dismissed the prayers of people saying, “we don’t need prayers, we need more
than prayers” Yes, I understand the frustration! But when and why did we ever come
to think that praying to God is useless, we got to take things into our own
hands, solve problems that have national ramifications ourselves?
We
are surrounded by people who have no confidence in God, instead, only having
confidence in themselves and in the power of pressure and protest to get things
done. Under such circumstances how can we Christians who are called to be the
salt of the earth, and the light of the world hold onto our fundamental faith
in Jesus our God? Does God really care what happens in the world or has He
abandoned us and is he letting us fend for ourselves? Is having faith in God
really working, in this 21st century? How can we cultivate, grow and
pass on our faith to the next generation?? To find answers to some of these
questions, I want us to turn to a very familiar story of faith, “The Greatest
Miracle.” Mark 2:1-12.
BACKGROUND: The Gospel
according to Mark was written by John Mark who travelled with the Apostle Paul
and Barnabas on their first missionary Journey (Acts 12:25), but Mark turned
back. For this reason, Paul refused to consider taking him along on the second
missionary journey. Paul and Barnabas
had strong opposite feelings about the matter, they decided to go different
directions. Paul went with Silas and Barnabas with Mark. However, much later,
Paul felt differently about Mark (II Tim 4:11). If it wasn’t for Barnabas, we
wouldn’t have this gospel.
The
book of Mark is the shortest of the four Gospels. However, he gave more vivid
details in his brief account. The Gospel of Mark emphasizes the superhuman
power of Jesus. Christ is presented as God’s Son in action, demonstrating his
divinity by His miracles. Mark tells of what Jesus did and less of what Jesus
said. It is like watching a Hollywood motion picture. The author rushes from
one dynamic scene to the next. He uses the word, “immediately” about 40 times
to make the transitions. Mark is one of my favorite gospels as I am visually
stimulated.
The
gospel of Mark contains a number of faith building stories. I encourage you to
go home grab a cup of coffee, gather your young children around if they are
still with you and read them these stories. Among all the miracles of Jesus,
one of the better known is the healing of a paralytic... it is found in all
three synoptic gospels - Mt 9:1-8; Mk 2:1-12; Lk 5:17-26. This story is well
known to the little children, and since I’m a child, I have known this story.
Let’s dig in and see what principles of faith we can learn from this story.
I. THE
HEALER IS IN TOWN. (Vs 1-2)
Vs
1-2, “And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that
he was at home. 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.”
Just
imagine you were living in one of the mountain valleys of America 100 years
ago, to which no physician has ever come and in which the people have never
heard of modern medicine. Think of every family being troubled with running
sores, boils, smallpox, chicken pox and other incurable diseases. There was not
one hospital or a place to treat these patients. Think of how the good news of a new healer
would race through that American valley town.
Perhaps,
such was the context or even worse when Mark penned these words, Mark 1:28, “And
at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of
Galilee.” The travelling healer, Jesus has been back to Capernaum his home town.
The news of this new healer who has been healing all kinds of deceases spread
like a wild fire through out the town.
In
a matter of time a large crowd inundated the house where Jesus was staying,
this was likely Peter’s home. Jesus began to preach the word to them. The good
news of the gospel, that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, for
the forgiveness of sins. People were
intently listening to the words of Jesus, then something unusual happened.
II. FAITHFUL
FRIENDS
In that town there was a paralytic
man, he must have been in that condition for a long time. Paralysis was and is
a crippling disease. In those days if you were a paralytic you would quickly
become a social outcast. Everyone, including your family members may reject you
to your face. Fortunately, this paralytic man had four faithful friends who
stood with him through thick and thin. They heard about this new healer who
could heal any decease. They thought about the helpless and hopeless condition
of their good friend. So, they came up with an idea. Unlike our times, they
couldn’t call for an ambulance, they themselves carried their paralytic friend
on an improvised stretcher to the place where Jesus was staying.
As
they neared the house their hopes might have been dashed, there were crowds of
people everywhere, even blocking the door way to the house. But they were
determined, they were not going to give up, because they knew if somehow, they
could get him to Jesus, he would do something to heal their friend. So, they
climbed the roof. Most homes in Israel had flat roofs. And there was usually an
external stairway that extended to the roof.
The
paralytic friends took him up to the top of such a house and dug out the top
coat of clay, removing several of the slabs, until they made enough room to
lower him down into Jesus’ presence. Think of this for a moment. Do you have faithful
friends? Will they sacrifice anything for your sake? It is hard to make friends
in this digital, distracted and highly individualistic society. Pray and work
at developing friendships, which takes time. But it is worth a lot.
III
THE GREATEST MIRACLE
Vs 4-7, “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?” You can well imagine this
whole incident must have rattled the crowds, disturbed and challenged the
thinking of the teachers of the law.
As
the matt was being lowered with the man laying on it only one person was not
disturbed, instead he was pleased to see their faith. He responded compassionately
and graciously with these words to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are
forgiven.” Frank Voila in his book “Insurgence” captures beautifully the
emotion of this moment between Jesus and the paralytic man. Let me read it to
you, “Having descended into His living room from the roof, you find yourself at
His feet. As you look up at Jesus with both trepidation and hope, you see Him
marveling at you, and He is amazed by the faith of your friends.
He
lovingly looks into your eyes and says to you, “Son.” Son! That’s a word you’ve not heard in years. Not since your
parents abandoned you. Tears well up in your eyes. Jesus then says, “Your sins
have been forgiven.”[1] Many Jews in that day
believed that all disease and affliction was a direct result of one’s sins.
This paralytic may have believed that as well, hence he would have welcomed
forgiveness of his sins before healing. But not the teachers of the law. They thought this was blasphemy, only
God could forgive sins, no man has the power to do so. Jesus knowing what they
were thinking challenges them with a question, “Which is easier: to say to this
paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and
walk’? But
I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.”
The
Greek verb for, “your sins are forgiven” refers to sending or driving away.
Psalm 103:12, “as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our
transgressions from us.” Jeremiah 31:34, “For I will forgive their wickedness and
will remember their sins no more.” Micah 7:19, “You will again have compassion
on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the
depths of the sea.”
That
is what Jesus did to this paralytic man, when he said your sins are forgiven,
he dismissed the man’s sin, and freed him up from the guilt and shame of it and
healed him of his crippling disease and sent him home a joyful and restored
man. That is the greatest miracle of all. Jesus can heal any and every
sickness, but above all he came to take away the sin of mankind which is the
root cause of all our aches, pains and suffering in this world. Are you
experiencing any pain or suffering in your life this morning? The wounded
healer is right here. He knows what you are going through. He is loving and
compassionate. Reach out to him by faith and hear him say to you, my son and my
daughter your sins are forgiven, go home rejoicing. Amen!
