SELMA ORIGINAL FREE WILL BAPTIST CHURCH

FEBRUARY 20, 2000

Epiphany 7, Year B

IS 43:18-25

PSALM 32

2 COR 1:19-22

MARK 2:1-12

WELCOME

INTRODUCTION

THANKS

LET US PRAY:

COME HOLY SPIRIT, FILL THE HEARTS OF THE FAITHFUL AND KINDLE IN US THE POWER OF YOUR LOVE.  SEND FORTH YOUR SPIRIT AND WE SHALL BE CREATED.  O GOD, WHO BY THE LIGHT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT DID INSTRUCT THE HEARTS OF THE FAITHFUL, GRANT THAT BY THAT SAME HOLY SPIRIT WE MAY BE TRULY WISE AND EVER ENJOY YOUR CONSOLATIONS, THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD.  AMEN.

IT’S HOT, DRY, AND DUSTY.  JESUS HAS COME TO CAPERNAUM.  IT IS EARLY IN HIS MINISTRY.  THERE ARE ONLY FOUR DISCIPLES WHO HAVE BEEN CALLED.  THE CROWD IS LARGE, SPILLING OUT INTO THE STREET.

FOUR MEN ARRIVE CARRYING THEIR FRIEND.  HE IS PARALYZED, TOTALLY DEPENDENT ON HIS FOUR FRIENDS. THEY HAVE HEARD ABOUT JESUS, HIS TEACHINGS AND HIS HEALINGS.  THEY CANNOT GET INTO THE HOUSE TO BE NEAR JESUS. THEY CLIMB ONTO THE ROOF, BREAK A HOLE IN THE ROOF, PIECES OF THE ROOF FALL ON THE CROWD BELOW, EVERYONE, INCLUDING JESUS STOP AND LOOK UP. WHAT IS HAPPENING?  THEN THEY LOWER THEIR FRIEND INTO THE ROOM WITH JESUS, TO BE NEAR THE TEACHER, TO BE NEAR THE HEALER.  JESUS SEES THEIR FAITH AND SAYS TO THE PARALYTIC, “MY CHILD, YOUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN.”  THE CROWD GRUMBLES, “WHO BUT GOD CAN FORGIVE SINS?”  JESUS RESPONDS TO THEIR DOUBTS.  HE ORDERS THE PARALYTIC TO GET UP AND GO HOME. AND THE MAN GOT UP AND WENT HOME.

THIS STORY FROM MARK’S GOSPEL ALSO APPEARS IN MATTHEW CHAPTER 9 AND LUKE CHAPTER 5.  I HOPE YOU WILL TAKE THE TIME TO READ AND MEDITATE ON THOSE ACCOUNTS AS WELL.

IN ALL THREE GOSPEL ACCOUNTS OF THIS STORY, JESUS RESPONDS TO THE FAITH OF THE PARALYZED MAN’S FRIENDS FIRST. THE GOSPEL WRITERS CLEARLY WANT US TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE FAITH OF THE MAN’S FRIENDS IS IMPORTANT, CRUCIAL.

MOST ALL OF US ARE LIKE THE PARALYZED MAN WHO IS LOWERED THROUGH THE ROOF.  WE ARE DEPENDENT AT SOME POINT IN OUR LIVES UPON OTHERS TO BRING US CLOSE TO JESUS.  WE CANNOT TAKE CREDIT FOR OUR OWN SALVATION.  OUR SALVATION DEPENDS UPON THE SACRIFICIAL ACTIONS OF OTHERS.  AND OUR SALVATION DEPENDS UPON THE FREE GIFT OF GOD’S GRACE.  THE PARALYZED MAN COMES INTO THE PRESENCE OF JESUS BECAUSE OF THE INSISTENCE, HARD WORK, AND FAITH OF HIS FRIENDS.  THE GOSPELS ALSO DO NOT REPORT THAT THE PARALYTIC OR HIS FRIENDS ASKED FOR ANYTHING.  JESUS JUST SUDDENLY SAYS, “MY CHILD, YOUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN.” 

REFLECT BACK ON YOUR OWN STORY FOR A MOMENT.  WEREN’T EACH OF US CARRIED SACRIFICIALLY, OFTEN FOR A LONG TIME OVER HOT, DRY, DUSTY PATHS, UNTIL WE FOUND OURSELVES NEAR TO JESUS? PERHAPS IT WAS A PARENT WHO CARRIED YOU, PERHAPS A HUSBAND OR WIFE, PERHAPS A FRIEND, PERHAPS A TOTAL STRANGER. 

