TEXT: Mark 2:1-12

SUBJECT: Meeting the Lord #3: Forgiving the Paralytic

The story begins with our Lord Jesus back in Capernaum where He is conducting a home Bible study. The house is packed and the people are hanging on every his word.

And wouldn't you know it? Some people show up late! Four men bring their sick friend to the Lord for healing. The problem is: No one will get out of the way; they can't squeeze through.

What to do? If every door and window is full, then go somewhere that isn't. The only empty place they saw was the roof. So, the climbed on to it, tore off a section, and lowered their friend to the Lord Jesus.

When He "saw their faith" He gave them what they wanted--and more: "Son, your sins are forgiven!"

You could have heard a pin drop!

Never had a prophet said such a thing! Like the Lord, they had healed the sick, cleansed the leper, even raised the dead. But they never presumed to pardon sin!

Why not? The scribes know: "Who can forgive sins but God alone?" Therefore, "they reasoned...this Man speaks blasphemies".

Our Lord knows what they are thinking, and calls them on it. "Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, `Your sins are forgiven' or to say, `Arise, take up your bed and walk'"?

The implied answer: Neither is any harder than the other; they're about the same. He chooses the former because He wants them to know: "The Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins". He proves it by telling the man to "Take up your bed and go home". Which he promptly does.

The scribes are confounded; everyone else "glorifies God" and says, "We never saw anything like this!"

Of course they hadn't!

That is the story. And quite a story it is. Shallow enough for a child; too deep for the scholar. What a Book we have! Something for everyone!

What does the story mean? Many profitable things could be said about it, two of which I'll mention in passing:

Our Lord values people more than things. Should the men have torn off that roof? Only if their friend is of more value than a few shingles. Is he? It seems he is, for the Lord doesn't say a word about their vandalism.

Over the years, people have criticized our services for being too informal and too noisy. Babies cry out, kids turn over chairs, people drop hymnals, and so on. "Why don't you do something about it?" I'm asked. It's very simple: Because their eternal souls are of more value than your momentary nuisance. Everyone is welcome here! At any time! If you want to come in half way through my sermon--and sit in the front row--come on in! If your children don't know how to sit quietly--teach them at home--but in the meantime, bring them to church and don't worry about it! "There is nothing new under the sun". Our Lord knew fussy people; He had a word for them:

"Go and learn what this means:

I will have mercy and not sacrifice".

A second lesson: Soul winning requires faith. Did you notice, the paralytic's belief is not mentioned? No, the "Lord saw their faith"--not his.

Like Isaiah, we're always griping about the unbelief of people to whom we witness: "Lord, who has believed our report?" But maybe the problem isn't entirely theirs. Just maybe "He does not work among [us] because of [our] unbelief. We urge others to believe in the grace and power of Jesus Christ; do we witness as though we believe in them? I suspect we talk to people the way a shy boy asks out a girl: "Uh, um, you know, ah, you wouldn't want to go out with me, would you? No? I didn't think so. Ah, thanks anyway". This is no way to get a date! Or to win a soul! We ought to preach the Gospel as though it is "worthy of all acceptance"; as though it is "the power of God for salvation"! Maybe if the Lord saw our faith, He would give faith to our friends, too.

These are good lessons and worth learning. But they are not the reasons this story is in the Bible. Why is it there? We needn't guess. Our Lord tells us, "...that you may know the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins".

What does this mean? It means Jesus is God. He is not a prophet of God, an angel of God, or the bringer of God. He is Emmanu-el, "God with us".

"Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;

Hail the Incarnate Deity".

How does this apply to us?

First of all, it tells us what God is like. The LORD revealed Himself in the Old Testament Scriptures, often in ways dreadful and majestic. We think of Mount Sinai, with its smoke and fire; its shaking earth and blasting voice. Even Moses recoiled in awe before the Divine Glory. But Sinai is not the full revelation of God. Thank God it is not--or we'd all be dead men!

God is fully revealed only in Christ. Colossians 2:9 says: "For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily". John adds: "No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten Son...has declared Him".

As far as it goes, the Shorter Catechism is true: "What is God? "God is a spirit, infinite, eternal and unchangeable in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth". But it does not go far enough! A Jew or a Muslim would agree with that!

What is God? He is the Being of Whom Jesus Christ is the Image. "Whoever has seen Me has seen the Father".

Marcion was the arch-heretic of the Early Church. He taught the God of the Old Testament was evil; the God of the New Testament, good. No orthodox Christian believes that. But many accept a variation of it. Something like this: God the Father is just, righteous, and "angry with the wicked every day". But God the Son sort of "cools off the Father's wrath". This is nonsense, at the least, and maybe worse. God the Father is no less loving, merciful, and condescending than our Lord Jesus Christ! "The Father Himself loves you" our Lord reminded His people.

Not only is our Lord "just like the Father", but The Father is "just like our Lord". "I am My Father are one".

The second implication is this: God understands our plight. Our Lord calls Himself, "The Son of Man". This means He is a man, not a Superman, but as human as you and I, subject to all our pain. Last month, we attended a funeral. I was glad to know my God once stood at a tomb and wept more tears than I! Because of the Incarnation, "He knows our frames; He remembers that we are dust".

Theology is not about books; it is about life in all its variety. When I'm scared, when I'm disappointed, when I'm sad, when I'm hurt, when I'm excluded, when I'm mocked, I find comfort in one thing only: God got into my skin, and knows how it feels!

The Incarnation solves "the problem of evil". If God is almighty and all good, why do bad things happen? If He cannot prevent them, He's not almighty. If He can prevent them, but doesn't, He's not all good. What do we say to that? It doesn't matter, for He joined the human race and suffered along with us! That's enough for now!

Finally, it teaches us how willing God is to forgive sinners. The paralytic didn't do much, did he? He didn't torture his soul for many years; he didn't study theology; he wasn't baptized; he didn't keep "seven promises". All he did was come to Christ. That was enough: "Son, your sins are forgiven". Enough for him; enough for you too.

Reformed Christians are notorious for making salvation difficult. We're so appalled by "easy believism" that we replace it with "hard believism" if not "impossible believism". I know a man who believes one cannot be saved unless he understands and accepts "Limited Atonement". I know others who doubt the salvation of anyone who wasn't first slain by the Ten Commandments. A woman I know thinks if you believe in infant baptism, you are lost. I'm not making this up; I could name names; some of them you'd know.

How thankful I am that the Lord Jesus isn't like these people! He doesn't require deep knowledge or long guilt or fancy words, but only faith in Him.

Believe in Christ and your sins are wiped out--now and forever. Before you prove your sincerity; before you join the church; before you bone up on Calvinism; before you even say a word of thanks. Believe. Now.

"Though your sins be as scarlet,

They shall be as white as snow".

I pray God will speak to someone today: "Son, your sins are forgiven".