Mark 2:1-12. The Cost of Forgiveness

This Story is so beautiful…its brief, but packs such a powerful punch!

We have been journeying through the Gospel of Mark, as Mark weaves together beautifully the story of Jesus Christ. Who is Jesus? Why did he come? And what does it mean to follow Jesus? are the questions that lurk behind every passage. And Mark, the beautiful storyteller gives us a lot more than we bargained for.

In our Story today, we are going to see that Jesus gives us far more than we think we need at a greater cost that we could ever imagine.

In this story, we see that Jesus’ popularity hasn’t waned a bit. If anything, it has grown as he has done his preaching and healing tour. But he’s come back to Capernaum now and is at his (or more likely, Peter’s) home.

So, when everyone hears this, they pack out the house. Everyone comes to hear him teach AND to be healed.

There is a man who is paralyzed, and he has some good friends. Everyone needs good friends, don’t they?

And they do what good friends do, they bring him to Jesus!

But there is a problem. They can’t get to Jesus…the house is packed, they can’t get in the door, and so they get a little crazy…realizing that their friends hope of walking is in getting him to Jesus, they go up the stairs to the roof of the house (picture a flat roof that functioned for these people in much the same way that decks function on our house).

And they begin pealing back the thatch and layers of roof, creating a hole that they could lower him down…Now, I don’t care what century you’re in, this is crazy. Imagine being Peter…it’s your house…you’d probably be like, You better fix that hole you put in my ROOF!

But Jesus, more than taking things in stride, commends them for their great faith. Whose faith? The faith on this man’s friends, and this man’s faith…who were so confident that if they could just get to Jesus, this man’s fortunes would be turned around.

Mark 2:1-

Mark 2:1–4 ESV

And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. 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. And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. 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.

Mark 2:1–12 ESV

And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. 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. And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. 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. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 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? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” 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!”

Mark 2:5-

Mark 2:5–8 ESV

And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 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?

Mark 2:9–12 ESV

Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” 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!”