I have found Meditative moods to be refreshing as well as enlightening. Perhaps David meant the same thing when he contemplated the well-being of the man who meditates both day and night with delight in the Word of God. He said that a meditative man was comparable to a tree planted by rivers of water.
Every now and then, I like to sit on the banks of a lake or a river, not to fish but to reflect, to meditate. I sit to fish for insight. And I have observed the oscillation of the waves as they ripple and splash past me. And sometimes it is difficult for me to tell in which direction the current is flowing. So I test the waters. I have either threw in some grass or a twig in the water, and immediately the waves bore it along indicating the direction in which the current was flowing. However, if the lake was quite deep, I have discovered there might be an Undercurrent below the surface of the upper current. And this undercurrent might be flowing in the opposite direction of which the surface current was flowing.
With that thought in mind, I sat down on the banks of this lake-like passage in a Meditative Mood. And I have observed A Surface Current as well as An Undercurrent.
First of all, There Is A Very Strong EVANGELISTIC SURFACE CURRENT in this Passage.
This passage hints very suggestively at the Imperative of the Evangelistic Ministry of the Individual Believer and the Local Church. Now in this Matthean passage, this Evangelistic Surface Current might be difficult to detect. So you have to test the Waters. We must find some twig or some buoyant object to cast into this stream to detect this Evangelistic flow. Now I believe the best twig to use is the corresponding Markan passage. In Mark 2:1-3 this Evangelistic Surface Current is clearly discovered.
Mark 2:1 says “It was Noised that He was in the house.”
It was not a loud, confused, senseless shouting
It was not a sound that interfered with one’s hearing of something.
It was not an unwanted signal or a disturbance, such as static in electronic communication systems as in radio or t.v.
It was not irrelevant or meaningless bits or words that occur along with desired information.
It was Common Talk. The report was spread.
It was something that attracted attention.
So I suggest that an Empty House is due largely to a Lack of Noising the Good News (Communication). If Jesus is in the house, the Pews ought to tell it. We must utilize the television, internet, radio, newspaper, billboards to get the word out because Jesus deserves Top Billing!
Jesus was the Center of Attraction!
The Last part of Mark 2:2 says “And He preached the word unto them.”
Preaching the Gospel is Evangelistic.
Mark 2:3 says “And they come unto Him, bringing one sick …”
Evangelistic
II. It sometimes happens in the Evangelistic Current that IMPERFECT ACTS BRING PERFECT RESULTS.
That is what I have gleaned from Matthew 9:2-3. Perhaps if we dissect these two verses analytically, the laying bare of its parts may yield to you that same belief.
In verse 2 Matthew says, “And, behold - Kai idou.” A demonstrative particle that bids us pay close attention to what is about to be said. It comes at the close of chapter 8, therefore it introduces Something New. The particle “And, behold” introduces as New the concept that this same Jesus who has Authority over sickness, disease, nature, devils, demons and men also has the Authority to Forgive Sins on earth!
In verse 2 Matthew says “And, behold, they brought to Him …” “They brought to”
They, third person plural (Mark 2:3)“Brought” indicative mood - a fact. Imperative Aspect, which means that Matthew looks at the bringing of the man as Imperfect. Imperfect in the sense that the bringing was repeated; they kept on bringing him until they succeeded (Mark 2:3-4).
Many times the Act of Faith is Imperfect - in Witnessing; in Prayer; in Spiritual Warfare. Very rarely do we succeed with just one act.
“To”, preposition of place. After many imperfect acts they finally brought the man to a place that was in close local proximity to Jesus.
“Him” - To him who was the talk of the town. To Him whom the crowds had gathered to see. To Him who preached the word unto them. To Him and Him only.
In verse 2 Matthew also describes this man who was brought to Jesus: “a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed.”
Paralytikon - a man sick of the palsy: paralytic. Properly the phrase means to loose on one side or from one side; to loose or part things placed side by
side. Then it came to mean one who is suffering from the relaxing of the nerves of one side; weak of limb, disabled.
In verse 2 Matthew says that Jesus’ seeing of something preceded His saying something.
He saw “their faith - pistin auton.” The predominate idea is that Jesus saw their Confidence in His ability to heal that sprung from their strong conviction or belief in His Authority. Strong Confidence springs from a Settled Conviction. If I don’t have a conviction about something, I can’t have confidence concerning the results. Their conviction was so strong that they just believed that if they got this man before Jesus they were confident that the result would be healing.
And when Jesus looked up on the roof-top and saw their faith, He then lowered His eyes to the man on the pallet and said to him: “Son, be of good cheer.”
He said “Son: - a term of endearment. It was a term used to express that intimate and reciprocal relationship between men such as teacher to student or parent to child or helper to the helped.
“Be of good cheer” - You, the paralytic
Stop being afraid! Stop being fearful. Many reasons to reason: 1) fear of being knocked off of the couch by the crowd ; 2) fear of falling off while being carried
to the roof; 3) fear of falling off while being lowered; 4) fear of being laughed at by the crowd; 5) fear of ropes breaking or roofing caving in; 6) fear of being refused healing. Said Jesus, Stop being afraid and Dare to be Confident, Hopeful. In spite of fear, Dare to be Confident! Jesus was saying to him, Dare to be confident because the Imperfect Acts of His Friends’ Faith had brought Him Perfect results: “Your sins be forgiven thee.”
Hamartie-Sins (plural). Errors or wrongs done in words and deeds; violations of God’s law in thoughts and deeds - all of them!
Apheotei-be forgiven. Perfect Indicative which means that you are already in a state of freedom resulting from having been released from all your indebtedness in the past - Forgiven!
Jesus was saying, he had let him go without demanding payment for his sins. You are free to go, your sins are dismissed. So “Arise, take up your bed and go to your house!”
Now this as New Concept - A Man Forgiving Sins!
THE PERFECT GOD REWARDS IMPERFECT FAITH!!!
Next week, let’s explore the Undercurrent of this Passage - The Upper Current of Imperfect Faith; The Undercurrent of Theological Skepticism and Incredulity to Jesus’ Power of Authority.
