Mark 2:1-12 - Tear the roof off!

Westport Church Camp 2024  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented
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Mark 2:1–4 ESV
1 And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. 2 And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. 3 And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. 4 And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay.
Jesus is in Capernaum, where He used as a base for His ministry
They are crammed into a house
The house is overflowing out the door
There is no more room. This party is not fire-code compliant.
There are people everywhere!
Jesus is inside, Jesus is preaching to eager listeners
Among His audience are scribes, who we will see have frequent run-in’s with Jesus
They are trying to figure out who this disease-healing, demon-rebuking teacher is.
Suddenly five men show up--Four men have brought their cripple friend on a mat.
They want to get into the house, but they couldn’t even get near the house because of the number of people.
People are looking back at them, making eye contact. Seeing four guys carry a cripple guy on a mat then turn away unmoved.
When pushing through doesn’t work, they begin to formulate this plan.
Imagine the planning conversation:
1st. “Why don’t we climb up on the roof?”
2nd. “What good would that do, genius? Jesus is inside, not outside.”
1st. “Yeah, I know that, dude. Let’s just take the roof off.”
3rd. “You can’t just remove a roof!”
1st. “Why not? Do you have a better plan?”
4th. “I don’t see a better option. We have to get our friend to Jesus. Upsy-daisy.”
The roofs on the houses in Palestine were often open to sit or stand, or hang out in the cool of the day.
Think a deck
Sturdy enough to walk on.
Jesus is inside preaching and the people are beginning to hear footsteps on the roof.
Then there’s noise and dirt begins falling on their heads.
Jesus Himself is dodging the dirt clumps
I’ve been distracted while preaching, never like this.
This is far more than a crying baby. The roof is legitimately falling on his head.
Jesus has likely lost everyone’s attention at this point of His sermon.
More dirt falls, more tiles are removed, and there’s this gigantic hole in the roof.
This is a great demolition job.
This gives a literal meaning to “They tore the roof off the place.”
I can only imagine the thoughts going through everyone’s head.
“What was that about!?” “That is MY roof!”
“You said you wanted the skylight here, right?!”
After a short pause, they see a mat tied with ropes and a paralyzed man on it, is lowered right in front of Jesus.
Imagine the look on everyone’s face.
Jesus looks down at this paralyzed man, then back up to his friends.
What look is on their faces?
The second is anxious and wipe eyed
The first is big smiling with a thumbs up**
They’ve got to be thinking, “Alright, let’s see what Jesus will do.”
Whatever Jesus saw was the face of faith.
This is an absolute delight and trust in the power of Jesus.
This is the first mention of “faith” in the gospel of Mark
Notice how the word “faith” is linked to an action rather than knowing or feeling.
We don’t know these guys’ theology.
We don’t know if they understand the doctrine of the Trinity.
Their faith is not their knowledge, but their active trust that Jesus is sufficient for the deepest and most heartfelt needs
We know nothing about what they believed, except the fact that they take action, believing that Jesus can do something about their friend’s paralysis.
These are good friends.
Jesus likely smiled at these guys and winked.
Good friends lead their friends to Jesus.
This shows us:

We need friends who will tear the roof off.

Surround yourself with good, godly friends.
Mark 2:5 ESV
5 And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
This ticks the religious people off.
Jesus saying that guy was forgiven was a statement that he was God.
Jesus had been teaching with authority in the synagogue.
Jesus healed Simon Peter’s mother-in-law of a fever
He heals a leper, and many other with illnesses.
He’s becoming the talk of the region.
These Pharisees want to see what’s going on because Jesus is preaching in synagogues and casting out demons.
They’re here to see what’s going on when they hear Jesus make this statement: “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
Mark 2:6–7 ESV
6 Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
Jesus knows the questions their raising in their hearts, so he addresses them.
Mark 2:8–9 ESV
8 And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’?
Which is harder?
To say sins are forgiven?
We wont know until we stand before God that we’re forgiven.
You can’t see that to confirm it.
To say get up and walk?
We have instant confirmation that Jesus is who He says He is.
This is a sure fire way for results.
Mark 2:10–12 ESV
10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— 11 “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” 12 And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”
Jesus had healed diseases and cast out demons in front of people, but He just gave them undeniable proof.
The educated Pharisees can’t explain this away.
The former paralytic couldn’t use his legs and now he can!
The man who never walked just ran out the door!
Jesus just showed that He has authority over the physically impossible.
It’s easy for us to marvel at the physical healing, because that’s what we want for our loved ones.
The miracle Jesus performed wasn’t the point.
The forgiveness of sin was the point.
Jesus has the authority to forgive our sins and make us right with God again.
He gave a physical example of what He does for our sins.

We need Jesus to forgive our sins

Notice the past tense: “Forgiven
Jesus hasn’t gone to the cross yet? He hasn’t absorbed the punishment of God?
God’s plan to save us is ironclad.
There’s no way this isn’t going to work.
Jesus went to the cross—He’s refused to back out
Jesus took our punishment
He forgave this guys sins!
Everything that haunted this man
All the shame and guilt he felt
His guilty standing before God
Forgiven fully, freely, and forever.

Take the next step

Believe that Jesus died to forgive you of your sins.
Find friends that point you to Jesus.
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