Greater Than Spiritual Leaders

Story

At some point in you may have heard the words “It’s no fun getting old.” You may have witnessed

something that confirmed the truthfulness of those words. Our bodies don’t work like they used to. Mobility. Activities. Expected for the elderly?

What about the 5 year old who is missing out on childhood: learning sports v. growing up in a hospital. An infant with a deformity - joy

I’ve heard the words “It’s no fun getting old.” Our bodies don’t work like they used to. Mobility. Activities. Expected for the elderly? What about the 5 year old

Desire physical healing, but do we see the need for forgiveness? Desire that our bodies work the way they are supposed to.

This story is a great metaphor for the brokenness of our world. We witnessed brokenness last Wednesday.

Challenge:

I hope you and I are doing more than just talking about or arguing about the brokenness that manifests itself in violence. I hope we are doing more than debating. That’s going to happen. I hope all of this talk leads to a God centered solution.

Maybe we’re skipping something important.

The story of the paralyzed man is a good metaphor This morning's sermon is about a broken, paralyzed man seeking Jesus' help. Jesus' first response to this man's brokenness is "your sins are forgiven," not "get up and walk."

I hope we are listening to what we need to hear first.

Jesus tells him what he needs to hear first. When we pray for God to heal our brokenness, is there something we need to hear first? It’s easy for us to condemn the violence. The raw anger and hatred. Destruction. The indifference to life. The Injuries. The Ignorance.

It’s scary enough to know that violence happens every day. Many experience it everyday. Many live in daily fear. What’s even scarier is that so many people can unify around violence and hatred.

Forgiveness from sins?

We want healing. We need healing.

How many of you were glued to your screens watching history being made on Wednesday? .

Does it take a riot to remind us that we live in a broken world. Brokenness everywhere, not just on the TV screen. A world of hatred. Fear. The world is sick, and no one seems to A world in need of healing

Jesus offered that -

Jesus speaks to you, and tells you what you need to hear first.

e.g. confirmand, dead puppy, prayer unanswered; prayed for brokenness - disappointment; grief; pain; paralysis; what did she need? puppy not on the scale of a riot, the underlying hatred, grief, our response of fear and anger

crowds pressing in on him. A packed house. Coming through the roof.

Mark 2:3–4 (EBC Mt–Lk): It was usually a small, one-room structure with a flat roof. Access to the roof was by means of an outside stairway. The roof itself was usually made of wooden beams with thatch and compacted earth in order to shed the rain. Sometimes tiles were laid between the beams and the thatch and earth placed over them.

The four men brought the paralytic (v. 3) to the house where Jesus was; but when they saw the size of the crowd, they realized it was impossible to enter by the door. So they carried the paralytic up the outside stairway to the roof (v. 4). There they dug up the compacted thatch and earth (no doubt dirt showered down on those inside the house below), removed the tiles, and lowered the man through the now-exposed beams to the floor below.

Mark 2:5 NIV

When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

Mark 2:5 (EBC Mt–Lk): It is not as if this sick man were unusually sinful, but his case makes the universal separation of man from God more conspicuous and illustrates the truth which is proclaimed over and over in the Old Testament, that all suffering is rooted in man’s separation from God. For this reason, Jesus must call attention here to man’s deepest need; otherwise the testimony of this healing would remain nothing more than the story of a remarkable miracle. (Schweizer, p. 61)

Imagine the disappointment Work to get in the house Confident faith Inspiring teaching Excitement Determination

The paralyzed man asks for a miracle, and gets a message.

Jesus tells him what we need to hear first.

Sins are forgiven

relationship between sickness and sin; assumed it was God’s response to an individual sin; at times, yes. But there is a relationship; unforgiven sin can be a barrier; sin is also a sickness; unwillingness to forgive others can be a barrier;

I hope we are praying desperately for healing from our nation’s brokenness; the world’s brokenness. I hope that is our primary response to Wednesday - otherwise we enter an endless cycle of debate that creates anger; contributes to brokenness

We want the solution; the comfort, the peace; the justice;

symptom of the deeper problem: sin; pray for the healing, but listen for what we need to hear first

be ready to hear God’s call to forgiveness

We pray a prayer of desperation, and God wants to answer that prayer. But Jesus speaks to you, and tells you what you need to hear first.

Your sins are forgiven. We want the healing - do we see the need for forgiveness

Seek gods help..,wisdom for choosing a vocational, marriage, kids trouble safety, money crisis...sickness .sins are forgiven

Jesus speaks to you, and tells you what you need to hear first.

Brokenness in the world. .violence, other examples including indifference or silence ....root is sin Hatred, disregard for

Jesus speaks to you, and tells you what you need to hear first.

What is the response of the spiritual leaders?

Mark 2:8 NIV

Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things?

Reading minds or... I know what you’re thinking. Anticipating his opponents objections

Why forgiveness first? Did the man ask for forgiveness?

Why would we be surprised by this? What if I came to pray for your healing, and said these words?

Desire physical healing, but do we see the need for forgiveness? Desire that our bodies work the way they are supposed to.

It’s easy for us to condemn the violence. Raw emotion. Destruction. Injury. Ignorance.

Forgiveness from sins?