Mark 2:1-12 The healing of
the Paralytic
Question:
How many of you have friends who are unsaved – Like to see come to Christ
A) Here in Mark Ch. 2 we see
a good example of how to get our unsaved friends to Christ
B) And what Jesus wants to do
in their lives!
And
again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the
house.2 Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to
receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them.
So Jesus is in the house –
huge crowd He is teaching
3
Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men.4 And
when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof
where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which
the paralytic was lying.
5 When Jesus
saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are
forgiven you."
So here we see this man who was paralyzed
being carried to this house where Jesus was by 4 friends A) Early
tradition says that this man was paralyzed because of a venereal disease -
B) Jesus’ word to this man
seems to confirm that his physical condition was connected to some sin that had
taken place in his life
C) Paralysis
pictures the helplessness of the sinner.
1) Last time we saw how sin was
like Leprosy in that it starts small but eventually spreads until the entire
body is infected
D) Like Leprosy sin - causes a
persons life to begin to decay & to Rot -
E) Here we see another picture of what sin does . 1) It cripples -
leaves people paralyzed . -
I suggest to you that there are people today who are not
walking because of the guilt of sin
A) A certain sin or a series
of sins that took place in their lives
B) And Although they can
physically walk - they cannot walk w/ the Lord
because they think - I’ve gone too far
I’ve sinned too greatly
C)And like this man - they
are left paralyzed by their guilt –
1) Praise the Lord this guy
had 4 friends like these men
These four men are examples of how friends ought to minister
to one another and help needy sinners come to the Savior. Note 3 things
#1 They had DESIRE -These guys wanted to get
their friend to Jesus so that he could be cured
A) Their friend was in an awful
situation & they knew the only one who can help Him is Jesus - Desperate. Must get him to Jesus !
B) Do You have anyone in your
life or on your heart that you - are saying in your heart I must get them to Jesus!
1) there be anything more
loving that you can do for a friend than to bring them to Jesus?
#2 They had DEDICATION
A) Their desire was MORE than
lip-service - NOT just: "Oh I want to bring my friend to the
Lord" but never do anything
concrete about it
B) These men went to their friend - and then
physically carried their friend to
where Jesus was !
1) Some times - that is what we
need to do ! I’ll
pick you up { Be there – drag them
C) Rides ministry
in High School - 20 plus counselors who picked up kids - result we had - 50-60 kids every
wed. parents not saved - didn’t go here
1) Desire - Dedication
#3 They had DETERMINATION
A) They came to the house but it was too crowded - there was no way to get in to see Jesus
- but that didn’t stop these guys - not discouraged
B) Picture this scene - we have got to get him in
there - how ?
1) One guys looks up - that’s how - should we? -
Lets GO FOR IT
C) Homes in those days had these rooftop patios - stair way or a
ladder that led to the roof ! –
1) Go to the roof .
C) It might have been difficult -/ didn’t matter! / totally unorthodox - they didn’t care!
1) Costly -someone was going to have to pay for or repair the roof - & it would probably be them.
D) Worry about that Latter -
1) But it didn’t
matter: their friend needed to see Jesus
Now I have to admit I was convicted by the dedication &
the determination of these 4 men
A) Because - I can give up so
easily in sharing –Someone says – I
really don’t want to hear this
B) I can so
easily become discouraged & quit praying for someone
C) There is desire - but too often the dedication
& the determination is missing. –
1) Shouldn’t be because people are
still going to Hell !
D) These guys are a great
example to us of the Desire Dedication & Determination that is
sometimes needed if we are going to see our unsaved loved ones to Christ
E) They break thru the roof right in the middle of
The Lords sermon -
Now notice how Jesus responds to this interruption
3 things here
1st
- Looks up - Seeing
their faith - Looking at these 4 guys - blessed
A) Smiling - I like this -
these guys are right on -blessed to see that type of determination
B) They had demonstrated RADICAL faith - by going to such
measures
1) Reminded of the woman w/ the
issue of Blood - just
touch the hem
C) Jesus is always blessed by that type of faith –
CENTURION
D) Blind Bart. Who when the crowd told him to be
quiet –
1) he yelled even louder Jesus son of David …… me
Jesus likes that kind of Christianity - Dedicated - determined
- not afraid to go the extra mile to do the unorthodox - to do the extravagant
So Jesus looks
up & sees these 4 guys & is blessed by their faith
#2 Jesus looks down at the man -Smiles - Utters a great word - "Man, your
sins are forgiven you."
A) Now his friends might have
been disappointed by this – Didn’t
thru all that for this
B) But I bet these were the best words - this man
had ever heard { His Greatest Need
C) My sin - which got me in this predicament in
the first place has been forgiven. -
1) Mankind’s
greatest need is for Forgiveness!!!
D) Guilt and Shame – Feel guilty because we are
guilty
1) Mental institution – Rid
E) People indulge in all sorts of things to mask
their guilt -
Sin separates us from God
Sin makes us feel not right
Sin destroys confidence
Sin robs us of our Joy
Mathematics of sin – Adds to
sorrow / subtracts Joy / Multiplies problems / divides our heart
The Best words that we can
hear is that our sins have been forgiven
The Cross – The Blood –
cleansed
LOOKED UP - LOOKED DOWN
#3
Jesus Looks AROUND - Perceives what was going on in the hearts of these
Pharisees
V.6-12
6 And some of the scribes were sitting
there and reasoning in their hearts,7 "Why does this Man speak blasphemies
like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?"
8 But immediately, when Jesus perceived
in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them,
"Why do you reason about these things in your hearts?
9 Which is easier, to say to the
paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise, take up your bed
and walk'?
10 But that you may know that the Son
of Man has power on earth to forgive sins" -- He said to the paralytic,11
"I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house."
12 Immediately he arose, took up the
bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and
glorified God, saying, "We never saw anything like this!"
Now this was
an interesting statement that Jesus made - "Which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are
forgiven you,' or to say, 'Rise up and walk'
A) On the surface it was much easier to say - Son your sins are forgiven –
B) But no one would know if they were or not .
1) But to say - Rise up &
walk - Power would need to be manifested
C) But in the Spiritual sense - To heal the man
Jesus only had to speak the word - Rise up & walk -
1) But in order for the mans
sins to be forgiven - Jesus had to go to Calvary !
D) Jesus had to die - a brutal - death
E) So which was easier ?- It
was a lot easier to say rise & walk
The Need for
Forgiveness – Paco – All is forgiven
Now to Show them that He had
the Power to forgive sins – Jesus said – Rise
A) Marks of a Real
Conversion – Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out
in the presence of them all
Paralyzed
by condemnation
1
John 1:.9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and
just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
NKJV
Rom
8:1
there
is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not
walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit
Our Need to Forgive
Matt 6:14-15
14 "For if
you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.15
But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father
forgive your trespasses.
NKJV