“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. And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. And then 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. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
“Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 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? Which is easier to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk?’ But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” – he said to the paralytic – “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.”
“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!’” ~ Mark 2:1-12 (ESV)
Have you ever gone looking for something, only to find more than you bargained for? Of course you have! This is why the local stores have candy bars, magazines, lip balms, lotions, candles, eye-glass accessory kits, glue, and everything else one can possibly think of on the shelves that are strategically placed alongside the checkout lanes at the grocery. One of the most common lies we tell ourselves in the parking lot is, “I’m only going in there for a gallon of milk!” Thirty minutes later we’re walking out of the store with a shopping cart full of groceries.
The paralytic man who had been carried to the home where Jesus was teaching that day, metaphorically speaking, was simply wanting a gallon of milk. But Jesus knew that there was something far greater the man needed than to regain the use of his legs.
Don’t we wish we could’ve been there in the room that day? To see some of the debris from the roof falling on Jesus’ head as he is teaching, and him looking up and suddenly seeing this helpless man being lowered down right before him?! Can you imagine the looks on the faces of all who were there? Can you imagine being the homeowner?!!! “My roof! They’ve destroyed my roof!”
And what friends this lame man had.. who knows how far they had to carry their friend to get him to this house that day, and then only to see that there was no way to get him inside. We have no idea what their occupations were, but we can only hope that they were volunteers at their local fire company! Jesus was noticeably struck by the mens’ loyalty to their friend and their faith.
Of course, Jesus was an expert at reading the room, which wasn’t unusual since he could literally read peoples’ minds. But it just so happens that there were a few Pharisees there in the house that day listening to Jesus teach, and so I think he took advantage of that moment to teach them about the authenticity of who he truly was. So instead of simply giving the man milk, Jesus gave him the entire store.
“Son, your sins are forgiven.”
Now imagine being this man’s friends. They’ve got to be thinking to themselves, “While this is nice gesture, Jesus, please tell us that we didn’t go through all these heroics just so the man could be forgiven. What about the man’s legs?!”
But the Pharisees saw the man’s forgiveness quite differently. It was anything but a nice gesture to them. They thought amongst themselves, “This man has blasphemed God! For only God can forgive sins, not man!”
Jesus knew what they were thinking, he could read the room. And he responded to their unspoken thoughts, which on its own should’ve given them some sort of an inkling that perhaps Jesus was more than merely “just a man.”
“Why do you question these things in your hearts,” Jesus asks them. “Which is easier to say to the lame man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say to him, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk?’ But just so you know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins, I say to this paralyzed man, Rise! Pick up your bed and go home.“
And of course this is precisely what the man did, and everyone stood there in complete awe and wonder at what Jesus had done. And what Jesus had truly done was give them something their eyes could see, to prove that he could do what their eyes could not see.
But aren’t we sometimes like the scribes in the room that day? We claim with all our heart that we believe in God. We attend church, study our Bibles, and we do all the “good” things that Christians do – things that can be seen. But what about our hearts – that place that only God Himself can see? When He looks inside of us, does He see our faith and trust in Him?
Question Worth Considering
Is there a situation going on in your life currently that you’re struggling to trust God with? 1. Write it down. 2. Get into God’s word and read about it. 3. Think about it. 4. Pray about it. 5. Turn it over to God and stop worrying about it.
Former Blackout Artist 