AS I REFLECT ON MY OWN LIFE, IT OCCURS TO ME THAT MANY PEOPLE HAVE CARRIED ME DOWN LONG, HOT, DRY, DUSTY PATHS AT GREAT SACRIFICE AND PLACED ME AT THE FEET OF JESUS.  AND IT HAS HAPPENED MORE THAN ONCE. 

MY MOTHER CARRIED ME IN HER ARMS AND IN HER PRAYERS AND CONTINUALLY PLACED ME AT THE FEET OF JESUS.  MANY SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHERS, PREACHERS, AND PEOPLE OF FAITH HAVE CARRIED ME, PRAYED FOR ME, AND LOWERED ME THROUGH THE ROOF INTO THE PRESENCE OF MY SAVIOR.  THIS CONGREGATION CARRIED SUSAN, MARSHALL, AND ME IN ITS ARMS AND IN ITS PRAYERS AND BROUGHT US NEAR TO JESUS.  

ONE OF THE LESSONS WE CAN LEARN FROM THIS GOSPEL STORY MAY BE THAT IF WE CAN STAY IN THE PRESENCE OF JESUS FOR EVEN A FEW MOMENTS THEN MIRACLES CAN AND WILL HAPPEN.  IN THE PRESENCE OF JESUS, GOD’S FREE GIFT OF GRACE IS AVAILABLE.  BECAUSE OF THE FAITH OF A FEW AND IN SPITE OF THE DOUBTS OF MANY WE CAN AND WILL HE HEALED IN SOUL AND BODY.

IF THIS GOSPEL STORY OF FORGIVENESS AND HEALING SHOULD CAUSE US TO REFLECT ON THE MANY TIMES THAT WE HAVE BEEN CARRIED TO JESUS BY OTHERS, THEN IT SHOULD ALSO CAUSE US TO REFLECT ON THOSE IN OUR LIVES WHO NEED US TO CARRY THEM INTO THE PRESENCE OF JESUS.

I WILL FOREVER REMEMBER AN INCIDENT IN MY OWN LIFE WHEN I WAS FEELING “PARALYZED” IN SPIRIT.  I THINK THE MORE ACCURATE DESCRIPTION OF MY STATUS WOULD BE THAT I WAS HAVING A GOOD OLD FASHIONED “PITY PARTY”.  YOU KNOW THE KIND OF “PARTY” WHERE I SAY TO MYSELF AND ANYONE ELSE WHO WILL LISTEN, “THINGS ARE REALLY AWFUL…WHY ME LORD…HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN…WHY ARE SO MANY BAD THINGS HAPPENING?” 

I HAD CALLED A LONG TIME FRIEND FOR THE THIRD TIME IN AS MANY DAYS TO SHARE MY “PITY PARTY”.  AS I WAS GOING ON ABOUT HOW BAD THINGS WERE IN MY LIFE, MY FRIEND, OBVIOUSLY TIRED OF MY COMPLAINING, STOPPED ME IN MID SENTENCE WITH THESE WORDS, “SO YOU CALL YOURSELF A CHRISTIAN…WELL THEN GET UP OFF YOUR SEAT…GET OUT IN THE WORLD AND ACT LIKE A CHRISTIAN.”  “PHIL, MY FRIEND SAID, THERE ARE PEOPLE ALL AROUND YOU WHO NEED TO HEAR GOOD NEWS AND ALL YOU ARE GIVING THEM IS THE BAD NEWS OF YOUR LIFE.” 

MY FRIEND WAS NOT A BELIEVER BUT MY SHE GAVE ME SOME VERY SOUND ADVICE.  I WAS BEING REMINDED THAT THE ONLY GOSPEL SOME PEOPLE MIGHT EVER HEAR WOULD BE THE GOSPEL I WAS PREACHING AS I WENT ABOUT MY DAILY LIFE.  I WAS BEING REMINDED BY A NON-BELIEVER THAT THE GOSPEL I WAS PREACHING WAS NOT GOSPEL AT ALL BUT JUST THE OPPOSITE.  INSTEAD OF SHARING THE GOOD NEWS, I WAS ONLY SHARING THE BAD NEWS.

THE FOUR MEN WHO BROUGHT THE PARALYZED MAN TO JESUS AND LOWERED HIM THROUGH THE ROOF WERE SHARING THE GOOD OF THEIR LIFE WITH EVERYONE AROUND THEM.  BY THEIR EFFORT AND SACRIFICE ON BEHALF OF THEIR FRIEND, THEY WERE BEARING WITNESS TO ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF THE ENTIRE MINISTRY OF JESUS, SERVANT HOOD.

IT IS WORTH REMEMBERING THAT THE VERY LAST ACT THAT JESUS PERFORMED WITH HIS DISCIPLES BEFORE HIS ARREST AND EXECUTION, WAS TO WASH THEIR FEET.  JESUS HAD TRIED EVERYWAY HE COULD THINK TO CHANGE HIS DISCIPLES FROM JUST PLAIN FOLK INTO A FORCE THAT WOULD CHANGE THE WORLD.  PERHAPS THEY WOULD UNDERSTAND HOW IMPORTANT IT WAS TO BE A SERVANT IF HE PERFORMED THIS ONE LAST ACT AND WASHED THEIR FEET.

THROUGHOUT SCRIPTURE, INCLUDING THE GOSPEL STORY WE HAVE HEARD FROM MARK, THE IDEA OF SACRIFICIAL SERVANT MINISTRY TO OTHERS IS HELD UP FOR US AS A MODEL OF HOW WE AND OTHERS MIGHT COME INTO THE PRESENCE OF OUR LORD.

FOR SOMEONE IN OUR LIFE, PERHAPS A FRIEND, A NEIGHBOR, A FAMILY MEMBER, WE MAY BE THE ONLY GOSPEL THEY WILL HEAR.  WE MAY BE THE ONLY GOSPEL THEY WILL SEE.  IT IS AN AWESOME THOUGHT BUT THE SALVATION OF SOMEONE IN OUR EVERYDAY LIVES MAY DEPEND ON US CARRYING THEM DOWN A LONG, HOT, DRY ROAD AND LOWERING THEM THROUGH A ROOF TO BE NEAR JESUS.

I ASK THAT EACH OF US PONDER THE MANY TIMES THAT OTHERS HAVE BEEN OUR SERVANT AND CARRIED US AND I ALSO ASK THAT WE PONDER HOW WE MIGHT LIVE THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST IN OUR EVERYDAY LIVES SO THAT WE MIGHT, THROUGH THE GRACE OF GOD, MAKE A FRIEND, BE A FRIEND, AND BRING THAT FRIEND TO JESUS.

DURING THE HYMN OF COMMITMENT, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A PUBLIC AFFIRMATION OF YOUR INTENT TO FOLLOW JESUS AS LORD AND SAVIOR, YOU ARE INVITED TO COME FORWARD AND ONE OF THE DEACONS WILL PRAY WITH YOU AND BEGIN THE PROCESS OF WELCOMING YOU INTO THIS FELLOWSHIP OF FAITH.

LET US PRAY:

LORD, MAKE US INSTRUMENTS OF YOU PEACE.  WHERE THERE IS HATRED, LET US SOW LOVE; WHERE THERE IS INJURY, PARDON; WHERE THERE IS DISCORD, UNION; WHERE THERE IS DOUBT, FAITH; WHERE THERE IS DESPAIR, HOPE; WHERE THERE IS DARKNESS LIGHT; WHERE THERE IS SADNESS JOY.  GRANT THAT WE MAY NOT SO MUCH SEEK TO BE CONSOLED AS TO CONSOLE; TO BE UNDERSTOOD AS TO UNDERSTAND; TO BE LOVED AS TO LOVE.  FOR IT IS IN GIVING THAT WE RECEIVE; IT IS IN PARDONING THAT WE ARE PARDONED; AND IT IS IN DYING THAT WE ARE BORN TO ETERNAL LIFE.  (PRAYER OF ST, FRANCIS)

AND NOW UNTO GOD THE FATHER, GOD THE SON, AND GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT, BE ALL HONOR, GLORY, POWER, AND MAJESTY, THIS DAY AND FOREVERMORE.  AMEN.

IN RESPONSE TO BEING FORGIVEN AND HEALED, LET US STAND AND COMMIT OURSELVES TO SERVING CHRIST AND SERVING GOD’S CHILDREN AS WE SING HYMN # __________.