When Jesus Shows Up (Mark 2:1-12)
After Mark introduces us to Jesus as a popular preacher, he quickly turns the tables on us by showing that can be extremely controversial. We see it in five successive events, beginning with today’s text: the healing of a paralyzed man in Mark 2:1-12.
The story is familiar to many church people. When Jesus returned to Capernaum, crowds crammed into every nook and cranny of his home. They wanted to see and hear the local miracle worker.
While he was teaching them about the kingdom, to everyone’s surprise, patches of mud and branches began to fall from the roof. Before long, a cot dropped down on ropes bearing a paralyzed man.
His friends, unable to press through the crowd, and desperate for Jesus to heal him, had torn a hole in the roof of Jesus’ home!
Jesus’ response was as startling as the hole in his roof: “When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven.’”
We might not find these words shocking, but the folks in the room most certainly did. The scribes who were present said aloud what everyone else was thinking. “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
They were right. No one —not even a man with healing powers — had the right to forgive sins. It was tantamount to blasphemy to suggest such a thing. No one can forgive sins but God! And the place of forgiveness is only in the temple, not in a crowded house.
Jesus knew what they were thinking, and as proof of his right to forgive sins, he said to the man, “Rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” Of course, he did. The man was healed, the critics were silenced, and the crowd “glorified God, saying, ‘We never saw anything like this!’” Indeed.
What are we to make of this astounding event? Jesus told us himself when, just before he healed the man, he said, “But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins….”
The key word here is “authority.” When Jesus shows up, he takes charge. He has the authority to address our deepest needs, and to challenge our cherished notions.
Authority to address our deepest needs
The man on the mat had much a greater need than his paralyzed condition. He needed forgiveness. What for? We don’t know, but Jesus did. He saw into his heart and spoke with authority to his deepest need: "Your sins are forgiven." I imagine it with a compassionate smile and a caring touch.
Jesus is like that. We might come to him with many questions, concerns, problems or requests. He cares about those, of course, just as he did for this man’s physical condition.
But Jesus also sees beyond these to the deeper recesses of our heart, even to places perhaps unknown by us. He speaks a word of forgiveness for our secret sins, our guilty conscience, our bitter grudges, our inner rage, our obstinate rebellion, our deepest fears, our hidden hurts — the list goes on.
He wants to set us free from these things, too. When Jesus shows up, he speaks a word of authority to our deepest needs. Are we listening?
Authority to challenge our cherished notions
The paralyzed man on the mat had deep needs which Jesus determined to meet; the religious men in the mob had cherished notions which Jesus chose to challenge.
In their case, Jesus challenged their assumptions about who he was, and about what it was appropriate for Jesus to do. But I can’t help but think that there is a broader principle at work here.
For one thing, Mark includes this story as the first of five consecutive events which people found controversial. There is clearly a pattern here. When Jesus showed up, he didn’t just do amazing things to help people. He also had a propensity to step on a few toes along the way.
In this case, it was his claim to forgive sins. Soon he will be criticized for partying with the wrong people, for having too much fun, for breaking religious traditions, and for healing on the Sabbath (which caused his enemies to plot his death -- on the Sabbath!).
To be sure, Jesus stepped on a few toes in his day. And he has the authority to do so today. I wonder, does he ever step on our toes? Or have we domesticated him to the point where we expect him to bless our assumptions, our aspirations, our notions about marriage and money, sexuality and spirituality, politics and power? — the list goes on.
Yes, when Jesus shows up, he has the authority to challenge our cherished notions, and to address our deepest needs. In each case, he offers a word of freedom and forgiveness. And if we are willing to trust him, to take him at his word and put feet on our faith, we will experience the glorious joy of walking in freedom.
When we do, people around us will glorify God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”
Jesus is like that. We might come to him with many questions, concerns, problems or requests. He cares about those, of course, just as he did for this man’s physical condition.
But Jesus also sees beyond these to the deeper recesses of our heart, even to places perhaps unknown by us. He speaks a word of forgiveness for our secret sins, our guilty conscience, our bitter grudges, our inner rage, our obstinate rebellion, our deepest fears, our hidden hurts — the list goes on.
He wants to set us free from these things, too. When Jesus shows up, he speaks a word of authority to our deepest needs. Are we listening?
Authority to challenge our cherished notions
The paralyzed man on the mat had deep needs which Jesus determined to meet; the religious men in the mob had cherished notions which Jesus chose to challenge.
In their case, Jesus challenged their assumptions about who he was, and about what it was appropriate for Jesus to do. But I can’t help but think that there is a broader principle at work here.
For one thing, Mark includes this story as the first of five consecutive events which people found controversial. There is clearly a pattern here. When Jesus showed up, he didn’t just do amazing things to help people. He also had a propensity to step on a few toes along the way.
In this case, it was his claim to forgive sins. Soon he will be criticized for partying with the wrong people, for having too much fun, for breaking religious traditions, and for healing on the Sabbath (which caused his enemies to plot his death -- on the Sabbath!).
To be sure, Jesus stepped on a few toes in his day. And he has the authority to do so today. I wonder, does he ever step on our toes? Or have we domesticated him to the point where we expect him to bless our assumptions, our aspirations, our notions about marriage and money, sexuality and spirituality, politics and power? — the list goes on.
Yes, when Jesus shows up, he has the authority to challenge our cherished notions, and to address our deepest needs. In each case, he offers a word of freedom and forgiveness. And if we are willing to trust him, to take him at his word and put feet on our faith, we will experience the glorious joy of walking in freedom.
When we do, people around us will glorify God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”
God grant that it might be so. Amen.