Bringing Down The Roof - Mark 2:1-12 - July 22, 2012
(Baptism Service)
It’s not uncommon today to hear people say something like this, “If God would just reveal Himself, if He would just do some miracle for me to see, then I would turn to Him and believe.” People are looking for proof, they want to see it with their own eyes. They want God to dance to their tune and perform for their pleasure. But God is not a God to be trifled with. He’s not into party tricks. And the simple truth is that even a miracle isn’t enough to turn the hearts of many towards God. That passage that _________________ just read for us is proof of this.
Picture the scene: Two men – demon possessed – outcast – violent – dangerous – hate filled. They are feared by the whole town. They are shunned by those who used to be their family, who used to be their friends. No one has been able to help them. No one has been able to deliver them. And then along comes Jesus. And Jesus merely speaks to them and casts the demons out and in an instant their world has changed. Gone is the hatred, gone is the unpredictable violence. Gone is the rage. It’s a new lease on life for these two men – they can return to their families, to their jobs, to a life worth living once again – and they owe it all to Jesus.
You think the townsfolk would be pleased. Two of their sons have just been restored to them! You think they would celebrate the deliverance of these two men and would praise God giving thanks to Him for all that He had done on their behalf. But that’s not what happens, is it? Instead the people from the town gather together to gain their courage and then they march out to confront Jesus. And instead of thanking Him they plead with Him to leave them alone, to go away, to have nothing more to do with them. God was giving them the miracle they were looking for and when they received it, it turned out not to be what they wanted after all. This Jesus was dangerous. He was powerful. He had authority over the spiritual realm. This Jesus wasn’t safe. They couldn’t put Him in a box of their own making. All authority in heaven and on earth had been given unto Him and they trembled in blind fear before the manifest power of God when instead they should have been rejoicing with the men who had been set free, and giving thanks to God, that the day had come when the blind would see, the lame would walk, and the broken hearted be bound up.
These townsfolk shut the door on the healing that Jesus would have brought to their lives, to their relationships, their families and their marriages, they slammed the door shut on the good news that Jesus had come to bring, and so they went without never knowing what could have been. John 1:12 says, “Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.” (John 1:12, NIV84) But these did not receive Him, they would not have any part of Him, and by their own pride, and stubbornness and fear, they turned away from the grace of God. And many do that today as well with the same result.
However, there are also many others who have, and who will, receive Jesus by faith. They will draw near to Him and seek the face of God. What an example they set for us who would follow! Open your Bibles with me this morning please, to the Gospel of Mark. We’ll begin reading in Mark, chapter 2, verse 1. And what we’re about to read takes place very shortly after Jesus has set those two men free and been asked to leave. Verse 1 ...
“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 door, and he preached the word to them. Some men came, bringing to him 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.” Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? 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.” He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”” (Mark 2:1–12, NIV84)
Notice right away that these people received Jesus differently. They sought Him out, they gathered to hear what He had to say, they brought themselves into His presence until, not just the room was full, but the street outside began to fill up as well. These people were hungry and thirsty for what God had for them. Friends, how about you? How hungry and thirsty are you for the things of God these days? Does your hunger and your thirst drive you to God’s word and to your knees in prayer? Does it cause you to call out in praise and worship and to proclaim the glory of God? If it does not, you need to ask yourself, “why not?” Because this should be our response to the grace of God. To seek the Lord with everything you are and have and ever hope to be; to love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength and all your mind! That is the first and the greatest commandment and that is to what we are called in our lives today!
So the people gathered to Jesus, and they didn’t come looking for the miracle, they weren’t looking for something sensational or for some experience, they came to hear His preaching – to hear the Word of God. And they weren’t disappointed - but they were surprised because something unexpected was about to take place.
Along comes a group of men. They too have heard that Jesus is in town and they know what they need to do. They need to act quickly before the moment is passed and Jesus has moved on and it’s too late for them to do what needs to be done. So they don’t hesitate. Word spreads quickly and soon they have gathered together around another man. He is their friend but he is not quite like them. Life has been hard for him. Where there bodies are young and healthy his is withered and paralyzed. Maybe it hadn’t always been that way. Perhaps he once knew what it was to walk and to run, to feel the dirt beneath his toes, to run his hand through his hair. To dress himself, and wash himself, to feed himself. He couldn’t do any of those things anymore. In fact if it hadn’t been for friends and family, perhaps he would have been left to die.
But he’s got good friends, and not just good friends, but good friends of faith. They have heard of Jesus, maybe listened to Him preach. Maybe they had heard how He had cast out the demons and they figured that He who had authority over spiritual beings would surely have authority over sickness and disease and paralysis. And so they lay their friend gently on a mat, and then, as quick as they are able, they move towards the house where Jesus is at.
In essence they have become stretcher-bearers taking the wounded and broken to where healing can be found; taking the one in need to meet with Jesus. And oughtn’t we to be something similar in the lives of those around us? Stretcher-bearers for the Lord, taking the hurting, the broken, the needy to the one who can give them new life? Introducing them to the one in whom all authority in heaven and on earth rests?
As they get closer to their goal the crowds begin to thicken. It’s getting harder to move. Their friend seems to be getting heavier with each step they take. There’s no way they’re going to be able to get in the front door – there’s simply too many people. It would be easier to give up, to call it quits, to say, “it mustn’t be God’s will.” And yet they don’t. There must be some way to get their friend to Jesus. And then one of them catches a glimpse of the stairs around back. He bends to pick the paralyzed man up from where they’ve laid him to rest their backs and motions for three others to do the same. “I have an idea,” he says, “we’ll take him to the roof.”
And they do. They carry this ungainly weight up the stairs and onto the flat surface of the roof. “Right about here,” one of them states matter of factly, and then they begin to dig. To dig into the surface of the roof and – mud, straw, grasses, tiles, - layer by layer it comes away, till first one, and then another, breaks through.
Inside the house all conversation has stopped. Faces are turned up looking at the ceiling trying to figure out what is going on. Dust and debris is beginning to fall into the room and then, where solid ceiling should be, appears a hand and then a face, and soon the light of the sky is flooding into the room and two, three – no four faces appear around a hole that’s getting bigger by the second. For one suspenseful moment all the faces disappear. There’s the sound of grunting and then the light is blocked out as a figure, wrapped in a mat, is gently lowered to the floor to lie at the feet of Jesus.
Not a sound can be heard. Everyone is wondering what Jesus will do. Will He rebuke them for interrupting His preaching? Will He chastise them for destroying the roof of the house? Will He lose His temper, turn away, or burst into laughter at their unorthodox entry?
Jesus ends up doing none of those things. Instead, look at what it tells us in verse 5 - He sees the faith of these five men and He says something absolutely remarkable and unexpected. And we’ll get to that in a moment, but first I want you to understand that Jesus saw the faith of these men. In the book of Hebrews, faith is described in this way … “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1, NIV84) These men, though yet to see their friend healed, were certain that Jesus would be the one to do it. That’s why they didn’t give up. They were sure of what was to come. Jesus alone could provide what their friend needed, and while they had not yet seen it come to be, they were certain that it would.
And while the object of our faith – God – may not be seen with the naked eye – the reality of our faith can be seen. James says that “As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.” (James 2:26, NIV84) The reality of our beliefs, of our faith, is shown by how that faith impacts our lives. Faith can often be seen. If I have faith that I am a sinner, dead in my transgressions and sins, without hope and without God in this world, and if I believe that Jesus alone has died that I may be forgiven, and raised to life that I may have new life in Him, then I will cry out to God for mercy, repenting of my sins and receiving the forgiveness that only He can give. Faith in action is genuine faith. Faith that changes nothing, is merely empty wishing.
Let me give you another example. If I have faith that God’s word is true and everlasting, and it tells me that those who die without Jesus enter into a horrible place of never ending torment called Hell, then my faith is going to cause me to rise up and warn those around me; to share the Gospel with them that they may escape the wrath of God which will one day be poured out against all sin.
If by faith I believe that Jesus is Lord and Savior of my life, I will surrender all that I am and ever hope to be to Him. I will seek to submit my will to His and follow in His footsteps as I walk through this life. I will take His word to heart, eagerly read it and seek after Him in prayer and to walk humbly before the Lord my God. Why? Because faith can be seen. It responds to what is believed.
If we say we believe, but never act upon that belief, we make ourselves out to be liars. So friends, let me ask you this: Can your faith be seen? How is it transforming your life? How is it influencing your decisions? How is it impacting your relationships and your work? Radio commentator Paul Harvey once said, “If you don’t live it, you don’t believe it.” The Bible says it this way, “Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.” (James 2:18, NIV84) Jesus looked at these men and He saw that they had faith!
