Mark 2:1-13
We have finished Matthew and have begun the gospel account of Mark. In chapter 2, we read of Jesus healing a paralytic. Jesus is at Capernaum and people are gathering in a large enough number that there is no more room at all. Jesus is preaching the word and people are listening. Four men arrive carrying the paralytic. I can’t imagine carrying someone a significant distance but it would certainly slow them down and they arrive to see there is no more room to enter. This doesn’t deter them! That tells me 2 things – they were good friends and they had faith in Jesus power to do something for their friend.
These men carrying the paralytic are good friends. Friends that care. I was thinking about this in terms of drawing an application to ourselves. We need friends that will see our needs and work to help us with them. But we also need to BE friends that see needs and help with them. Not just physical things, but spiritual needs. What greater need does anyone have than to be brought to the Savior and have their sins forgiven?
Jesus looks at this paralytic and says, “Your sins are forgiven.” Perhaps everyone expected Him to heal the man and for them to see him get up and walk, but Jesus saw a bigger need than walking (and a teaching moment). Jesus forgave the man’s sins and He had every right to do so. He is the son of God. But in order to prove His authority to forgive sins, He also heals the man. The miracle proved it. This miracle was the witness to who Jesus is.
We need to understand and remember who Jesus is. The lamb of God. the Son of God. The Great Physician. The Good Shepherd. The Savior. The High Priest. And we could keep going. Jesus is of paramount importance. We need to be at His feet and we need to bring others to His feet!