Taking your friend to a Miracle
(Mark 2:1-12)
A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that He had come home. Many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and He preached the word to them. Some men came, bringing to Him a paralytic, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Now some teachers of the laws were sitting there, thinking to themselves “Why does this fellow talk like that? He's blaspheming? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” Immediately Jesus knew in His spirit this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic your sins are forgiven or to say, get up, take your mat and walk? But you may know the Son of Man has authority on Earth to forgive sins.” He said to the paralytic, “I tell you, get up, take your mat, and go home.” He got up, took his mat, and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God saying “We have never seen anything like this.
Our subject will include these topics:
Faith of friend
Action of friend
Jesus is God
The opposition
Which is easier?
Glory and Praise to God
The people from all over Capernaum and from villages came to see this prophet from Nazareth of Galilee and there was a big crowd. Four friends of a paralytic man had a faith in Jesus that He can heal their friend and Jesus knew and recognized their faith (“When Jesus saw their faith...). They wanted to get their sick friend to Jesus but they could not reach him because of the crowd. But their persistence and their faith didn't fade away. They insisted to reach the Christ and that's what we should always do. We shouldn't let the difficulties of life block us from attempting to reach Jesus and ask for His help. Our faith and the Holy Spirit will help us.
The paralytic's need moved his friends to action and their faith was a motivation too. And with their action they brought their sick friend to Jesus because of the physical need of their friend. When you recognize someone's need, you need to act the same way the faithful friends did, because many people have physical and spiritual needs you can meet either by yourself or with others who are also concerned. Human need moved these four men to action; let it also move you to compassionate actions
Jesus reacted to their faith by saying to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” He saw through them and knew that their faith is great. So you, too, should please God by having every action in your everyday life please God and by following the commandments of God.
The teachers of religious law were in a perfect position, sitting where they could observe and criticize. Some sitting Christians follow their example. Is the music at church too fast or too loud? Is the sermon too long or too short? Do people aggravate you by sitting in your pew or dressing too casually? How much time do you spend worshiping in church and how much time do you spend complaining and criticizing? Try a little healthy activism, the kind that gets you involved, working with fellow believers towards real progress on common goals, such as helping the needy and building strong and caring disciples of Christ.
By saying that Jesus proved two things (He is human when he called himself a title emphasizing that he is fully human (Son of Man) and the title that emphasizes he is fully God (Son of God, John 20:31). As God's Son, Jesus has the authority to forgive sin. As a man, he can identify with our deepest needs and sufferings and help us overcome sin. As God's Son and God, Jesus was able to say to the sick man, “Get up, take your mat, and go home,” and it happened that the paralytic was healed and carried his mat and walked home. So the crowd may know that the Son of Man has authority on Earth to forgive sins. To God nothing is impossible and everything is easy.
Jesus' miracle amazed everyone. They praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this.”
All of Jesus' miracles happened for three reasons:
1. To glorify God and so people can praise Him.
2. To increase the people's faith in God.
3. To meet the people's need and to take away their suffering.
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