Two tragedies happened in less than a week. The first took place in Chicago, the second in Rhode Island. Awful accounts depicted how people became trapped in chaos and many eventually perished.
That could have happened to anyone of us, couldn’t it? The truth is, that in many ways, we are trapped in chaos, too. We are victims of sin in this wicked world. Yet, there is hope. No matter what may happen to us in this sinful world, our Savior-God has provided an exit. God’s Word reveals it to us: JESUS PROVIDES THE WAY. Our Savior is the only one who gives us an exit from sin 1) through forgiveness. Since our Savior loves us, we have been given an entrance 2) to worship.
1) Through Forgiveness
The scene is the town of Capernaum. The house in which Jesus taught is Peter’s home. No sooner had Jesus arrived in town than the news spread. Most of the crowd gathered to hear what Jesus had to say, and perhaps to see a miracle or two. Luke tells us that there were also Pharisees and teachers of the law, present from Galilee, Judea and Jerusalem; most likely a delegation sent to checkout this new rabbi and report back to the Sanhedrin.
"Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. What were these guys thinking? Did they actually think they could squeeze this paralyzed man through the door? The house was so packed that people were pressed against one another. The doorway had become a huge bottleneck. No one could get in and no one could get out.
Are you looking for a way out or for a way in? Often, we seek a way out of things. We look for a way out of trouble. We want out of broken relationships, “This marriage isn’t working, so I quit!” We want out of financial problems, “I can’t handle all of this credit card debt.” We want out of sickness and disease, “If I have to see another doctor, I’ll scream!”
Why do we want out? It’s because we’re afraid. We realize that our lives have become broken, and our bodies ruined. So we search desperately for an exit. I cannot even imagine the horror experienced by those trapped in that Rhode Island nightclub last Thursday evening. Packs of people were trapped, trampled, and burned as they searched frantically for a way out of that blazing inferno.
And yet, that is similar to the horror sin brings into our lives. We find that we are quick to enter into what seems to be a wonderful place, but when harsh realities of sin manifest itself, we run desperately to the nearest exit only to find ourselves trapped. And we are trapped. We are trapped in these sinful bodies. Illnesses, disease, even death, overwhelm us because of sin in this world. We find sin traps us in other ways – hurt feelings, guilt, resentment, or lack of trust – close in around us.
“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.” Here’s an example of people who were looking for a way out. They wanted their paralyzed friend to have a way out of his suffering. He was trapped in a sin-racked body. Yet, they believed Jesus could heal their friend and provide a way out. Now, when they got near the house, and saw they couldn’t get through the door, they could’ve quit at that point; they had a good excuse to go home. But they were not looking for a way through of the crowd. They were looking for a way in to Jesus because they believed he provided the way out of sin.
The only exit from sin is through the forgiveness Jesus provides. Our deepest need is forgiveness. Forgiveness provides the power to liberate us from past sin. Forgiveness is the power to deal with guilt, not by ignoring it, but by eliminating it. Only Jesus can escort us out of sin by leading us through the forgiveness he provides. Forgiveness heals us at the deepest level of our being. We all need forgiveness.
Thankfully, our Lord has met our most desperate need. He has provided a way out for us. His word proves it: “When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven.’” Jesus met the real need. He read this man’s heart and knew that something infinitely worse than paralysis was troubling him – it was his sin and guilt. Sin is what has separated all humankind from God. And one of the results of sin is sickness and disease, even paralysis. Yet, Jesus provided a way out through forgiveness because that is what this man needed.
Jesus cares enough to provide us with a way out of sin and guilt through his forgiveness. He has made this exit possible through the cross of Calvary. His suffering, death, and resurrection – his grace and mercy shown to us – have opened gates of heaven. We are God’s forgiven children. We are sons and daughters of the Father and brothers and sisters with Jesus Christ, his beloved Son. Jesus has provided this exit by clearing the path of all our sin. Think of it! God, himself, for Jesus’ sake, sends our sins away and out of his sight. They can never again rise to accuse us or condemn us. Our sin has been sent away to complete oblivion.
