A Difference Making Faith

Today’s passage is Mark 2:1-12. With an open mind and a humble heart, read this passage and see what sticks out to you in this passage.  Is there a verse, a phrase, or a lesson you think the Holy Spirit may be highlighting for you in this passage?  After you’ve thought about the passage yourself a bit, read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go!

Mark 2:1 (NIV)
¹  A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home.

On verse 1:  Wait. Wasn’t Jesus born in Bethlehem and raised in Nazareth?  Why do people say that Jesus has come home when he returned to Capernaum?  It’s because Capernaum is known as the place that Jesus treated as his hub or his base when his public ministry began.

Mark 2:2-4 (NIV)
²  So many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them.
³  Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them.
⁴  Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on.

On verses 2-4:  Here’s one of my favourite leadership equations, coined by Pastor Craig Groeschel:  Passion + Limited Resources + A Willingness to Fail = Innovation.

The men who carried the paralytic had a passion to see their paralyzed friend be touched by Jesus.  They also had limited resources to work with for by the time they got to the house where Jesus was preaching, they couldn’t get close to Jesus.  So they decide to take a risk and do something incredibly innovative, cutting an opening through the house owner’s roof and lowering the paralyzed man so that he could see Jesus and Jesus could see him.

Just as these men stopped at nothing to let their friend meet Jesus, may we live similar passion.  As followers of Jesus, may we be so passionate about bringing people to Jesus that we will take innovative and strategic risks and not let limited resources stop us.  Have faith that makes a difference.

Mark 2:5 (NIV)
⁵  When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

On verse 5:  Clearly these men who brought the paralytic to Jesus had faith that Jesus could help their paralyzed friend.  But when verse 5 says that Jesus saw “their faith”, I believe “their faith” includes the faith of this paralyzed man.  This paralyzed man was not a passive spectator in this scene.  Rather this paralyzed man had faith that Jesus could change his life.  That’s why Jesus said, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”  What can we learn from this?  The faith of my friends can’t save me, but when I personally trust in Jesus, that activates God’s forgiveness and saving power in my life.

Also, anyone could see that this paralyzed man needed physical healing.  And yet that was not the first problem Jesus addressed.  Jesus instead addressed the less obvious but more important problem: it was not the man’s physical paralysis but the man’s spiritual paralysis (caused by his own sin) that kept this man far from God.  So Jesus speaks to the man’s more important, deeper need.   Seeing this man’s faith, Jesus says, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

Sometimes we can typecast people, assuming that their biggest need is the obvious one we see based on appearances.  Jesus sees past appearances to the heart.  That’s a great lesson for all of us.  Sometimes the biggest problem that a person needs help with is not the most obvious one or the one that screams the loudest, but something much more quiet and unobvious.  But Jesus can help with it all.

Mark 2:6-7 (NIV)
⁶  Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves,
⁷  “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

On verses 6-7:  By claiming to be able to forgive sins, Jesus was effectively claiming to be on even footing with God.  The teachers of the law, Jesus’ biggest critics, picked up on this and took offense, accusing him in their hearts of blasphemy.  But Jesus would show that in claiming to be God’s Son, he was not blaspheming but speaking the truth.

Mark 2:8 (NIV)
⁸  Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things?

On verse 8:  We have already seen Jesus exercise a number of his tremendous spiritual gifts: healing, miracles, distinguishing between spirits, preaching and teaching.  Here Jesus exercises another spiritual gift as he perceives his critics’ private thoughts about him.  Some might call that part of the gift of prophesy; others might call that receiving “a word of knowledge”.  I just call that really cool, and powerful!

Mark 2:9-12 (NIV)
⁹  Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’?
¹⁰  But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins….” He said to the paralytic,
¹¹  “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.”
¹²  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!”

On verses 9-12:  Jesus was not one to make big claims without backing them up.  And that’s what Jesus does here.  So that people would know that they can trust Jesus when he says, “Your sins are forgiven”, Jesus does something else that only God can do: Jesus heals the paralyzed man in full view of them all.

What can we learn from this?  Don’t make claims you can’t back up.  Over and over Jesus would make incredible claims, but He would back them up with equally incredible miracles, including his own resurrection from the dead.

Also, and even more importantly, you can trust what Jesus says.  With Jesus there is forgiveness for our sins. 

Jesus, thank You that with You there isn’t just temporary healing for our body.  Even more, there is permanent forgiveness for our sins.  Please help me to be creative, innovative and to stop at nothing to help my friends meet You personally.  There is no one like You, Jesus.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN!