Pastor Datuk Kee Sue Sing
Mar 2:2-12 A crowd gathered, jamming the entrance so no one could get in or out. He was teaching the Word. (3) They brought a paraplegic to him, carried by four men. (4) 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. (5) Impressed by their bold belief, Jesus said to the paraplegic, "Son, I forgive your sins." (6) Some religion scholars sitting there started whispering among themselves, (7) "He can't talk that way! That's blasphemy! God and only God can forgive sins." (8) Jesus knew right away what they were thinking, and said, "Why are you so skeptical? (9) Which is simpler: to say to the paraplegic, 'I forgive your sins,' or say, 'Get up, take your stretcher, and start walking'? (10) Well, just so it's clear that I'm the Son of Man and authorized to do either, or both . . ." (he looked now at the paraplegic), (11) "Get up. Pick up your stretcher and go home." (12) And the man did it--got up, grabbed his stretcher, and walked out, with everyone there watching him. They rubbed their eyes, incredulous--and then praised God, saying, "We've never seen anything like this!"
Introduction
· Abandon family 25%
· Abandon church 25%
· Become prostitutes for a week for more 23%
· Give up American citizenship 10%
· Leave spouse 16%
· Would withheld evidence to let a murder go 10%
· Would kill a stranger 7%
· Put the children up for adoption 3%
From the book The Day America Told the Truth, James Patterson and Peter Kim
The friends of the paraplegic were willing to do what it takes to help their friend.
Cf Mat 9:1-8 and Lk 5:17-26
1. The Setting (v 1-3, 6) and the Action
a) The curious crowd
Jesus possibly stayed in the house of Simon and Andrew. There were so many people when Jesus preached.
The crowd however is not a measurement of the success of a ministry. Most were indifferent of his teaching. In Mk 1:27, the crowd noted the uniqueness of the teaching of Christ.
b) The faithful friends (and the paraplegic) (v3)
A group of four friends were apparently a little late carrying a paraplegic man (a socially disadvantaged and spiritually ostracized man.) They found themselves in an almost impossible situation to bring their friend to Jesus as the house was so packed with people.
c) The skeptical scribes (v6)
The scribers and the Pharisees made their living splitting hair. The burdened the people with lots of rules and regulations. They themselves were experts in evading the laws that they made. They were the self-appointed guardian of the law. They saw Jesus as a threat and so they were there to trap Jesus. They are the sworn enemy of Jesus’ entire ministry.
· They were flabbergasted and offended by what Jesus’ claim to forgive sins. They responded in criticism. To them only God can forgive.
· By claiming to be able to forgive sins, Jesus was equating himself to God and that to the scribes was blasphemy.
· But they only questioned Jesus in their mind.
d) The compassionate Christ
2) The Action
a) Digging up the roof
How would we feel if we are one of the four? Would we have encouraged the other three? Would we decide to come another time? Wait for Jesus to come out? Not these men! They were not put off by the seemingly immobile crowd. To them it was then or never. They were desperate. Desperate times call for desperate measures. They went up the roof and made an opening. The roof was made by earth.
b) The lowered their friend in a stretcher Jesus saw their faith. (v5) Is our faith visible? Can Jesus see our faith?
c) Jesus made a startling statement. He said the man’s sins were forgiven. (v5b) Can we imagine Jesus telling us the same thing?
· “Son” is a term of endearment. Jesus cares about us and our situation. He restored peace to the man’s soul. Then he dealt with his body.
d) In vv 8 & 9, we see the confrontation between Jesus and the scribes.
e) In vv 10 & 11, we see confirmation - the acid test.
3) The Reaction (v12)
The crowd had never seen anything like that.
· They were amazed – “to blow the mind.”
· Lk 5 “phobeo”, a combination of panic, fear and awe but they failed to recognized Jesus as God.
· Mat 9:8 When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men.
He was still a mere man to them.
4) The Lessons
a) The Privileges so easily squandered
· Lord’s condemnation upon Capernaum (Mt 11:23-24)
Mat 11:23-24 And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. (24) But I tell you that it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you.
b) The Preciousness of friend with faith
i) Be compassionate and creative:
· Dare to do the difficult
· Dare to do unorthodox
· Dare to do the costly
People need to encounter Jesus in a deep manner.
The no-quitter attitude:
“No crowd too thick; no stairs too steep; no wall too high to climb; no roof too thick.”
Stop waiting for open doors, make a hole!
No comments:
Post a Comment