When He had come back to Capernaum several days afterward, it was heard that He was at home. 2 And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room, not even near the door; and He was speaking the word to them. 3 And they came, bringing to Him a paralytic, carried by four men. 4 Being unable to get to Him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Him; and when they had dug an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic was lying. 5 And Jesus seeing their faith said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
Message: The Faith of the Friends
Time: Mark's personal connection with Peter gave him the source material for this book. This book was composed probably between AD 57 and AD 59. It's a book that is on the move, leading to the cross. 39 times is the word 'immediately' used. Mark reveals Jesus as God's servant, reaching into the lives of people and effecting physical and circumstantial change.
What the Lord is Saying:
What catches me first about this passage, that I really haven't seen before is Jesus is back in Capernaum and he is preaching, speaking the word to people. This is his overriding mission, to share the truth of God with people.
Overall, this has always been an interesting text to me because of how Jesus heals a man based upon the faith of his friends. The friends are tenacious as well and make a way where there seems to be no way in lowering this paralytic down. And while it says that the man's sins are forgiven, previously we have seen that Jesus sees the problem that has resulted from sin being in the world and that is people have problems, some of the diseases and some of them life-long ailments, like being paralyzed. So, by saying your sins are forgiven, it could also mean that the paralyzed man is healed. I'm not sure, because this doesn't happen always in real life - today.
This is likely at the home of Simon (Peter) and Andrew.
An evangelist of today tells that, after one of his meetings, he observed that a little girl kept her seat after all others had left. Thinking that the child was asleep, he stepped forward to awaken her, but found she was praying that God would send her drunken father to that meeting-house that very night, there to be converted. The evangelist waited, and soon a man came rushing in from the street and knelt trembling at the child's side. He had been brought there by a sudden impulse which he could not resist, and then and there he found Christ. The child's faith was honored in the conversion of her father. -- Sunday School Times
Promise: These men were so sure of Jesus' ability that they would stop at nothing to see Him. May we pursue our Savior with such fervent faith.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for the power of faith. Thank you for the confidence that is found in people and the way you change lives through fervency of others. I praise you for my Mom and her praying for me and continuing to commit to pray. Thank you for the faith of her mom and her continual confidence in You. There is power in your name and you are to continually praised.
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