And then He does the one thing that no-one expects. He looks down at this man, this man lying on his mat, and He says to him, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” No one in that room, out on the street, or up on the roof, expected to hear those words. Of all the things that could have happened in that moment of time, no-one could have anticipated that this is how it would all play out.
The four friends who have worked so hard, who have believed so well, are taken aback. This isn’t why they brought the paralyzed man to Jesus! They wanted him to be healed! They wanted Jesus to give their friend what he needed. What they don’t understand at first is that Jesus did give the paralyzed man what he needed the most. But it wasn’t the physical healing that they were expecting.
And maybe it’s the same in your life. You think your biggest need is for better health, or a job, or a spouse to share your life with. Maybe you believe your biggest need is to do well in school, succeed at your job, make money and retire young. Perhaps you believe it to be a new vehicle, a bigger house or any other thing that we could mention this morning. But folks, our biggest need is for none of those things! Our biggest need is for peace with God because apart from Jesus and what He did on the cross we live as enemies of God. Our greatest need is to have the sin that separates us from God washed away in Jesus.
And so Jesus looks down upon this helpless man and sees that his greatest need is not for physical healing, but for forgiveness, and He says to him, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Immediately the religious leaders in the room are in an uproar! Only God can forgive sins – what is this Jesus thinking?! What’s He saying?! It’s blasphemy in their eyes – and if Jesus is not who He says He is – if He is not God dwelling among us in the flesh – then they are right. But if He is who He says He is, it changes everything. It means the long awaited Messiah had come to deliver His people. It was the dawning of a new age of grace and hope – but only if Jesus really was the Messiah.
Jesus knows what they are thinking. He knows the doubts, the anger, the rage in their hearts and He asks them a simple question: Which is easier: to say, “Your sins are forgiven,” or, “Get up, take your mat, and walk?” Truth is they are both easy to say, aren’t they? But how can you tell when someone’s sins are forgiven? Where’s the evidence? Yet, if a man who everyone knows to be paralyzed, suddenly gets up and walks, well the evidence is right there for everyone to see! In their minds the harder thing was for this man to walk but in reality the harder things was for that man to be forgiven of his sins. That forgiveness would cost much more and could only come from God.
However, to overcome their doubts, to prove to them that He really did have the authority to forgive sins, Jesus does that which is harder in their eyes, He does that for which these men had brought their friend in the first place, He tells him to get up, take his mat, and go home. And this is where the faith of this paralyzed man is evidenced. He could have remained on that mat. He could have said, “I don’t feel any different. I guess it didn’t work,” or he could take Jesus at His word. He had faith and faith is lived out in our actions and so this man who hadn’t walked in who knows how long, gets up, grabs his mat, and heads for home. And un-like those who saw the demon possessed men set free, these people rejoice in the goodness of God and the awesome display of His power and the result is that they praised God and God was glorified!
Faith in action brings glory to God! And the Bible tells us that without faith it is impossible for us to please God. And so I want to challenge you this morning to consider how much faith you have. Do you have a faith that is pleasing to God? A faith that takes God at His word and responds in obedience and action? Because the truth is that faith without action is dead – it’s not a real faith at all. Faith is meant to be expressed, it needs to be lived out.
And maybe you’re thinking to yourself today, “But I don’t have that much faith.” Jesus says all we need is faith the size of a mustard seed! Why? Because the amount of our faith isn’t really the issue – what’s far more important is the One in whom our faith is placed. Because it is by God’s power, and by God’s Spirit that lives are transformed, that the broken find healing, the discouraged discover hope, and the lost are born into new life. All authority in heaven and on earth has been given unto Jesus and there is no other name by which we might be saved!
In the pages of God’s word we discover that it is the needy, broken, hurting and desperate that become the focus of Jesus’ ministry. It’s they who are entering into the kingdom of God while all the self-righteous religious people are turning their backs on Jesus and opposing Him at every turn. They turn away from the grace of God and perish in their sin. But for those who see their sin and cry out to God for mercy they receive what they need the most: “Your sins are forgiven!” is the cry of Jesus. Now get up, take your mat, and walk! Let your faith be seen!
Let’s pray …
And we have three people this morning who are letting their faith be seen. They’re going to give testimony to God, to bear witness to what He has done in and through their lives, and then they are going to be baptized. And baptism is a picture of the reality of the new life they have entered into, the reality that their sins have been forgiven and that now they are new creations in Jesus. We will hear them share out at the pool and so we’re going to go and get ready and we’ll meet you out there in about 5 minutes.
