Forgiveness is something we all desire, but it is very difficult for us to do. What I mean is that it is easy for us to want and desire forgiveness, but it is extremely difficult for most of us to forgive. We live in a culture that consistently holds grudges and keeps receipts on the people who have wronged us. As Christians, we should understand forgiveness in ways the world doesn’t. The reason for this is that we have received the ultimate forgiveness in our salvation. “All of us at some point in our lives will be forced to consider two critical questions: Can I be forgiven of my sins? Who can forgive me my sins?” (Christ-Centered Commentary) Those are the most important and critical questions we have asked or will ask in our lives. In today’s scripture text, we are going to examine that in detail.
Even though the text is primarily focused on forgiveness, we do see several other important details that will help us in our walk with Christ. To help us better understand the text, I am going to divide the text into 2 categories or sections. So, let’s dive in and see what we can apply to our lives from this passage of scripture.
The Need of the Paralytic and the Help of Friends
We begin by finding Jesus returning to Capernaum after traveling and preaching in our towns in the Galilee region. When he returns, the crowd again gathers in the house where he is staying, and he is teaching the people of Capernaum. The crowd is so large that it is impossible to get through the door. He truly had a house full of people!
As he was preaching, a man from the area, who was paralytic, was brought to the house by some of his friends. Upon arrival, the friends discovered that going through the front door was out, so they went to the roof and began digging a hole to lower the man down so he would be in the presence of Jesus. The friends lowered him to the feet of where Jesus had been speaking.
What is amazing is the gesture of the friends. I love this description of the scene in the Life Application Commentary. “But these friends would not be deterred. Determined to get their friend to Jesus, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus. They could not get in the front door, so they had to find a creative alternative.” They cared for their friend so much that they got extremely creative to make sure that he was in a place where Jesus could see him.
When I think of friends, I think of the type of people we need in the church and in our lives. We need friends who are willing to help us see the truth of the gospel and of all of scripture. They are the kind of people who care more about us than the situation in which we are. These are the kind of friends that I want in my life, and they are the kind of friends that I want to be. These kinds of friends are more concerned with us than they are with the difficulty of the situation.
As Christians, we should not only desire to be friends like this, but also seek to have friends like this and to be a friend like this. Part of growing in Christ is learning to see people over problems. People are eternal, and problems are only temporal. When we see problems, we see the forest, but when we see people, we see the individual trees in the forest.
Application Question: Are you surrounded by friends like this, and are you a friend like this?
The Son, Forgiveness, and Healing
This phrase in verse 5 always jumps out at me: “And when Jesus saw their faith…” It’s amazing to me that it wasn’t just the man’s faith who needed healing, but also his friends’. They had faith that Jesus could heal their friend, and they were willing to do whatever was needed to bring him to Jesus. As followers of Christ, we must have that kind of Faith as we share the gospel with others. Before and after we share, we must be praying that the Holy Spirit would speak into the mind and heart of the one we are sharing the gospel with. It is the Holy Spirit that opens the eyes of the blind to the beauty of the gospel!
To the surprise of the scribes and I would even assume to the man who is paralyzed, Jesus first words are not be healed but are, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” The ultimate healing the man needed wasn’t physical (though that was needed), but spiritual. The scribes became angry and began to question internally about how Jesus could make that statement because it is only God who can forgive sins. “God alone has the prerogative to forgive sins, so you can imagine the stir when Jesus assumed that authority.. and he wasn’t bashful about it. His actions communicated, I’m in charge. Don’t be so surprised.” (Life Application Commentary). Of course, they did not realize that it was the divine Son who spoke those words, which meant He could forgive sins.
Jesus’ response was absolutely fascinating to me! He knew their hearts and made that clear in His next statement. “7 “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 8 And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed 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 say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” Jesus was making a clear statement to the scribes and those who could hear Him, that He was indeed the Messiah, the Divine Son of God. It is just as easy for Him to forgive sins as it is for Him to bring about healing to someone. He has the power and authority, not only to bring about physical healing but to bring about the most important healing, which is eternal healing.
Jesus’ mission was to preach the Good News of the gospel! It was the gospel that was the center of this healing and ultimately every healing! What this man found out was that the most important need was met first, then the physical was attended to. As followers of Christ, we must remember that! Yes, we are to bring physical help, but we do so with the understanding that the ultimate help people need is the gospel and salvation in Christ.
Application Question: Are you focused on the priority of the gospel, or do other things distract you?
Conclusion:
As we conclude this commentary, I want to close with these 5 questions from Christ-Centered Commentary. I found them helpful, and I think they will be for you as well.
- What does this text teach me about God?
- What does this text teach me about sinful humanity?
- What does this text teach me about Jesus?
- What does God want me to know?
- What does God want me to do?
I would suggest reading through Mark 2:1-12 multiple times as you think through those questions.
Leave a Reply