2) To Worship
The door is open. The path is clear. We are now free to enter God’s presence with thanksgiving and praise. Jesus has provided free entrance to worship. Everyone in that house with Jesus had been given the privilege to worship God. Jesus proved he had the authority to forgive sins. His word was enough. God’s Word always reveals the pathway from sin provided through Christ’s forgiveness. His faithful Word is reason enough to enter into worship. Sad to say, human hearts do not always trust that the Word of Christ is enough.
“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?” There were some in the audience who did not appreciate Jesus’ loving word of forgiveness. They didn’t see Jesus as God’s Son who had come to remove sin, but as a rival who would rob them of the honor and respect they were used to as teachers of the law.
They thought they were the only ones who could direct people away from sin by pointing out obedience to the law. Those sinful hearts did not come to worship, but to be worshipped. Those religious leaders were lifted up in their own pride and self-reliance and they had closed off their hearts. In their disbelief they rejected the pathway through forgiveness. Instead, they trapped themselves in their own sin and unbelief. They certainly didn’t worship God. Rather, they murmured in their hearts against Jesus.
Jesus caught them in their own trap, though. Jesus revealed his power to forgive sins by healing the paralytic. He demonstrated his power, his authority, to forgive sin and release this man from the root cause of his sickness. He proved it by releasing him from his sickness.
The healed man believed Jesus’ word was enough, and he worshipped Jesus by simply listening to him. He had faith in Christ’s authoritative word. This paralytic could not see how he could walk. He didn’t trust in his own ability to move. It had been proven, time and again, that he couldn’t walk on his own. The fact that this man dared to get up and walk was evident of his faith in Christ’s words. He believed that Christ could forgive his sins and he believed he could make him walk, just because Jesus said so. The paralyzed man demonstrated that he believed in Christ’s powerful word and he worshipped him by simply listening to him: “He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all.” Jesus provided a way out for this man. Through the word of forgiveness, this man was able to walk out the door, leave behind his sin, and enter into worship.
Through the same word of forgiveness in our lives, we are able to walk out of sin and enter into worship. Have we entered this place to worship our Savior or to murmur against him? Sad to say, there are times when we become self-reliant in our own pride. We want to be worshipped and adored, but someone may sin against us, hurting us with words or actions. And, yet, Christ comes providing a way out of sin for that person through his word of forgiveness. How do we respond? To be honest, at times, we find ourselves murmuring against Christ in our own hearts. “How can he dare forgive that person?” we grumble, “that person has hurt me!”
Perhaps you have heard about the father who introduced his children: "This is Pete. He’s the clumsy one of the bunch. That’s Kathy coming in with mud on her shoes. She’s the sloppy one. As always, Mike’s last. He’ll be late for his own funeral, I promise you." That dad did a thorough job of labeling his children with their faults and mistakes.
We do it to one another all of the time too. We love to remind each other of our failures, our errors, our sins, and that we can’t live them down. That is not taking Christ at his word, however. That is not worshipping him. When we refuse to forgive, we trap people in guilt. We certainly don’t help them enter into worship. Forgiveness is, first-and-foremost, between God and us. We have all sinned against God, against him alone. And he has assured us that our sins are removed through the forgiveness his Son, Jesus Christ, has provided.
Understand that Christ has forgiven and removed all your wrongs. There’s the motivation to forgive others. When we offer our Savior’s word of forgiveness to others, we gently pry the hurt, the pain, and fear out of the way. With sins removed through Christ’s forgiveness, only then are we able to enter in and worship God together.
And just like the crowds who were amazed at Jesus, so we too can praise God in awe. Look at the people next to you. Jesus has provided each one of us with a way out of the sin and guilt in our lives. It’s through his forgiveness. And we have entered here today to worship our Savior. The wonder is that we are actually able to do it. We believe that Christ has given us an exit from sin through his forgiveness and that we are now free to enter in to worship him together. So, look around. Jesus has provided the way for each of us. It is truly amazing, indeed. Amen.
