Hello my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
Have you ever attended something that was so popular the place could not accommodate all the people who wanted to participate? Maybe a sold out concert, or a championship game, or famous speaker? What did you do when you desperately wanted to get in, but you were stopped at the entrance because it was already ‘standing room only’ and it would be dangerous for more people to enter?
In our journey toward Easter with Jesus, His popularity was growing rapidly as word spread quickly about the miracles that He had done in Capernaum. Mark 2 tells us “A few days later when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that He had come home. So many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the house, and He preached the word to them.”
Then, as now, people were busy. But busy people make time in their busy schedules when it is something that grabs their attention. The miracles of healing people and driving out demons had grabbed the attention of the town of Capernaum, so when Jesus came back from a few days away, a crowd gathered quickly wondering what they might see or hear from Him next. When Mark says “He preached the word to them.” it means Jesus spoke of God’s truth as found in the Scriptures they had. Jesus explained God’s Scriptures differently, with fresh insight no Rabbi or other teacher was able to give…of course, for Jesus is the author of the Scriptures!
Suddenly, as people were listening intently to Jesus speaking, a most remarkable thing happened. The roof over their heads began to drop dirt upon them! Mark explains: “Some men came, bringing to Jesus 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 and 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.” (Mark 2:3-5) Perhaps you’ve noticed my friends, each new event was another fresh opportunity for Jesus to expand His explanation of WHO He is and WHY He had come to earth! Thus far Jesus had never said these words to someone “Your sins are forgiven”. What a radical statement! What could it possibly mean?
Mark reports: “Now some teachers of the law were sitting there thinking to themselves, ‘why does this fellow talk like this? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sin but God alone?” They were right of course. You and I can forgive someone for something they have done against us, but we have no authority to forgive beyond that. Jesus looked around the overcrowded room. He could not have done anything that would have provided a more focused teaching moment!
Mark writes: “Immediately Jesus knew in His spirit what they were thinking in their hearts, so He said to them, ‘Which is easier to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven’ or to say ‘Get up, take your mat 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 tell you get up, take your mat and go home.’ The paralytic got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God saying ‘We’ve never seen anything like this!” (Mark 2:8-12)
Words cannot express how shocking this experience was! They had seen Jesus heal some folks a few days before outside the home of Simon Peter’s mother-in-law, but this was different. With this miracle of healing, Jesus had said something so radical it was almost beyond comprehension. “So you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins…” the unexplainable healing of a paralyzed man was proof not only of Jesus authority over illness and paralysis, but Jesus was claiming God had given Him authority to extend God’s forgiveness for sins here on earth, to anyone! But that’s impossible! Only God can forgive sin. And therefore Jesus was claiming to be God here on earth. Immanuel, God with us!!
Mark tells us the crippled man got off the mat, urged his friends to drop their ropes, rolled up the mat and walked out through the crowd, carrying the mat under his arm!! People rubbed their eyes, scratched their heads, poked each other… “Did you just see what I saw? Did you hear what I just heard? What does it mean?’ That was the big question… what did this experience mean? Who could explain it? What do you imagine happened next? Did people jump up and start firing questions at Jesus? Did Jesus start teaching again and explain it all to them? Did Jesus simply walk out, behind the healed man, and leave the people stunned, confused, hungry for more answers?
You see my friends, as we’ve been walking with Jesus toward Easter, Jesus’ big challenge has been to explain to people WHO He really is, WHY He has come to earth, WHAT difference His coming here should make in people’s lives then and now. They, like us, could only process so much radical new information at a time.
It began with the wedding at Cana and water quietly turned to wine. Then it was cleaning out the Temple and Jesus claiming the Temple was “My Father’s House”. Then it was meeting a Samaritan woman at the town well, telling her that He was Messiah and spending a few days in Sychar! Then it was reading Isaiah 61 in His hometown of Nazareth synagogue and claiming HE was the fulfilment of that famous Messianic prophecy. Then it was driving a demon out of a man in the Capernaum synagogue, and later healing many people of various diseases. And now healing a cripple and declaring his sins forgiven and Jesus claiming He had authority to forgive sin. Can you see how fast this is gaining momentum?
We don’t know how long Jesus stayed in that overcrowded house answering questions, or who fixed the big hole in the roof, but Mark tells us Jesus next did another very unusual thing. He actually approached a tax collector’s booth there in Capernaum. Then as now, people kept a safe distance from the tax man! In this case Levi, the son of Alphaeus, was a Jewish man turned traitor. He was employed by the Roman government to collect taxes. Everyone knew he could add his own surcharge to the tax rightfully owed to Rome, and he could keep the surcharge for himself. It was extortion but everyone felt victimized. They had no recourse. Roman soldiers were always nearby ready to crack their whip on the back of anyone refusing to pay the tax man! Levi was a hated man.
Why would Jesus approach his tax booth? I wonder if people started hoping Jesus was going to punish Levi in some way. After all, if He could heal from illness, maybe He could inflict illness. May Jesus was going to strike him with leprosy or blindness or paralysis?
But what Jesus did was again confusing. Jesus actually invited Levi to leave his tax books and follow Jesus, like Jesus had done with Andrew & Peter, James & John! Evidently Levi was so moved by Jesus’ invitation, he threw a dinner party in Jesus’ honor and invited the only friends he had… fellow tax collectors and other criminals. Jesus accepted his invitation and of course everyone had questions as to WHY Jesus would associate with them, of all people? “Jesus answered, ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners.” (Mark 2:17) Once again people were left shaking their heads. Jesus had come to help criminals, tax collectors, sinners? Why? Why not simply let them die in their sin and receive the justice punishment they deserve?
But then people began to think more deeply… no one is perfect, everyone has some sin, some baggage. Could it be Jesus is helping us understand God’s love is for EVERY person, Jew or Samaritan, healthy or sick, honest or criminal? What happens in our minds and hearts when we consider that God’s love is UNconditional and equally poured out on EVERY person, and His forgiveness is complete, covering every sin, every problem? Do you know anyone who feels God couldn’t possibly love them? Let’s pray for those people right now as we worship…
Today’s Scripture is Mark 2:1-17.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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