Mark 2: 1 - 12
Jesus Heals a Paralytic
“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 when 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!”
This chapter gives five accounts of religious people having issues with the way Jesus is doing things. In this account it is not that Jesus is teaching in a home, it was probably Simon's home. Do you recall the friends of the paralytic who carried him to Jesus and could not get in the door, because of the number of people inside and waiting to get inside? They removed the roof, and it seems like debris must have fallen on those inside the house. Now they lowered the man on his mat to Jesus. Jesus is amazed at the faith of these men, and Mark reports the following; Verse five, “And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
In the New Testament, we are introduced to Scribes, Pharisees and Priest, all were religious people, they could have dragged a hard-working Baptist around the schoolyard teaching them how to be more religious. I mean they had it down, but it was all rules, and they even added a few new ones so that they could look good and do what they wanted. An example was the distance one could go on the Sabbath from their home. During the week they would place a household good at that distance and it allowed them to go twice as far. When Jesus stated to the man, your sins are forgiven, they were all saying to themselves, that is blaspheming, only God can do so. Jesus knew what was in their mind and heart, this is recorded in verses 8 – 12, 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.”
Religion does not have an answer for this, even the scribes gave glory to God, saying we have never seen anything like this!
From the Back Porch,
Bob Rice
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