Jesus Heals the Paralytic…
“After a few days, Jesus returned to Capernaum, and word got around that He was back home. A crowd gathered, jamming the entrance so no one could get in or out.
He was teaching the Word. They brought a paraplegic to Him, carried by four men.
When they weren’t able to get in because of the crowd, they removed part of the roof and lowered the paraplegic on his stretcher. Impressed by their bold belief, Jesus said to the paraplegic,
‘Son, I forgive your sins.’ they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay. When Jesus saw their faith, He said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.”
(Mark 2:1-5 Msg)
The Lordship of Christ
“Christ says ‘Give me All…’”
Jesus is speaking:
I do not want so much of your time and so much of your money and so much of your work:
I want You!
I have not come to torment your natural self, but to kill it… I will give you a new self instead. In fact, I will give you Myself: my own will shall become yours.”
— C. S. Lewis
Please allow me to take you on a little side trip here… do you remember the book that was later made into a movie, called Braveheart, by Randall Wallace?
It’s the story of a Larger-than-Life Hero!
I love the action, the love story and the transformation of the characters.
One part in particular stands out. William Wallace had won several skirmishes in Scotland’s fight for freedom.
These battles had been in Scotland. People wanted to know what he planned next—they were as caught up in their own story as we are!
William Wallace says, “I will invade England. And defeat the English on their own ground” (Wallace, Braveheart, p. 149 in the book).
Did you catch that? He would not sit around and wait for the battles to come to him.
He went in search of battle.
People thought he was crazy. He did it anyway. And eventually Scotland was freed from English tyranny.
In chapter 1, Mark introduced us to Jesus.
Chapter 2 picks up where chapter 1 left off as Jesus is performing miracles in the midst of large crowds, including religious leaders.
When I read Mark’s Gospel, I get caught up in the story in the same way.
There is action, romance, and transformation. And there is a larger-than-life hero who invades enemy territory to free his people from tyranny.
Chapter 1 introduced us to the hero, but I believe that chapter 2 is where the action really gets going.
In fact, I think if anyone wanted a good idea of what Jesus’ mission was on earth, Mark chapter 2 sums it up well.
Through Jesus’ ministry in Capernaum and the resulting controversies with religious leaders, Jesus claimed authority over SIN, SICKNESS, RELATIONSHIPS, RELIGIOUS ORDERS and THE LAW.
Jesus Is Lord over Sin and Sickness (2:1-12)
While caring for all the details of our lives, Jesus is ALSO aware of our deepest need.
2:1-2. As this chapter begins, Jesus had already performed several miracles.
In chapter 1, the text says that the whole city had gathered at Peter’s house to see Jesus and that Jesus could not publicly enter a city.
Chapter 2 begins as a continuation of this theme.
Jesus was speaking and the crowds were so large there was standing room only.
Capernaum was the home of Simon Peter. This city was Jesus’ base of operations in His Galilean ministry.
It was a large city on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee.
2:3-4. The paralytic was being carried on a bed or a small couch, probably with a friend on each corner.
Mark is a master of understatement in these verses.
While Palestinian homes would have been accessible to someone wanting to get on the roof, it was by no means a daily occurrence.
The houses were low, usually with an outside stairway to reach the roof.
The roofs were tiled and covered with thatch. The four men had to drag the cot up the stairs, tear up the tiles, and dig through the thatch.
The hole would have to be large enough to get the cot through.
Add to this the annoyance of the people below.
Debris would be falling on them as they tried to listen to the words of Jesus.
A further complicating matter would be the damage to someone else’s property.
We have no idea how the owner of the house, whether it was Simon Peter or someone else, reacted to the destruction of his property, but we can imagine that it came as quite a shock!
While caring for all the details of our lives, Jesus is also aware of our deepest need!
Please note that in verse 5,
It says, “And when Jesus SAW THEIR FAITH, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven… rise up and take up your bed.”
And from that moment on the paralytic man was healed.
The point I would like to make here is the importance of our getting on the offensive in this battle.
I mean with this paralytic MAN, being carried by his friends, and when they saw the press of the crowd around the house, they were not deterred, but just took him up on the roof, and disassembled the roof, in order to get him into Jesus presence
I don’t care what anyone says, that’s radical faith, right there!
All that effort is the evidence of their faith and it is their faith that made him whole.
The same thing applies in your battle, Jeanette!
God for sure what you will he paid the price; I know you want to be well and I want you to be well, more than anything else in this world I want to see you healed.
Well the healing is already there for the taking as Peter says in 2 Peter 2:24, quoting from Isaiah 53 he even puts it in the past tense and he says that by the stripes of Jesus you have already been healed.
We need to get on the offensive and back this confessional with God’s Word and stand on that Word until we get the Breakthrough. And not give up until we do get to break through!
I’m committed in this battle with you and I’m here to hold up your arms into battle. I’m never giving up and I don’t want you to either!
The only reason I’m doing this and the reason why I’m so dedicated to you it’s because I love you.
The fact is, after having met you I don’t know how not to love you. It just comes naturally.
I just know that it gets me mad, and I can’t stand to see you suffer, in pain or sick!
And I happen to know that’s how God feels about it too!
Love you forever 💕
SB SALT AND LIGHT MINISTRIES 