Mark 2:1-12
PROPOSITION: Jesus has authority to forgive sins.
OBJECTIVE: To realize the authority of Jesus.
The first story in Mark 2 is a style of writing pretty much unique to Mark. My NT and Greek professor in seminary would call this a “Big Mark.” Essentially, Mark has taken an incident in the life and ministry of Jesus and inserted into it another incident, probably from a separate encounter. The insertion, although totally separate, gives spiritual meaning to the original story. The readers of this letter are expected to realize the insertion and understand its spiritual significance.
The healing of the paralytic is v 1-5a; the top layer of “bread.” The “meat” of the message is v 5b – 10a. Finally, the conclusion of the healing story, or bottom layer of “bread” begins with the last phrase of v 10, “He said to the paralytic. . .” and continues through v 12.
Listen as I read the story of the healing of the paralytic, without the “meat.”
The healing miracle is very interesting. It is the faith of the four friends that is the reason for the healing. The paralytic says nothing. When ordered, he rises from the pallet on which he was lowered and went out in the sight of all.
Sounds pretty good! No problem; no issue. However, with the insertion of the “meat,” we hear Jesus say something pretty powerful and certainly controversial. What started out as a miracle story of the healing of a paralytic suddenly developed into a major controversy regarding Jesus’ authority to forgive sins.
The center of the controversy is v 10 where Jesus proclaims of himself the authority on earth to forgive sins. Everyone knows that only God has the authority to forgive sins.
There is supported evidence that a lot of people, men and women, had come forth over the years, forgiving people of their sins. Mark 1:4 tells of John the Baptist preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Even today, preachers dispense forgiveness as if it were something bought and sold at Wal-Mart. What Peter is telling us through the pen of Mark is that Jesus, the Son of Man, has the authority here on earth to forgive sins.
Two weeks ago, February 9th, I preached from Mark 1:29-39. In that message, I told of the whole city that had come to Jesus for purely physical gain. I said that the people of the city and too many people in churches today do not recognize the authority of Jesus.
Here is another prime example of religious people not recognizing, not realizing, not understanding, not accepting the authority of Jesus – and in this case, the authority of Jesus to forgive sins.
The issue at hand is blasphemy. In v 7, the religious leaders first proclaim Jesus is blaspheming. The religious leaders were devoted to the study and application of the law of Moses to all life. It is about the same with preachers and a lot of church members today. Here are people who have devoted a great deal of time and study to bring a message from God concerning the application of the law of God to all life.
Now for sure, some religious leaders know more about what is the law of God and how it applies than do others. And for sure, some religious leaders are very quick to apply that knowledge they possess upon the lives of others. This is most often expressed in the application of tithing, consumption of alcohol, women’s role in the church – and there are others. Unfortunately, too often this knowledge of the religious leaders has little to do with the teachings of Jesus. They are applied to others as if they were from the very mouth of God, and to those who disagree, they blaspheme.
Now it is too bad for some religious leaders, and specifically the religious leaders in the gospel reading this morning, they cannot see beyond their own personal interpretations. Through out the entirety of the scripture, the focus is basically and primarily concerned with God’s plan of redemption and reconciliation of the human creature, the promise of one having authority to forgive sins. I do not know how many separate and individual references there are in the OT concerning the promise of the Messiah, the one who will reconcile, the one who will redeem - the one with the authority to forgive sins.
Now, here in wide screen, Technicolor, hi-fi, all around surround sound is the promised one. Here for all to see and experience is the Messiah. Before the religious leaders, those who have devoted their lives in the study and application of the Word of God, is the Messiah, the one who has the authority to forgive sins – and they don’t recognize him. The religious leaders are so blinded by their own authority that they are completely ignorant of the authority of Jesus to forgive sins.
What is truly sad is that here we are some 2K years later, and religious leaders still miss it. Authority is attributed to nearly everything save the Son of Man.
Some believe the authority for the forgiveness of sins is the way they act. A good life – forgiveness of sins. A philanthropic life – forgiveness of sins. A church going life – forgiveness of sins.
Some believe the authority for the forgiveness of sins is their association. Friends of the preacher – forgiveness of sins. Friends of Billy Graham – forgiveness of sins.
Some would have it that the authority for the forgiveness of sins is their church affiliation. “I am a _____ - and by that authority, I am forgiven of my sins.”
However, that is not at all what the Bible says. That is not at all what Jesus said in this story. The “meat” of the story is the authority of the Son of Man to forgive sins. That is what is said in v 10, “But in order that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins…”
While the “meat” of the story is the authority of the Son of Man to forgive sins, the healing of the paralytic is an illustration of the forgiveness of sins with which is it linked. The paralytic was bound to the pallet by the disease. The spiritual paralytic is bound to the pallet by sin
Spiritually thinking, everyone here today either is or was a spiritual paralytic. There was a time for the reconciled believer that the chain of sin was so binding that you were a total, spiritual paralytic. You lay helpless on the pallet of unforgiven sin, spiritually incapacitated.
I believe that in the life of every believer, there was that friend, there were those friends who carried you to Jesus. And it was your personal and individual experience with the one who has the authority to forgive sins allowing you to rise from that pallet, no longer bound in sin. Now may be the time for you to be the friend – pray to God for the one you know who is a spiritual paralytic.
Notice I said either you “were” or “you are” a spiritual paralytic. While I first described the “were”, I direct attention to the “you are” a spiritual paralytic.
Do you remain bound in your sin as a spiritual paralytic? I must tell you that there is no name given in heaven or on earth or under the earth that has the authority to forgive you of your sin other than the name of Jesus.
There is not controversy; there is not doubt; there is no other. Respond to the command of Jesus, the one with the authority to forgive sins. “I say to you, rise, take up your pallet and go home.”
